Білий ікол

           OneEyescoopedoutmouthfulsoftheblood-soakedsnow,andchewedandtastedandswallowed. Thisservedasarelish,andhishungerincreasedmightily; buthewastoooldintheworldtoforgethiscaution. Hewaited. Helaydownandwaited,whiletheporcupinegrateditsteethandutteredgruntsandsobsandoccasionalsharplittlesqueals. Inalittlewhile,OneEyenoticedthatthequillsweredroopingandthatagreatquiveringhadsetup. Thequiveringcametoanendsuddenly. Therewasafinaldefiantclashofthelongteeth. Thenallthequillsdroopedquitedown,andthebodyrelaxedandmovednomore. 

           Withanervous,shrinkingpaw,OneEyestretchedouttheporcupinetoitsfulllengthandturneditoveronitsback. Nothinghadhappened. Itwassurelydead. Hestudieditintentlyforamoment,thentookacarefulgripwithhisteethandstartedoffdownthestream, partlycarrying,partlydraggingtheporcupine,withheadturnedtothesidesoastoavoidsteppingonthepricklymass. Herecollectedsomething,droppedtheburden,andtrottedbacktowherehehadlefttheptarmigan. Hedidnothesitateamoment. Heknewclearlywhatwastobedone,andthishedidbypromptlyeatingtheptarmigan. Thenhereturnedandtookuphisburden. 

           Whenhedraggedtheresultofhisday’shuntintothecave,theshe-wolfinspectedit,turnedhermuzzletohim,andlightlylickedhimontheneck. Butthenextinstantshewaswarninghimawayfromthecubswithasnarlthatwaslessharshthanusual andthatwasmoreapologeticthanmenacing. Herinstinctivefearofthefatherofherprogenywastoningdown. Hewasbehavingasawolf-fathershould,andmanifestingnounholydesiretodevourtheyounglivesshehadbroughtintotheworld.