246 MOOSWA 



up all the time. Every few minutes Mooswa 

 repeated his signal each time it was answered 

 ahead, stronger and closer ; and behind him the 

 eager yap ! of the pursuers was drawing nearer. 

 &quot; There 11 be more righting than running pres 

 ently,&quot; he thought ; &quot; it s just as well if Rof 

 has the Pack, it won t take long to settle these 

 hungry Hunters.&quot; 



Rounding the next bend a clear stretch of two 

 miles lay straight away, and at the farther end of 

 it his trained eye discovered three moving specks. 

 Behind him, not thirty yards back, raced the 

 dogs. 



&quot;It will be a battle,&quot; he muttered; &quot;four 

 against four four of the Boundaries in the 

 Starvation Year, against four Fish-fed Dwellers 

 in Man s camp.&quot; 



Another mile and the foremost dog was snap 

 ping at the Bull s hocks, just falling short each 

 jump ; but Blue Wolf and his comrades were 

 only a stone s-throw off. 



As Mooswa and his pursuers neared the great, 

 gaunt, blue-coated Wolf, the latter crouched 

 chest, and neck, and jaw flat on the snow; be 

 hind, well spread in rigid leverage, were the strong, 

 gnarled legs. A length off two younger wolves 

 waited ready for battle, flat-lying as their leader. 

 Mooswa understood. As he slashed by Blue 



