he Lelacs.

At noon Wallace overheard Jules and McCain talking of Fleur's puppies
which they had just seen.

"By the way, McCain, where are these remarkable Ungava pups which you
say were sired by a timber wolf?"

"Over in the Mission stockade, sir."

"I want to see them and the old dog, too. I'm rather curious to put my
eyes on the husky that could kill a man with a loaded gun in his hands.
That part of Marcel's story needs a bit of salt."

"You won't doubt it when you see her! She's a whale of a husky," said
McCain.

"Well, I never saw the dog that could kill me with a rifle handy. I'll
stroll over and take a look at her."

"I'll show you the way." And McCain and Wallace went to the Mission.

Arrived at the tent in the stockade they were greeted by a fierce
rumble, like the muttering of an August south-wester making on the Bay.

"We'd better not go near the tent, Mr. Wallace. I'll see if Jean's in
the house. The dog won't allow anyone but Marcel near her."

Ignoring the warning, Wallace approached the tent opening to look
inside, but so fierce a snarl warned him off that he stepped back with
considerably more speed than his dignity admitted. Red in the face, he
glanced around to learn if his precipitous flight had had an audience.

Shortly, McCain returned with Marcel, and Wallace, now that the dog's
owner was near, again approached and peered into the tent.

There was a deep growl from within, and with a cry of surprise the
Inspector was hurled backward to the ground by the rush of a great, gray
body. At the same instant, Jean Marcel, calling to Fleur, leaped
headlong at his dog, seizing her before she could strike at the neck of
the prostrate Wallace. Calming the husky, he held her while the
discomfited Inspector got to his feet.

"You should not go so near, M'sieu. She ees not use to stranger," said
Jean brusquely.

"I--I didn't think she was so cross," sputtered the ruffled Inspector.
"Why, she's a regular wolf of a dog!"

"Now, sir," demanded the secretly delighted McCain, "do you believe she
could kill a man?"

Surveying Fleur's gigantic frame critically as Jean stroked her glossy
neck, soothing her with low words crooned into a hairy ear, the
enlightened Inspector of the East Coast posts admitted:

"Well, I don't know but what she could. I never saw such a beast for
size and strength. Let's have a look at the pups."

Jean brought from the tent the blind, squirming balls of fur.

"They ar