f you wasn't my little gal I'd say
you was plain pig-headed. But look here, ain't you ever felt that Dan
is what I call him--different? Ain't you ever seen him get mad--jest
for a minute--an' watched them big brown eyes of his get all packed
full of yellow light that chases a chill up and down your back like a
wrigglin' snake?"

She considered this statement in a little silence.

"I saw him kill a rattler once," she said in a low voice. "Dan caught
him behind the head after he had struck. He did it with his bare hand!
I almost fainted. When I looked again he had cut off the head of the
snake. It was--it was terrible!"

She turned to her father and caught him firmly by the shoulders.

"Look me straight in the eye, Dad, and tell me just what you mean."

"Why, Kate," said the wise old man, "you're beginnin' to see for
yourself what I'm drivin' at! Haven't you got somethin' else right on
the tip of your tongue?"

"There was one day that I've never told you about," she said in a low
voice, looking away, "because I was afraid that if I told you, you'd
shoot Black Bart. He was gnawing a big beef bone and just for fun I
tried to take it away from him. He'd been out on a long trail with Dan
and he was very hungry. When I put my hand on the bone he snapped.
Luckily I had a thick glove on and he merely pinched my wrist. Also
I think he realized what he was doing for otherwise he'd have cut
through the glove as if it had been paper. He snarled fearfully and I
sprang back with a cry. Dan hadn't seen what happened, but he
heard the snarl and saw Black Bart's bared teeth. Then--oh, it was
terrible!"

She covered her face.

"Take your time, Kate," said Cumberland softly.

"'Bart,' called Dan," she went on, "and there was such anger in his
face that I think I was more afraid of him than of the big dog.

"Bart turned to him with a snarl and bared his teeth. When Dan saw
that his face turned--I don't know how to say it!"

She stopped a moment and her hands tightened.

"Back in his throat there came a sound that was almost like the snarl
of Black Bart. The wolf-dog watched him with a terror that was uncanny
to see, the hair around his neck fairly on end, his teeth still bared,
and his growl horrible.

"'Dan!' I called, 'don't go near him!'

"I might as well have called out to a whirlwind. He leaped. Black Bart
sprang to meet him with eyes green with fear. I heard the loud click
of his teeth as he snapped--and missed. Dan