cries of danger, which only the grown animals 

 understand. The old wolf had been undis- 

 turbed ; no dog or hunter had chased her ; 

 no trap or pitfall had entangled her swift 

 feet. Moreover, she had chosen her den well, 

 where no man had ever stood, and where 

 only the eyes of two children had seen her 

 at a distance. So the little ones grew and 

 played in the sunshine, and had yet to learn 

 what fear meant. 



One day at dusk the mother entered swiftly 

 and, without giving them food as she had 

 always done, seized a cub and disappeared. 

 For the little one, which had never before 

 ventured beyond sight of the den, it was a 

 long journey indeed that followed, — miles 

 and miles beside roaring brooks and mist- 

 filled ravines, through gloomy woods where •'•<) 

 no light entered, and over bare ridges where ' 

 the big stars sparkled just over his ears as 

 he hung, limp as a rabbit skin, from his' 

 mother's great jaws. An owl hooted dismally, 

 whoo-hooo ! and though he knew the sound 

 well in his peaceful nights, it brought now 

 a certain shiver. The wind went sniffing 



55 



<m?e Way of 

 OJo/f 



