Click to Speak On Ava Highlight: CLOSE After a searching scrutiny, the animal trotted forward a few steps. This it repeated several times When they halted, it halted, throwing up its head and regarding them steadily.. Bill turned and looked, then quietly stopped the dogs. Evidence regarded them with the merciless wistfulness of hunger. They were meat, and it was hungry; and it would like to go in and eat them if it dared. "Look here, Henry," Bill said, unconsciously lowering his voice to a whisper because of what he imitated. "We've got three cartridges. But it's a dead shot. Couldn't miss. It's got away with three of our dogs, an' we oughter put a stop to it. What d'ye say?" Henry nodded his consent. Bill cautiously slipped the gun from under the sled-lashing. The gun was on way to his shoulder, but it never got there. For in that instant the she- wolf leaped sidewise from the trail into the clump of spruce trees and disappeared. The two men looked at each other. Henry whistled long and comprehendingly. "I might have knowed it." Bill chided himself aloud as he replaced the gun. Of course a wolf that knows enough to come in with the dogs at feedin' time, 'd know all about shooting-irons. I tell you right now, Henry, that critter's the cause of all our trouble. We'd have six dogs at the present time, 'stead of three, if it wasn't for her. An' I tell you right now, Henry, I'm goin' to get her. She's too smart to be shot in the open. But I'm goin' to lay for her. I'll bushwhack her as sure as my name is Bill." Statement Bill displays mastery in his work. I tell you right now, Henry, that crītter's the cause of all our trouble. Wolves are sensitive to the atmosphere around them. Wolves are somewhat fearless. Bill knows that the wolf presents a threat to the sled dogs.