him as if he were human.

Once more the dog looked at her, his dark, intelligent eyes fearful and
sad. He gave a half-hearted little woof, shifted on his three legs and
rested his head a moment against her knee.

She sprang up and ran a short distance ahead of him. Again she pointed
to the bear.

"Mush, Kobuk! Oh, go after him, boy!"

He started. Once more his hair bristled ferociously. Then suddenly,
to Jean's dismay, he turned and instead of heading the bear off, began
to make a detour behind it. Forgetful of all else but the necessity of
delaying the beast, she ran after the dog shouting encouragement.

As he left her behind he gathered speed. He swerved, making straight
for the back of the bear. His woofing sounds had ceased now. He was
grimly silent. The instincts of his wolf ancestors at the sight of
quarry must have awakened in his heart making him forget his bodily
pain, for as he sped on in his desire to maim and kill, he put his
bandaged leg to the ground with increasing frequency. By the time he
reached the animal, gone was the friendly, gentle Kobuk Jean had always
known. In his place rushed a new and terrible Kobuk--a snarling,
leaping devil-dog, with blazing eyes, white fangs gleaming in a
dripping mouth, little ears laid back against a lean, wolf-like head.

He attacked the bear from behind, nipping it slightly. The huge beast
stopped and whirled in clumsy astonishment. For a moment it looked
almost curiously at the white-fanged fury leaping away. Then turning
lumbered on again toward the mound. The monster had lived so long on
Kon Klayu undisturbed by man or beast that it was apparently
indifferent to both.

But Kobuk, cripple though he was, would not be ignored. Again he
dashed at the bear, seeking to nip it from the rear. Again he
retreated. Repeating his maneuvers he kept on, until suddenly Jean saw
the beast whirl viciously. Its cumbersome bulk stiffened, its little
eyes gleamed with rage. It rose on its hind feet, its monster head
swaying from side to side. Then the girl stopped, horrified, dazed at
the unequal battle that ensued.

She had a confused memory of a huge upstanding creature laying about it
like a fiend with great furry arms. She saw her dog, crippled, but
dauntless, ever dodging, wheeling, leaping, circling and attacking from
behind the moment the bear's back was toward him. She saw Kobuk catch
glancing blows from the mighty claw-barbed paws and roll fiv