222 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



blew coldly back to him, he shivered, for in his heart 

 he was a coward. He longed to bite, and yet he did 

 not dare. 



" The sleeping fire outside, that marked the camp, 

 shot out a flaming tongue. The Wolf started, crouched, 

 fearing to pass it. Then scenting on the wind that 



^t> 



other men were coming, he slunk out and, not stopping 

 to read the signs, seized a lump of meat, bolted it, and 

 ran until he reached the wood edge. 



"The tramp of many feet bent the ice crust, hurried 

 words came from the camp, mingled witli the cry of 

 Wolf ! and the crash of logs. The fire leaped high. 

 Fire also burned within the Wolf; then came the end 

 — the scrap of meat that he had swallowed held the 

 fine white earth that kills ! " 



***** 



" Oh I I was so afraid the poor man would be eaten," 

 said Dodo, with a sigh of satisfaction. "Who was the 

 man, daddy ? — for there must have really been a man, 

 or the skin of the Wolf with one foot gone wouldn't 

 have been found." 



" Was it yourself ? " asked Olive. 



***** 



At that moment a scream from the kitchen turned 

 their thoughts in another direction, so they hurried out 

 to find the cause. 



It was easily seen. Billy Coon, who had escaped un- 

 noticed from the camp while the Wolf story was in 

 progress, in attempting to help himself to some bread 

 dough that was rising by the fire, had fallen into the 

 soft mass, and at Mammy's scream climbed to the top 

 shelf of the dresser, where he sat, streaming dough. 



