"Bart turned to him with a snarl and bared his teeth. When Dan saw
that his face turned--I don't know how to say it!"

She stopped a moment and her hands tightened.

"Back in his throat there came a sound that was almost like the snarl
of Black Bart. The wolf-dog watched him with a terror that was uncanny
to see, the hair around his neck fairly on end, his teeth still bared,
and his growl horrible.

"'Dan!' I called, 'don't go near him!'

"I might as well have called out to a whirlwind. He leaped. Black Bart
sprang to meet him with eyes green with fear. I heard the loud click
of his teeth as he snapped--and missed. Dan swerved to one side and
caught Black Bart by the throat and drove him into the dust, falling
with him.

"I couldn't move. I was weak with horror. It wasn't a struggle between
a man and a beast. It was like a fight between a panther and a wolf.
Black Bart was fighting hard but fighting hopelessly. Those hands were
settling tighter on his throat. His big red tongue lolled out; his
struggles almost ceased. Then Dan happened to glance at me. What he
saw in my face sobered him. He got up, lifting the dog with him, and
flung away the lifeless weight of Bart. He began to brush the dust
from his clothes, looking down as if he were ashamed. He asked me if
the dog had hurt me when he snapped. I could not speak for a moment.
Then came the most horrible part. Black Bart, who must have been
nearly killed, dragged himself to Dan on his belly, choking and