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TOAere Ifie Trail 

 tegins 



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There, in the deep shadow where no eye 

 might notice the movement, the old wolf 

 shook off the delicious sleepiness that still 

 lingered in all her big muscles. First she 

 spread her slender fore paws, working the 

 toes till they were all wide-awake, and bent 

 her body at the shoulders till her deep chest 

 touched the earth. Next a hind leg stretched 

 out straight and tense as a bar, and was taken 

 back again in nervous little jerks. At the 

 same time she yawned mightily, wrinkling 

 lier nose and showing her red gums with the 

 black fringes and the long white fangs that 

 could reach a deer's heart in a single snap. 

 Then she leaped upon a great rock and sat 

 up straight, with her bushy tail curled close 

 about her fore paws, a savage, powerful, noble- 

 looking beast, peering down gravely over the 

 green mountains to the shining sea. 



A moment before the hillside had appeared 

 utterly lifeless, so still and rugged and deso- 

 late that one must notice and welcome the 

 stir of a mouse or ground squirrel in 

 "7^C| the moss, speaking of life that is glad 

 % \ ^*w~^*?-*r>^?^' "■-?■■-■■ ^nd free and 



