284 BIG GAME FIELDS 



denly nearer and louder this time, an unearthly 

 howl came rolling down the mountains. It was 

 the long wail of a great lone wolf. Then the 

 huskies, which are but wolves of yesterday, raised 

 their muzzles to the sky and howled as if de- 

 mented. 



From the sable banks just across the river came 

 a long woo-ooo-wow-wow, and then a great black 

 wolf leaped to the very top of a spur and stood 

 motionless in clear-cut silhouette against the crisp 

 stars and young moon. Sitting back on his 

 haunches and pointing his jaws to the moon he 

 rolled out on the night air what seemed a long 

 appealing wail. The huskies appeared to be 

 held by some impelling force from which they 

 could not tear themselves. It was the strong and 

 free, calling to his degenerate captive kinsmen to 

 be wild. One leap, and the shadows, black as the 

 great wolf himself, took him into their arms 

 and I saw him no more. 



The huskies whined, trotted hither and yon 

 then melted into the night. Only the murmurings 

 of the river broke the stillness. 



At last everything being in readiness, we fer- 

 ried our packs and swam our horses across the 

 Stikine ; then packing the outfit, toiled slowly up 

 the mountainside and back into the mountains. 



