She passed quickly from one dog to another now, with Philip close at
her side, and from the collar of each dog she snapped the chain. After
she had freed a dozen, Philip began to help her. A few of the huskies
snarled at him. Others accepted him already as a part of her. Yet in
their eyes he saw the smouldering menace, the fire that wanted only a
word from her to turn them into a horde of tearing demons.

At first he was startled by Josephine's confidence in them. Then he was
only amazed. She was not only unafraid herself; she was unafraid for
him. She knew that they would not touch him. When they were all free
the pack gathered in close about them, and then Josephine came and
stood at Philip's side, and put her hands to his shoulders. Thus she
stood for a few moments, half facing the dogs, calling their names
again; and they crowded up still closer about them, until Philip
fancied he could feel their warm breath.

"They have all seen me with you now," she cried after that. "They have
seen me touch you. Not one of them will snap at you after this."

The dogs swept on ahead of them in a great wave as they left the spruce
shelter. Out in the clear light Philip drew a deep breath. He had never
seen anything like this pack. They crowded shoulder to shoulder, body
to body, in the open trail. Most of them were the tawny dun and gray
and yellow of the wolf. There were a few blacks, and a few pure whites,
but none that wore the mongrel spots of the soft-footed and
softer-throated dogs from the south.

He shivered as he measured the pent-up power, the destructive
possibilities of the whining, snapping, living sea of sinew and fang
ahead of them. And they were Josephine's! They were her slaves! What
need had she of his protection? What account would be the insignificant
automatic at his side in the face of this wild horde that awaited only
a word from her? What could there be in these forests that she feared,
with them at her command? Ten men with rifles could not have stood in
the face of their first mad rush--and yet she had told him that
everything depended upon his protection. He had thought that meant
physical protection. But it could not be. He spoke his thoughts aloud,
pointing to the dogs:

"What danger can there be in this world that you need fear--with them?"
he asked. "I don't understand. I can't guess."

She knew what he meant. The hand on his arm pressed a little closer to
him.

"Please don't try to underst