28 Lobo 



ure and removed the cords. Then for the first 

 time I could examine him closely, and proved 

 how unreliable is vulgar report where a living 

 hero or tyrant is concerned. He had not a 

 collar of gold about his neck, nor was there on 

 his shoulders an inverted cross to denote that 

 he had leagued himself with Satan. But I did 

 find on one haunch a great broad scar, that 

 tradition says was the fang-mark of Juno, the 

 leader of Tannerey's wolf-hounds — a mark 

 which she gave him the moment before he 

 stretched her lifeless on the sand of the cafion. 



I set meat and water beside him, but he paid 

 no heed. He lay calmly on his breast, and 

 gazed with those steadfast yellow eyes away 

 past me down through the gateway of the 

 canon, over the open plains — his plains — nor 

 moved a muscle when I touched him. When 

 the sun went down he was still gazing fixedly 

 across the prairie. I expected he would call up 

 his band when night came, and prepared for 

 them, but he had called once in his extremity, 

 and none had come ; he would never call again. 



A lion shorn of his strength, an eagle robbed 

 of his freedom, or a dove bereft of his mate, all 

 die, it is said, of a broken heart; and who will 



