254 NEIGHBOURS UNKNOWN 



He was now as tall as the very tallest Great 

 Dane, but with a depth of shoulder and 

 chest, a punishing length and strength of 

 jaw, that no dog ever could boast. When 

 he looked at Toomey, his eyes wore the ex- 

 pression of a faithful and understanding 

 follower ; but when he answered the stares 

 of the crowd, through the bars of his cage, 

 the greenish fire that flamed in their inscru- 

 table depths was ominous and untamed. 

 In all save his willing subjection to Toomey 's 

 mastery, he was a true wolf, of the savage 

 and gigantic breed of the north-western timber. 

 To all spectators this was aggressively obvious ; 

 and therefore the marvel of seeing this sinis- 

 ter grey beast with the murderous fangs, 

 so submissive to Toomey's gentlest bidding, 

 never grew stale. In every audience there 

 were always some spectators hopefully pessi- 

 mistic, who vowed that the great wolf would 

 some day turn upon his master and tear his 

 throat. To be sure, Lone Wolf was not by 

 any means the only beast whom the back- 

 woodsman had performing for the delectation 

 of his audiences. But all the others the 

 lions, the leopards, the tiger, the elephant, 

 the two zebras, and the white bear seemed 

 really subdued, as it were hypnotized into 

 harrnlessness. It was Lone Wolf only who 



