at
brought Dan here, but standin' here talkin' won't tell us how. Let's
go out an' fix up Satan."

It was by no means an easy task. As they approached the horse he
heaved himself up, snorting, and stood with legs braced, and pendant
head. Even his eyes were glazed with exhaustion, but behind them
it was easy to guess the dauntless anger which raged against these
intruders. Yet he would have been helpless against them. It was Black
Bart who interfered at this point. He stood before them, his hair
bristling and his teeth bared.

Sam suggested: "Leave the door of the house open an' let him hear
Whistlin' Dan's voice."

It was done. At once the delirious voice of Dan stole out to them
faintly. The wolf turned his head to Satan with a plaintive whine, as
if asking why the stallion remained there when that voice was audible.
Then he raced for the open door and disappeared into the house.

"Hurry in, Buck!" called Sam. "Maybe the wolf'll scare Ma!"

They ran inside and found Black Bart on the bed straddling the body of
Whistling Dan, and growling at poor Mrs. Daniels, who crouched in a
corner of the room. It required patient work before he was convinced
that they actually meant no harm to his master.

"What's the reason of it?" queried Sam helplessly. "The damn wolf let
us take Dan off the hoss without makin' any fuss."

"Sure he did," assented Buck, "but he ain't sure of me yet, an' every
time he comes near me he sends the cold chills up my back."

Having decided that he might safely trust them to touch Dan's body,
the great wolf went the round and sniffed them carefully, his hair
bristling and the forbidding growl lingering in his throat. In the end
he apparently decided that they might be tolerated, though he must
keep an eye upon their actions. So he sat down beside the bed and
followed with an anxious eye every movement of Mrs. Daniels. The men
went back to the stallion. He still stood with legs braced far apart,
and head hanging low. Another mile of that long race and he would have
dropped dead beneath his rider.

Nevertheless at the coming of the strangers he reared up his head a
little and tried to run away. Buck caught the dangling reins near
the bit. Satan attempted to strike out with his forehoof. It was a
movement as clumsy and slow as the blow of a child, and Buck easily
avoided it. Realizing his helplessness Satan whinnied a heart-breaking
appeal for help to his unfailing friend, Black Bart. The wail o