Tito 



ease her grip on him a sudden wrench jerked 

 him from her mouth into the grass — into the 

 power of the merciless Hound. Tito was far 

 smaller than the Dog ; ordinarily she would 

 have held him in fear ; but her little one, her 

 baby, was the only thought now, and as the 

 brute sprang forward to tear it in his wicked 

 jaws, she leaped between and stood facing him 

 with all her mane erect, her teeth exposed, and 

 plainly showed her resolve to save her young 

 one at any price. The Dog was not brave, only 

 confident that he was bigger and had the man 

 behind him. But the man was far away, and 

 balked in his first rush at the trembling little 

 Coyote, that tried to hide in the grass, the cur 

 hesitated a moment, and Tito howled the long 

 howl for help — the muster-call: 



Vap-yap-yap-yah-yah-yah-h-h-h-h 

 Yap-yap-yap-yah-yah-yah-h-h-h-h, 



and made the buttes around reecho so that 

 Jake could not tell where it came from ; but 

 some one else there was that heard and did 

 know whence it came. The Dog's courage 

 revived on hearing something like a far-away 



348 



