The Last of the Plainsmen 



twinkling he had strapped the collar round her neck. 

 The chain he made fast to the sapling. After remov 

 ing the club from her mouth he placed his knee on 

 her neck, and while her head was in this helpless 

 position he dexterously slipped a loop of thick copper 

 wire over her nose, pushed it back and twisted it 

 tight. Following this, all done with speed and pre 

 cision, he took from his pocket a piece of steel rod, 

 perhaps one-quarter of an inch thick, and five inches 

 long. He pushed this between Kitty s jaws, just 

 back of her great white fangs, and in front of the 

 copper wire. She had been shorn of her sharp 

 weapons; she was muzzled, bound, helpless, an object 

 to pity. 



Lastly Jones removed the three lassoes. Kitty 

 slowly gathered her lissom body in a ball and lay 

 panting, with the same brave wildfire in her eyes. 

 Jones stroked her black-tipped ears and ran his hand 

 down her glossy fur. All the time he had kept up a 

 low monotone, talking to her in the strange language 

 he used toward animals. Then he rose to his feet. 



&quot; We ll go back to camp now, and get a pack- 

 saddle and horse,&quot; he said. &quot; She ll be safe here. 

 We ll rope her again, tie her up, throw her over a 

 pack-saddle, and take her to camp.&quot; 



To my utter bewilderment the hounds suddenly 

 commenced fighting among themselves. Of all the 



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