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[Illustration: It was a shadowy figure yet it moved]
COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
_All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of Charles Scribner’s Sons_
BELMORE AND FRED (BELMORE BROWNE) (FREDERICK K. VREELAND)
NO BETTER WILDERNESS MEN EVER WORE MOCCASINS
After numerous visits to a number of remote and unfrequented places in the Rocky Mountains, from Wyoming to Alberta, the writer was deeply impressed with the awesome mystery of the wilderness and the weird legends he heard around the camp fires, while the bigness of the things he saw was photographed on his brain so distinctly and permanently as to act as a compelling force causing him, aye, almost forcing him to write about it.
When the spell came upon him, like the Ancient Mariner, he needs must tell the story, and thus the tale of the Black Wolf Pack was written with no thought, at the time, of publishing the narrative, but primarily for the real enjoyment the author derived from writing it, and also for the entertainment of the author’s family and intimate friends.
The tale, however, pleased the members of the Editorial Board of the Boy Scouts of America, and Mr. Franklin K. Mathiews, Chief Scout Librarian, asked permission to have it edited for the Scout Magazine, which request was cheerfully granted.
The author hereby freely and cheerfully acknowledges the useful changes and practical suggestions injected into the story by his friend and associate, Mr. Irving Crump, Editor of Boys’ Life, in which magazine the Black Wolf Pack, in somewhat abbreviated form, first appeared.
It was a shadowy figure yet it moved _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE The eagle screamed, descended like a thunderbolt ... and struck the bull 36
More than once while I clung to the chance projection ... I regretted making the fool-hardy attempt 92
“I think the name ‘Pluto’ fits his character to a nicety” 192
It was a terrible shock to me (said the Scoutmaster as he fingered a beaded buckskin bag). Old Blink Broosmore was responsible. It was a malicious thing for him to do. He meant it to be mean, too,—wanted to hurt me,—to wound my feelings and make me ashamed. And all because he nursed a grudge against dad—I mean Mr. Crawford.