e no dream of escape for her. Or she might drag herself away from the
tearing teeth--a disfigured horror forever. Think not that an iota of
all these terrors missed her mind. No, she felt the fangs buried in her
throat and heard the snarl of the beast stifled with blood. Yet--she
laid her hand on the bandage across the shoulder of Black Bart.

His head whirled. With those ears flattened, with that long, lean neck,
it was like the head of a striking snake. Her sleeve was rolled up to
the elbow, and over the bare skin the teeth of the wolf-dog were set.
The snarl had grown so deep and hideous that the tremor of it fairly
shook her, and she saw that the jaws of the beast slavered with hunger.
She knew--a thousand things about Black Bart, and among the rest that he
had tasted human blood. And there is a legend which says that once a
wild beast has tasted the blood of man he will taste it a second time
before he dies. She thought of that--she dared not turn her head lest
she should encounter the hellfire of Bart's eyes. Yet she had passed
all ordinary fear. She had reached that exquisite frenzy of terror when
it becomes one with courage. The very arm over which the wolf's teeth
were set moved--raised--and with both hands she untied the knot of the
bandage.

The snarling rose to a pitch of maniacal rage; the teeth compressed--if
they broke the skin it was the end; the first taste of blood would be
enough!--and drew away her arm. If she had started then, all the devil
in the creature would be loosed, for her terror taught her that. And by
some mysterious power that entered her at that moment she was able to
turn her head, slowly, and look deep into those terrible eyes.

Her arm was released.

But Black Bart crouched and the snakelike head lowered; he was quivering
throughout that steel-muscled body to throw himself at her throat. The
finger was on the hair-trigger; it needed a pressure not greater than a
bodiless thought. And still she looked into the eyes of the wolf-dog;
and her terror had made her strangely light of body and dizzy of mind.
Then the change came, suddenly. The yellow-green changed, swirled in the
eyes of Black Bart; the eyes themselves wavered, and at last looked
away; the snarl dropped to a sullen growl. And Black Bart lay down as he
had been before.

His head was still turned towards her, to be sure. And the teeth were
still bared, as with rapid, deft fingers she undid the bandage; and from
instant to