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The Battle of the Fangs
He,also,wasaddictedtocrowdingher,toveeringtowardhertillhisscarredmuzzletouchedherbody,orshoulder,orneck. Aswiththerunningmateontheleft,sherepelledtheseattentionswithherteeth; butwhenbothbestowedtheirattentionsatthesametimeshewasroughlyjostled,beingcompelled,withquicksnapstoeitherside,todrivebothloversaway andatthesametimetomaintainherforwardleapwiththepackandseethewayofherfeetbeforeher. Atsuchtimesherrunningmatesflashedtheirteethandgrowledthreateninglyacrossateachother. Theymighthavefought, butevenwooinganditsrivalrywaiteduponthemorepressinghunger-needofthepack.
Aftereachrepulse,whentheoldwolfsheeredabruptlyawayfromthesharp-toothedobjectofhisdesire, heshoulderedagainstayoungthree-year-oldthatranonhisblindrightside. Thisyoungwolfhadattainedhisfullsize;and,consideringtheweakandfamishedconditionofthepack,hepossessedmorethantheaveragevigourandspirit. Nevertheless,heranwithhisheadevenwiththeshoulderofhisone-eyedelder. Whenheventuredtorunabreastoftheolderwolf(whichwasseldom), asnarlandasnapsenthimbackevenwiththeshoulderagain. Sometimes,however,hedroppedcautiouslyandslowlybehindandedgedinbetweentheoldleaderandtheshe-wolf. Thiswasdoublyresented,eventriplyresented. Whenshesnarledherdispleasure,theoldleaderwouldwhirlonthethree-year-old. Sometimesshewhirledwithhim. Andsometimestheyoungleaderontheleftwhirled,too.
Atsuchtimes,confrontedbythreesetsofsavageteeth,theyoungwolfstoppedprecipitately,throwinghimselfbackonhishaunches,withfore-legsstiff,mouthmenacing,andmanebristling. Thisconfusioninthefrontofthemovingpackalwayscausedconfusionintherear.
