Suddenly Og knew the danger that threatened him and he grew cold. From far down the night came a weird blood chilling call, that grew and grew in intensity until it seemed as if a thousand voices were howling in the dark. It was the pack call of the wolves and Og knew that this was the great pack, the pack of a thousand fanged jaws and sinister gleaming eyes. And they were coming in his direction.
CHAPTER VI
AT BAY WITH THE WOLF PACK
Og trembled with the inborn fear of the hairy men who knew that to be caught alone at night by the wolf pack was certain and horrible death. Despite the knowledge that he had a mighty weapon in his fire Og felt this fear and he crouched lower and shuddered as he peered among the trees for the searching, gleaming eyes of the first of the pack hunters.
Yet with his fears he did not lose his new found interest in mental speculation. He watched the wolf cubs with great curiosity. Here was coming a horde of their kind; would they listen to the pack call and desert him, or would they be urged on by the presence of a great number to turn and attack him? Og knew he could prevent this now with a blow of his stone hammer. Yet he forbore, for he had confidence in them and, for some reason he could not understand, he wanted his confidence tested out. So far he had been to them a master and a companion helping them and sharing their hardships. Here was to be a test of their loyalty. He wondered how it would work out.
On came the giant pack, their terrible chorus now echoing through the night. They were following a scent Og knew by the directness and swiftness of their coming. Og thought a moment and then he knew. They were headed for the Valley of the Stream. From afar they too had caught the odor of the dead horses and they were coming to the feast. Presently Og heard the soft pad-padding of many feet. Then in the blackness among the trees he caught the gleam of eyes, many of them, hundreds of them, thousands of them, as the big pack flowed among the giant sequoias. Og could see their sinister shapes vaguely as they loped along through the darkness, and as he watched them come he could hardly believe there were so many wolves in the world.
The pack stopped. Og and his fire arrested them
The pack stopped. Og and his fire arrested them. They stopped their calling too, and in the gloom among the trees they began encircling the campfire, drawing closer and closer. Og watched them fearfully and he knew that he would stand little chance in the face of that horde if they were to plunge in upon him. He knew that the fire held them from an immediate attack. How long this would keep them off he could not guess. Eventually, he knew, he would have to fight for his life. How long he could stand up under the wolf pack was a question. Grimly he determined to sell his life dearly. He stood up, and grasped a fiery brand in either hand, and flattened himself against the big bowlder, alert and ready for the attack when it should come.