Part 13 (1/2)

Miki looked as though heDurant had opened the door and had slipped a rope over his head, and outside the cage Miki stood swaying on his feet, red with blood, and half blind His flesh was red and bleeding in a dozen places, and a stream of blood trickled fro white man's lips as he looked down at him

And then, aler cry

”Good God! Miki--Miki--Miki--”

Beating upon his brain as if froh the blindness of his wounds, Miki heard that voice

The VOICE! THE voice that had lived with him in all his dreams, the voice he had waited for, and searched for, and knew that some day he would find The voice of Challoner, histo see through the fil there, wounded alnition And then, to the amazement of all who beheld, Challoner was down upon his knees beside hiue was reaching for his hands, his face, his clothes

”Miki--Miki--Miki!”

Durant's hand fell heavily upon Challoner's shoulder

It was like the touch of a red-hot iron to Challoner In a flash he was on his feet, facing hi to hold back his passion ”He's mine you--you devil!”

And then, powerless to hold back his desire for vengeance, his clenched fist swung like a rock to Durant's heavy jaw, and the Frenchround For a moment Challoner stood over him, but he did not move

Fiercely he turned upon Grouse Piet and the crowd Miki was cringing at his feet again Pointing to him, Challoner cried loudly, so all could hear

”He's ot him I don't know But he's mine

Look for yourselves! See--see him lick my hand Would he do that for HIM? And look at that ear There's no other ear in all the north cut like that I lost hi ten thousand by that ear By God!--if I had known--”

He elbowed his way through the breeds and Indians, leading Miki by the rope Durant had slipped over the dog's head He went to MacDonnell, and told hi, and of the accident in which Miki and the bear cub were lost fro his claiht have to say he went to the shack in which he was staying at Fort 0' God

An hour later Challoner sat with Miki's big head between his two hands, and talked to him He had bathed and dressed his wounds, and Miki could see His eyes were on his master's face, and his hard tail thumped the floor Both were oblivious of the sounds of the revellers outside; the cries of hter of wos In Challoner's eyes there was a soft glow

”Miki, old boy, you haven't forgotten a thing--not a daed pup then, but you didn't forget! Re to take you and the cub down to the Girl? Do you reel, and 'd love you to death, and all that? Well, I'o It wasn't the saot back, an'

SHE wasn't the saot married, AND HAD TWO KIDS!

Think of that, old scout--TWO! How the deuce could she have taken care of you and the cub, eh? And nothing else was the same, Boy Three years in God's Country--up here where you burst your lungs just for the fun of drinking in air--changed uess Inside a week I wanted to come back, Miki Yessir, I was SICK to co to stick now, Miki You're going with iven me From noe're pals Understand, old scout, we're PALS!”

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

It was late the night of the big feast at Post Fort O' God that MacDonnell, the factor, sent for Challoner Challoner was preparing for bed when an Indian boy pounded on the door of his shack and a e He looked at his watch It was eleven o'clock What could the Factor want of him at that hour, he wondered?

Flat on his belly near the warm box stove Miki watched his new-found master speculatively as he pulled on his boots His eyes ide open now Challoner had washed froht of that afternoon

”Sorowled Challoner, looking at the battle-scarred dog ”Well, if he hopes to get YOU again, Miki, he's barking up the wrong tree You're MINE!”

Miki thuled toward his ht