rsected the flat squarely across his route and Breed leaped to
the bed of it and fled fifty yards along its course, then flashed into a
narrow coulee that led straight back toward the dogs. The draw was
shallow, with scarcely sufficient depth to cover him, but the dogs did
not suspect and as they darted on ahead Breed doubled back through the
very center of the pack. He ran with the last of his strength, crept
from the sheltering coulee and leaped into the center of a heavy clump
of sage where he crouched flat and peered out at the puzzled dogs. Of
all the beasts there are but few with the brains to plan such a coup and
the nerve to carry it through when winded and played out,--and with
certain death the penalty for a single slip. The ruse would not have
fooled a trail hound for an instant, but with sight-hunting coursers it
worked.

Breed watched the dogs swing wide and scour the country off to the right
of him till they appeared as swift-skimming dots in the distance. Then
one of them lined out with increased speed as he topped a ridge. One
after another Breed saw them flash over the skyline and disappear.

CHAPTER VI

Shady's first impression after taking the wrong turn in the coulee was
one of vast relief at having evaded the dogs. The recovery of her breath
was accompanied by a vague sense of loss which rapidly deepened into an
ache of loneliness so oppressive that her whole spirit was weighed down
by it. She started up through the long crescent-shaped neck of badlands
that partially encircled Collins' cabin and extended clear to the foot
of the spur, knowing that this was Breed's favorite route when making
for the hills. She moved slowly and with many halts, cocking her head
sidewise and tilting her ears for some sound of her mate. She came out
into a funnel-shaped basin that sloped down from the first sharp rise of
the spur. The small end of it formed a saddle between two knobs, leading
to Collins' shack as through a natural gateway.

Shady trotted to the saddle and gazed down at the wolfer's cabin five
hundred yards away, the spot which had meant home to her over the
greatest part of her life. The door stood invitingly open. She turned
and saw the five dogs pouring down the funnel of the basin. The sudden
purposeful increase of speed which Breed had noticed as the dogs left
his field of view had been occasioned by the sight of Shady standing in
the notch.

Without an instant's hesitation Shady heade