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Dale lifted his head alertly
"Listen"
The girls grew tense and still Helen could not hear a sound, unless it was a low thud of hoof out in the gloo She knew froht, that she, too, had failed to catch whatever it was Dale meant
"Bunch of coyotes comin'," he explained
Suddenly the quietness split to a chorus of snappy, high-strung, strange barks They sounded wild, yet they held soray forht Soft rustlings of stealthy feet surrounded the camp, and then barks and yelps broke out all around It was a restless and sneaking pack of anilad after the chorus ended and with a few desultory, spiteful yelps the coyotes went away
Silence again settled down If it had not been for the anxiety always present in Helen's ht this silence sweet and unfamiliarly beautiful
"Ah! Listen to that fellow," spoke up Dale His voice was thrilling
Again the girls strained their ears That was not necessary, for presently, clear and cold out of the silence, pealed a e and full and wild
"Oh! What's that?" whispered Bo
"That's a big gray wolf--a timber-wolf, or lofer, as he's soe back there He scents us, an' he doesn't like it There he goes again Listen! Ah, he's hungry"
While Helen listened to this exceedingly wild cry--so wild that it made her flesh creep and the most indescribable sensations of loneliness colance upon Dale
"You love hi the motive of her query
Assuredly Dale had never had that question asked of him before, and it seemed to Helen, as he pondered, that he had never even asked it of himself
"I reckon so," he replied, presently
"But wolves kill deer, and little fawns, and everything helpless in the forest," expostulated Bo
The hunter nodded his head
"Why, then, can you love him?" repeated Helen
"Come to think of it, I reckon it's because of lots of reasons," returned Dale "He kills clean He eats no carrion He's no coward He fights He dies game An' he likes to be alone"
"Kills clean What do you les a deer An' a silvertip, when killin' a cow or colt, he makes a mess of it But a wolf kills clean, with sharp snaps"