. St. Nicholas [serial]. ured grin, he resumed his would not have hurt a sheep for theworld. An hour passed. He did not know why, — he heard nothing,saw nothing, smelled nothing, — but the bristleson his neck rose in a ruff. He glanced keenlyacross the valley to the hills on the far it fancy? — surely it was fancy! — did hesee just above the edge of the hill the tip of anear rise for an instant, then disappear? Thesheep were placid. He trotted gravely downinto the valley, then up the slope. He hadgone but a few feet when his flaring nostrilsgot a scent of something strange a
. St. Nicholas [serial]. ured grin, he resumed his would not have hurt a sheep for theworld. An hour passed. He did not know why, — he heard nothing,saw nothing, smelled nothing, — but the bristleson his neck rose in a ruff. He glanced keenlyacross the valley to the hills on the far it fancy? — surely it was fancy! — did hesee just above the edge of the hill the tip of anear rise for an instant, then disappear? Thesheep were placid. He trotted gravely downinto the valley, then up the slope. He hadgone but a few feet when his flaring nostrilsgot a scent of something strange and he growled and went faster. Fiveyards farther, and instinct told him what it ordinary dog would have turned tail andsaved himself; a rashly brave dog would havegone forward to death. Ben did neither. I9°3-] He reasoned, and in a second of time hiscourse was clear to him. It was his duty tosave the sheep first and himself next. He darted down into the valley, baying sav- BEN. 487. WITH THE INSTINCT OF HIS SIRES KINGLY RACE . agely at the scared feeders. There was a newnote in his voice, and they thought that thistime, sure, he was going to slay some of stopping for another nibble of grass, seizedwith universal panic, the thousand of thembounded up the hills at racing speed. Then in the center of the level little bottom Benturned and set himself sternly, for he knewwhat he would see. Tearing down the hillside were three wolves,each seeming as large asa calf. One, of solid redhue, was a yard in thelead; two, of a graynearly black, were be-hind it; and as theycame their wild cry did not a drop of cravenblood had visited thatstrong heart. One heavygrowl tore its way fromhim; thereafter until thebloody end he fought hisfight as mute as an In-dian. With the instinctof his sires kingly race,that for generations hadmet danger more thanhalf-way, he rushed tomeet his foes. The redwolf was his target, andlie leaped s
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Keywords: ., bookauthordodgemar, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookyear1873
