The only change in it that they could notice
was an accession of alertness. It still regarded them with the merciless
wistfulness of hunger. They were meat, and it was hungry; and it would
like to go in and eat them if it dared.
"Look here, Henry," Bill said, unconsciously lowering his voice to a
whisper because of what he imitated. "We've got three cartridges. But
it's a dead shot. Couldn't miss it. It's got away with three of our
dogs, an' we oughter put a stop to it. What d'ye say?"
Henry nodded his consent. Bill cautiously slipped the gun from under the
sled-lashing. The gun was on the way to his shoulder, but it never got
there. For in that instant the she-wolf leaped sidewise from the trail
into the clump of spruce trees and disappeared.
The two men looked at each other. Henry whistled long and
comprehendingly.
"I might have knowed it," Bill chided himself aloud as he replaced the
gun. "Of course a wolf that knows enough to come in with the dogs at
feedin' time, 'd know all about shooting-irons. I tell you right now,
Henry, that critter's the cause of all our trouble. We'd have six dogs
at the present time, 'stead of three, if it wasn't for her. An' I tell
you right now, Henry, I'm goin' to get her. She's too smart to be shot
in the open. But I'm goin' to lay for her.
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