Krag, the Kootenay Ram 



little part in his life, and his lips uttered only a 

 torrent of horrid blasphemies, his one emotional 

 outburst. 



A long silence; then, "I'd give it back to 

 him if I could." 



He stared at the distance. His eyes fell on 

 the coat he had left, and realizing that he was 

 cold, he walked across and gathered up his 

 things. Then he returned to the horns, and 

 over him came the wild, inhuman lusting for 

 his victim's body that he had heard his com- 

 rades speak of, but had never before under- 

 stood — the reactionary lust that makes the 

 panther fondle and caress the deer he has 

 stricken down. He made a fire ; then, feeling 

 more like himself, he skinned the Ram's neck 

 and cut off the head. This was familiar work, 

 and he followed it up mechanically, cutting meat 

 enough to satisfy his hunger. Then, bowing his 

 shoulders beneath the weight of his massive 

 trophy, — a weight he would scarcely have no- 

 ticed three months ago,— he turned from the 

 chase, old, emaciated, grizzled, and haggard, 

 and toiled slowly down to the shanty he had 

 left twelve weeks before. 



98 



