o sight from among
the trees. His whole body was tingling with excitement. He cast all
further secrecy aside, and ran towards Kiopo. The wolf turned quickly,
and growled. As Dusty Star fully understood, the growl was one of
disapproval, not of anger. It said plainly: "You are not wanted. You are
very much in the way."

Dusty Star knew, when too late, that this was true. Yet he was glad he
had come. Kiopo could not keep _this_ thing secret, as he had kept
others. He would see what was to be seen: whatever the danger was, Kiopo
and he would meet it together.

Again Kiopo lifted his voice; but this time it was no weary howl, making
melancholy echoes: it was a short, deep bark, like an explosion.

Another "woof," rather higher pitched than the first, rose angrily from
below. The enemy had accepted Kiopo's challenge for the fight. A few
minutes afterwards, a great, grey timber wolf came stalking down the
promontory with the battle-light in his eyes.

As soon as he appeared, Dusty Star realized in a flash that they had met
before, and that he was once again face to face with the giant wolf from
whose murderous attack Goshmeelee had rescued him. For the Terror of the
Carboona, Goshmeelee had been more than a match. But Kiopo, mighty
fighter as he was, was not Goshmeelee. As he watched, an awful dread
began to creep into Dusty Star's heart.

And now Kiopo prepared for what he knew must come. The first thing he
did was to give Dusty Star a butt with his head, which said clearly
enough: "Get well out of the way."

Dusty Star was not so foolish as to disobey, knowing well that he could
be of little use to Kiopo as soon as the fight began. So he scrambled
hastily to the top of a high rock where he could watch what happened
without being in danger.

On came the big grey stranger, walking stiffly, his tail waving slowly
from side to side. As he advanced, he growled deeply. Kiopo awaited him
without moving, every muscle tense, while he measured his enemy's points
and probable strength. The Lone Wolf came to a stand, and for a few
moments the wolves stood facing each other at the distance of a spring.

[Illustration: ON CAME THE BIG GREY STRANGER, WALKING STIFFLY, HIS TAIL
WAVING SLOWLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE]

Both animals were splendid specimens of their class. What Kiopo wanted
in height, little though that was, he made up for in breadth and depth
of shoulder and chest. An onlooker would have said that in actual
fighting power