y do. Stay, Umslopogaas, now you are strong again, and, if
your courage does not fail you, you shall see this very night. Come now,
have you the heart, Umslopogaas?"

Then Umslopogaas rose and laughed aloud. "I am young in years," he
cried, "and scarcely come to the full strength of men; yet hitherto I
have not turned my back on lion or witch, on wolf or man. Now let us
see this impi of yours--this impi black and grey, that runs on four legs
with fangs for spears!"

"You must first bind on the she-wolf's hide, Umslopogaas," quoth Galazi,
"else, before a man could count his fingers twice there would be little
enough left of you. Bind it about the neck and beneath the arms, and see
that the fastenings do not burst, lest it be the worse for you."

So Umslopogaas took the grey wolf's hide and bound it on with thongs of
leather, and its teeth gleamed upon his head, and he took a spear in his
hand. Galazi also bound on the hide of the king of the wolves, and they
went out on to the space before the cave. Galazi stood there awhile, and
the moonlight fell upon him, and Umslopogaas saw that his face grew wild
and beastlike, that his eyes shone, and his teeth grinned beneath his
curling lips. He lifted up his head and howled out upon the night.
Thrice Galazi lifted his head and thrice he howled loudly, and yet more
loud. But before ever the echoes had died in the air, from the heights
of the rocks above and the depths of the forest beneath, there came
howlings in answer. Nearer they grew and nearer; now there was a sound
of feet, and a wolf, great and grey, bounded towards them, and after him
many another. They came to Galazi, they sprang upon him, fawning round
him, but he beat them down with the Watcher. Then of a sudden they saw
Umslopogaas, and rushed at him open-mouthed.

"Stand and do not move!" cried Galazi. "Be not afraid!"

"I have always fondled dogs," answered Umslopogaas, "shall I learn to
fear them now?"

Yet though he spoke boldly, in his heart he was afraid, for this was the
most terrible of all sights. The wolves rushed on him open-mouthed, from
before and from behind, so that in a breath he was well-nigh hidden by
their forms. Yet no fang pierced him, for as they leapt they smelt the
smell of the skin upon him. Then Umslopogaas saw that the wolves leapt
at him no more, but the she-wolves gathered round him who wore the
she-wolf's skin. They were great and gaunt and hungry, all were
full-grown, there were no