With a low chuckle Pierrot gave the gun to her. He counted the whelp asalready dead. For Nepeese, at that distance, could send a bullet intoan inch square nine times out of ten. And Nepeese, aiming carefully atBaree, pressed steadily with her brown forefinger upon the trigger.

CHAPTER 5

As the Willow pulled the trigger of her rifle, Baree sprang into theair. He felt the force of the bullet before he heard the report of thegun. It lifted him off his feet, and then sent him rolling over andover as if he had been struck a hideous blow with a club. For a flashhe did not feel pain. Then it ran through him like a knife of fire, andwith that pain the dog in him rose above the wolf, and he let out awild outcry of puppyish yapping as he rolled and twisted on the ground.