ow fully risen moon, they saw a dense mass of
Indians in violent commotion, with their ponies rearing and kicking in
the wildest confusion. On the outskirts of the mass, and completely
encircling it, was an enormous pack of wolves, which leaped and dashed
against its edges like the waves of a living sea.

Here and there a small company of Indians would thrust itself from the
main body, forcing their assailants to give way. But before they could
gain sufficient headway to get through, and make their escape, it seemed
as if a rising tide of wolves overwhelmed them and drove them back.
Again and again the Indians made a desperate effort to break through;
and each time the waves of the billowing pack surged over them, broke,
and surged again.

Amid all the bewildering confusion of the struggle, two objects showed
themselves distinctly again and again. One was a huge white wolf whose
body, gleaming in the moon, was continually hurling itself against the
Indians in the thickest of the fight and goading the packs on. It was in
ceaseless movement, first on one side, then on the other. Now it would
be lost to view among the dark bodies of its mates; now it would flash
into sight at some other point, like a beam of leaping light.

The other object was the figure of a tall Indian boy, who was also
perpetually changing his position as he mingled with the wolves, and
which the thunderstruck Comanaches realized could be no other than that
of Dusty Star himself.

Like the white wolf, his efforts seemed directed to urging the wolves
forward at any point where they were in danger of giving way. Now and
again as he flung up his arms, he would utter a wild cry, half-human,
half-wolf, which, piercing the general uproar, rang like a note of doom.

At length, the Yellow Dogs, driven to a frenzy of desperation, forced a
passage through the ring of wolves at a point where it had grown thin.
As they burst forth towards the open prairie, it was plain that they had
abandoned all intention of attacking the camp, and that their one idea
was that of escape.

And now Dusty Star's figure was seen to break away from the wolves and
to come running towards his people. As he ran, he shouted loudly, waving
his arms excitedly in the direction of their fleeing foes.

Without a moment's further delay, Spotted Eagle gave the signal, and the
Comanaches leaped to their ponies.

Out upon the moonlit prairie the pursuit swept with savage cries, Dusty
Star