was he sure that such an action would properly impress the great wolf,
who, for the moment at least, seemed not actively hostile. Stillness,
absolute immobility, was the trump-card to be always played in the
wilderness when in doubt. So Timmins kept quite still, looking
inquiringly at Lone Wolf. And Lone Wolf looked inquiringly at him.

For several minutes this waiting game went on. Then, with easy
nonchalance, Lone Wolf lifted one huge hind paw and vigorously
scratched his ear. This very simple action was a profound relief to
Timmins.

"Sartain," he thought, "the crittur must be in an easy mood, or he'd
never think to scratch his ear like that. Or mebbe he thinks I'm so
well buried I kin wait, like an old bone!"

Just then Lone Wolf got up, stretched himself, yawned prodigiously,
came a couple of steps nearer, and sat down again, with his head
cocked to one side, and a polite air of asking, "Do I intrude?"

"Sartain sure, I'll never ketch him in a better humor!" thought
Timmins. "I'll try the human voice on him."

"Git to H---- out of that!" he commanded in a sharp voice.

Lone Wolf cocked his head to the other side interrogatively. He had
been spoken to by Toomey in that voice of authority, but the words
were new to him. He felt that he was expected to do something, but he
knew not what. He liked the voice--it was something like Toomey's. He
liked the smell of Timmins' homespun shirt--it, too, was something
like Toomey's. He became suddenly anxious to please this stranger. But
what was wanted of him? He half arose to his feet, and glanced around
to see if, perchance, the inexplicable order had been addressed to
some one else. As he turned, Timmins saw, half hidden in the heavy fur
of the neck, a stout leather collar.

"I swear!" he muttered, "if tain't a _tame_ wolf what's got away!"
With that he sat up; and pulling his legs, without any very serious
hurt, from their covering of earth and sticks he got stiffly to his
feet. For a moment the bright landscape reeled and swam before him,
and he had a vague sense of having been hammered all over his body.
Then he steadied himself. He saw that the wolf was watching him with
the expression of a diffident but friendly dog who would like to make
acquaintance. As he stood puzzling his wits, he remembered having read
about the great fire which had recently done such damage to Sillaby
and Hopkins' Circus, and he concluded that the stranger was one of the
fugitives from t