But Dan ain't here. Where is he?"
"Hush!" said Buck, and raised a hand for silence.
Far away they heard the wail of a wolf crying to the moon. She rose
and went out on the porch of the house. The others followed her.
Outside they found nothing but the low moaning of the wind, and the
snow, silver glimmering where the moonlight fell upon it. Then they
heard the weird, inhuman whistling, and at last they saw Dan riding
towards the house. A short distance away he stopped Satan. Black Bart
dropped to his haunches and wailed again. Dan was staring upwards.
"Look!" said Kate, and pointed.
Across the white circle of the moon drove a flying wedge of wild
geese. The wail of the wolf died out. A faint honking was blown to
them by the wind, now a distant, jangling chorus, now a solitary sound
repeated like a call.
Without a word the three returned to their seats close by the fire,
and sat silent, staring. Presently the rattle of the wolf's claws came
on the floor; then Dan entered with his soft step and stood behind
Kate's chair. They were used to his silent comings and goings. Black
Bart was slinking up and down the room with a restless step. His eyes
glowed from the shadow, and as Joe looked up to the face of Dan he
saw the same light repeated there, yellow and strange.
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