uled the
feeler in hand over hand and drew forth a fighting pup, the three tines
twisted firmly into his soft fur. The hound opened up excitedly; the
short pick swept up and down,--and the pup was a lifeless heap.

Terror and rage flooded Shady in equal parts. She gave one sharp
cry,--and the other two openings disgorged a shower of frightened pups
that scattered toward the timber as so many flushed partridges, fleeing
in response to their mother's sharp command, and Shady raged straight at
the man!

The prospector was an old hand at rifling wolf dens. Occasionally a pup
would dart from another exit, and the shotgun was an effective weapon
with which to check his flight. But never had he seen such a mad
outpouring of pups as this, and in all his long life in the hills a
she-wolf had never rushed him, even in defense of her pups. Shady's
charge was reversed so suddenly as to appear that she turned a flip in
mid-air when she saw the man's hand stretch forth and lift the shotgun
from the ground, for she knew well its purpose and its power.

The thunderous roar of black powder sounded behind her and a charge of
heavy shot raked her hips and loins as she gained the trees. Shot
pierced both ears and furrowed along her skull. The man turned and
pulled the second barrel at the rearmost pup and he went down limply, a
puff of fur flung into the air above him, his life snuffed out in a
single instant as the heavy charge pulverized him from end to end.

A piercing series of yelps issued from the timber as Shady gave voice to
her agony. The prospector nodded. The mystery was cleared; for he knew
that he might shoot a wolf or coyote to mincemeat and neither would make
a sound.

"A dog," he said. "A renegade. I should have knowed it all along; her
stealing thataway right alongside of Buge; and her bristling up to
me--no wolf would carry on like that."

He strode to the tree and unleashed the hound.

"Go to it, Buge!" he said. "Go clean up them pups."

As the dog sped into the timber a sharp note sounded from far down the
slope. Shady had partially recovered her upset faculties and called the
pups, and they gathered swiftly to her and ran their best. Even in her
crippled state Shady could have outrun the trail hound, for her wounds
had not yet had time to stiffen, but the pups could scarcely hold their
own, and the dog's endurance was far greater.

Breed was returning to the den with a ragged chunk of venison when he
heard t