Theunsuspectedcontiguityofthe\"menagerie\"tothehousehaditsdrawbacks，andoncenearlyexposedher。Amountainwolfcub，broughtespeciallyforherfromthehighernorthernSierraswithgreattroubleandexpensebyJackRyder，oftheLoneStarLead，unfortunatelyescapedfromthemenageriejustasthechildseemedtobeinafairwayoftamingit。Yetithadbeenalreadyfamiliarizedenoughwithcivilizationtoinduceittostopinitsflightandcuriouslyexaminetheblacksmith’sshop。Ashoutfromtheblacksmithandahurledhammersentitflyingagain，withMr。
Bakerandhisassistantinfullpursuit。Butitquicklydistancedthemwithitslong，tirelessgallop，andtheywereobligedtoreturntotheforge，lostinwonderandconjecture。Fortheblacksmithhadrecognizeditasastrangertothelocality，andasamanoforacularpretensionhadastartlingtheorytoaccountforitspresence。Thisheconfidedtotheeditorofthelocalpaper，andthenextissuecontainedaneditorialparagraph：\"OurpresageofaseverewinterinthehigherSierras，andconsequentspringfloodsinthevalleys，hasbeenstartlinglyconfirmed！MountainwolveshavebeenseeninBlueCementRidge，andouresteemedfellowcitizen，Mr。EphraimBaker，yesterdayencounteredahalf-starvedcubenteringhispremisesinsearchoffood。Mr。Bakerisoftheopinionthatthemotherofthecub，drivendownbystressofweather，wasintheimmediatevicinity。\"Nothingbutthedistressoftheonlyresponsiblemotherofthecub，Peggy，andloyaltytoher，keptJackRyderfromexposingtheabsurditypublicly，butforweeksthecampfiresofBlueCementRidgeshookwiththesuppressedandunhallowedjoyoftheminers，whowereintheguiltysecret。
But，fortunatelyforPeggy，themostfavoredofhercherishedpossessionswasnotobligedtobekeptsecret。ThatoneexceptionwasanIndiandog！Thiswasalsoagift，andhadbeenprocuredwithgreat\"difficulty\"bya\"packer\"fromanIndianencampmentontheOregonfrontier。The\"difficulty\"was，inplainEnglish，thatithadbeenstolenfromtheIndiansatsomeperiltothestealer’sscalp。Itwasamongreltoallappearances，ofnorecognizedbreedoroutwardsignificance，yetofaqualitydistinctlyitsown。Itwasabsolutelyandtotallyuncivilized。Whetherthiswasahereditarytrait，ortheresultofdegeneracy，nooneknew。Itrefusedtoenterahouse；itwouldnotstayinakennel。Itwouldnoteatinpublic，butgorgedravenouslyandstealthilyintheshadows。Ithadtheslinkofatramp，andinitspatchedandmottledhideseemedtosimulatetheragsofabeggar。Ithadthetirelessnesswithouttheaffectedlimpofacoyote。Yetithadnoneoftheferocityofbarbarians。Withteeththatcouldgnawthroughthestoutestropeandtoughestlariat，itneverbaredtheminanger。Itwascringingwithoutbeingamiableorsubmissive；itwasgentlewithoutbeingaffectionate。
YetalmostinsensiblyitbegantoyieldtoPeggy’sfaithandkindness。Graduallyitseemedtosingleheroutastheonebeinginthisvastwhite-facedandfullyclothedcommunitythatitcouldtrust。Itpresentlyallowedhertohalfdrag，halfleadittoandfrofromschool，althoughontheapproachofastrangeritwouldbitethroughtheropeorfranticallyendeavortoeffaceitselfinPeggy’spetticoats。Itwastrying，eventothechild’ssweetgravity，tofacetheridiculeexcitedbyitsappearanceontheroad；anditshabitofcarryingitstailbetweenitslegs——atsuchaninflexiblecurvethat，ontheauthorityofSamBedell，amisstepcauseditto\"turnabacksomersault\"——waspainfullydisconcerting。
ButPeggyenduredthis，asshedidthegreaterdangersoftheHighStreetinthesettlement，whereshehadoften，atherownrisk，absolutelytodragthedazedandbewilderedcreaturefromunderthewheelsofcartsandtheheelsofhorses。Butthisshynessworeoff——orratherwaseventuallylostinthedog’scompleteandutterabsorptioninPeggy。Hislimitedintelligenceandimperfectperceptionswereexcitedforheralone。Hissingularlykeenscentdetectedherwhereverorhowremoteshemightbe。Herpassagealonga\"blindtrail，\"herdeviationsfromtheschoolpath，hermoredistantexcursions，wereallmysteriouslyknowntohim。Itseemedasifhissenseswereconcentratedinthisonefaculty。Nomatterhowunexpectedorunfamiliartheitinerary，\"Lo，thepoorIndian\"——asthemenhadnicknamedhim（inpossibleallusiontohis\"untutoredmind\"）——alwaysarrivedpromptlyandsilently。