Белый клык
The She-Wolf
Forinthatinstanttheshe-wolfleapedsidewisefromthetrailintotheclumpofsprucetreesanddisappeared.
Thetwomenlookedateachother. Henrywhistledlongandcomprehendingly.
"Imighthaveknowedit,"Billchidedhimselfaloudashereplacedthegun. "Ofcourseawolfthatknowsenoughtocomeinwiththedogsatfeedin’time,‘dknowallaboutshooting-irons. Itellyourightnow,Henry,thatcritter’sthecauseofallourtrouble. We’dhavesixdogsatthepresenttime,‘steadofthree,ifitwasn’tforher. An’Itellyourightnow,Henry,I’mgoin’together. She’stoosmarttobeshotintheopen. ButI’mgoin’tolayforher.I’llbushwhackherassureasmynameisBill."
"Youneedn’tstrayofftoofarindoin’it,"hispartneradmonished. "Ifthatpackeverstartstojumpyou,themthreecartridges’dbewuthnomore’nthreewhoopsinhell. Themanimalsisdamnhungry, an’oncetheystartin,they’llsuregetyou,Bill."
Theycampedearlythatnight. Threedogscouldnotdragthesledsofastnorforsolonghoursascouldsix,andtheywereshowingunmistakablesignsofplayingout. Andthemenwentearlytobed,Billfirstseeingtoitthatthedogsweretiedoutofgnawing-reachofoneanother.
Butthewolvesweregrowingbolder,andthemenwerearousedmorethanoncefromtheirsleep. Soneardidthewolvesapproach,thatthedogsbecamefranticwithterror, anditwasnecessarytoreplenishthefirefromtimetotimeinordertokeeptheadventurousmaraudersatsaferdistance.
