The Call of the Wild

knew John Thornton wasdead. It left a great void in him, somewhat akin to hunger, but a voidwhich ached and ached, and which food could not fill, At times, when hepaused to

ly. They had died so easily. Itwas harder to kill a husky dog than them. They were no match at all,were it not for their arrows an

ool, Buck became alive to astirring of the new life in the forest other than that which the Yeehats hadmade, He stood up, listening and scenting. From far away drifted afaint, sharp yelp,

sounding more luringly and compellingly than everbefore. And as never before, he was ready to ob

poured in a silveryflood; and in the centre of the clearing stood Buck, motionless as astatue, waiting their coming. They were awed, so still and large hestood, and a moment's pause fell, till the boldest one leaped straight forhim. Like a flash Buc

ity stood him in goodstead. Pivoting on his hind legs, and snapping and gashing, he waseverywhere at once, presenting a front which was apparently unbrokenso swiftly did he whirl

made inthe course of mining, and in this angle he came to bay,

ere out and lolling, thewhite fangs showing cruelly white in the moonlight. Some were lyingdown with heads raised a

ner, and Buck recognized the wild brother with whom he had run fora night

ng wolf howl. The others sat down and howled. Andnow the call came to Buck in unmistakable accents. He, too, sat downand howled. This over, he came out of his angle and the pack crowdedaround him, sniffing in half- frie

head and muzzle, and with arift of white centring down the chest. But more remarkable than this,the Yeehats tell of a Ghost Dog that runs at the head of the pack. Theyare afrai

and with wolf prints about them in the snowgreater than the prints of any wolf. Each fall, when the Yeehats followthe movement of the moose, there is a certain vall

rosses alone from the smiling timberland and comes down into an open space among the trees. Here ayellow stream flows from rotted moose- hide sacks and sinks into theground, with

leys, he may be seenrunning at the head of the pack through the pale moonlight orglimmering borealis, leaping gigant

The End<