e next day,
now so near that he could see its lolling red tongue, its lean sides,
and ugly fangs, he became possessed with a feeling of revulsion toward
it. Then he fancied it the embodied Spirit of Starvation stalking them
and awaiting an opportunity to destroy them. This fancy gave birth to
a consuming, intense hatred of the thing. Finally it attained the
proportions of a mocking, tantalising demon.

Cunningly he watched for a moment when it was well within rifle shot,
and drawing his rifle from the toboggan he dropped upon a knee, aimed
carefully, and pulled the trigger. The frost-clogged firing pin did
not respond, and the wolf, seeming to understand its peril, slunk away
unharmed.

Shad had seen it plainly--its repulsive gray sides so lank that they
seemed almost to meet, its red, hungry tongue lolling from its ugly
mouth, its cruel white fangs, and its malevolent, gleaming eyes. His
hatred for the creature became an obsession, for it appeared again
presently, persistently following, but now keeping at a respectful
distance.

On the third day, however, the wolf had forgotten its temporary
timidity, and with increased boldness stole steadily upon their heels.
With a patience quite foreign to him Shad waited, glancing behind
constantly, but making no demonstration until the wolf, apparently
satisfied that it had little to fear from the hunger-stricken
plodders, trotted boldly up and took a place behind them, so near that
if the rifle failed at the first snap there would be opportunity for a
second attempt before the beast could pass out of range.

Shad again stopped, and seizing the rifle discovered that the beast
had also stopped and stood glaring at him, mocking and unafraid. As
though, knowing their weakness, it had lost respect for their power to
injure it.

A mighty rage took possession of Shad. He fell to his knee again,
aimed carefully, and again pulled the trigger. This time there was a
report, and in an insane frenzy of delight he beheld the carcass of
the tantalising creature stretched upon the snow.

[Illustration: Shooting the wolf.]

Mookoomahn and Manikawan had halted, and stood in breathless silence
watching the result of Shad's shot. Now with an exclamation of
pleasure from Mookoomahn the two rushed forward, knives in hand, and
in an incredibly short time the carcass of the wolf was quartered, a
fire lighted, and some of the meat cooking.

It was a lean, scrawny wolf, and the meat tough and