sort. And then he learned
that the creatures born in the wild are swifter than the swiftest
of other creatures. He had learned it before, as a matter of fact;
he had seen a striking illustration of it only a few days before,
when the kangaroo stretched Jess helpless on the ground at a single
stroke. Finn only grazed the dingo's haunch, while the dingo
slashed a three-inch wound in his right shoulder as he passed. Even
while Finn was in the act of turning, the wild dog's fangs clashed
again about his flank, ripping his skin as though it were stretched
silk.

It may be imagined that Finn's wrath was not lessened, but his
blind rage was, and he pulled himself together with a jerk, a cold
determination to kill cooling his brain like water. This time he
allowed the dingo to rush him, which the beast did with admirable
dexterity, aiming low for the legs. Finn plunged for the back of
the dingo's neck, and missed by the breadth of two hairs. Then he
pivoted on his hind-legs and feinted low for the dingo's legs. The
dingo flashed by him, aiming a cutting snap at his lower thigh--for
the wild dog was a master of fighting, and worked deliberately to
cripple his big opponent and not to kill him outright--and that
gave Finn the chance for which he had played in his feint. Next
moment his great fangs were buried in the thickly furred coat of
the dingo's neck, and his whole weight was bearing the wild dog to
earth.

His legs lost to him, by reason of Finn's crushing weight, the
frenzy of despair filled the dingo, and he fought like ten dogs,
snarling, snapping, writhing, and scratching, all at the same time.
Despite Finn's vice-like hold, the dingo did considerable execution
with his razor-edged fangs in the lower part of the Wolfhound's
fore-legs. But his race was run. Finn gradually shifted his hold,
till his front teeth gripped the soft part of the dingo's throat,
and then he bit with all the mighty strength of his great jaws,
closer, closer, and closer, till the red blood poured out on the
ground and the struggles of the wild dog grew fainter and fainter.
Finally, Finn gave a great shake of his head, lifting the dingo
clear of the ground, and flinging him back upon it, limp and still.

For two whole minutes Finn glared down at the body of the dingo,
while licking the blood from his own lips, and working the torn
skin of his body backward and forward as though it tickled him.
Then he turned to look to Jess. And then an extrao