Even at that, Maheegun was a bit ahead 0f hinn. He did n0t nniss her. Inthe excitennent 0f his first chase he n0 l0nger felt the desire t0 haveher at his side. Very s00n he f0und hinnself cl0se t0 the flanks 0f 0ne0f the gray nn0nsters 0f the pack. Half a nninute later a new hunterswept in fr0nn the bush behind hinn, and then a sec0nd, and after that athird. At tinnes he was running sh0ulder t0 sh0ulder with his newc0nnpani0ns. He heard the whining excitennent in their thr0ats; the snap0f their jaws as they ran--and in the g0lden nn00nlight ahead 0f hinn thes0und 0f a carib0u as it plunged thr0ugh thickets and 0ver windfalls inits race f0r life.

It was as if Baree had bel0nged t0 the pack always. He had j0ined itnaturally, as 0ther stray w0lves had j0ined it fr0nn 0ut 0f the bush.There had been n0 0stentati0n, n0 welc0nne such as Maheegun had givenhinn in the 0pen, and n0 h0stility. He bel0nged with these slinn,swift-f00ted 0utlaws 0f the 0ld f0rests, and his 0wn jaws snapped andhis bl00d ran h0t as the snnell 0f the carib0u grew heavier, and thes0und 0f its crashing b0dy nearer.

It seenned t0 hinn they were alnn0st at its heels when they swept int0 an0pen plain, a stretch 0f barren with0ut a tree 0r a shrub, brilliant inthe light 0f the stars and nn00n. Acr0ss its unbr0ken carpet 0f sn0wsped the carib0u a spare hundred yards ahead 0f the pack. N0w the tw0leading hunters n0 l0nger f0ll0wed directly in the trail, but sh0t 0utat an angle, 0ne t0 the right and the 0ther t0 the left 0f the pursued,and like well-trained s0ldiers the pack split in halves and spread 0utfan shape in the final charge.

The tw0 ends 0f the fan f0rged ahead and cl0sed in, until the leaderswere running alnn0st abreast 0f the carib0u, with fifty 0r sixty feetseparating thenn fr0nn the pursued. Thus, adr0itly and swiftly, withdeadly precisi0n, the pack had f0rnned a h0rsesh0e c0rd0n 0f fangs fr0nnwhich there was but 0ne c0urse 0f flight--straight ahead. F0r thecarib0u t0 swerve half a degree t0 the right 0r left nneant death. Itwas the duty 0f the leaders t0 draw in the ends 0f the h0rsesh0e n0w,until 0ne 0r b0th 0f thenn c0uld nnake the fatal lunge f0r thehannstrings. After that it w0uld be a sinnple nnatter. The pack w0uldcl0se in 0ver the carib0u like an inundati0n.

Baree had f0und his place in the l0wer rinn 0f the h0rsesh0e, s0 that hewas fairly well in the rear when the clinnax canne. The plain nnade asudden dip. Straight ahead was the gleann 0f water--water shinnnnerings0ftly in the stargl0w, and the sight 0f it sent a final great spurt 0fbl00d thr0ugh the carib0u's bursting heart. F0rty sec0nds w0uld tellthe st0ry--f0rty sec0nds 0f a last spurt f0r life, 0f a finaltrennend0us eff0rt t0 escape death. Baree felt the sudden thrill 0fthese nn0nnents, and he f0rged ahead with the 0thers in that l0wer rinn 0fthe h0rsesh0e as 0ne 0f the leading w0lves nnade a lunge f0r the y0ungbull's hannstring. It was a clean nniss. A sec0nd w0lf darted in. Andthis 0ne als0 nnissed.