Produced by Clare Graham, in memory of my dear father George Edgar Graham who first introduced me to Finn and his son Jan. FINN THE WOLFHOUND [Illustration] By A. J. DAWSON AUTHOR OF "'THE MESSAGE," "THE GENTEEL A.B.," ETC. ILLUSTRATED BY R. H. BUXTON [Frontispiece: The man had his back to the withered iron-bark now.] This etext prepared from a 1909 reprint of the first edition published in 1908 by Grant Richards of London and printed by William Brendon and Son Ltd of Plymouth. TO "THE MISTRESS OF THE KENNELS" AND TO THE MEMORY OF TYNAGH MOTHER OF WOLFHOUND HEROES ITS WRITER DEDICATES THIS HISTORY Witchampton, 1908 [Illustration] CONTENTS CHAPTER I. The Mother of Heroes CHAPTER II. In the Beginning CHAPTER III. The Foster-mother CHAPTER IV. First Steps CHAPTER V. Youth beside the Downs CHAPTER VI. The Ordeal of the Ring CHAPTER VII. Revelations CHAPTER VIII. Finn Walks Alone CHAPTER IX. The Heart of Tara CHAPTER X. A Transition Stage CHAPTER XI. A Sea Change CHAPTER XII. The Parting of the Ways CHAPTER XIII. An Adventure by Night CHAPTER XIV. The Southern Cross Circus CHAPTER XV. The Making of a Wild Beast CHAPTER XVI. Martyrdom CHAPTER XVII. Freedom CHAPTER XVIII. Too Late CHAPTER XIX. The Domestic Lure CHAPTER XX. The Sunday Hunt CHAPTER XXI. Three Dingoes went a-walking CHAPTER XXII. A Break-up in Arcadia CHAPTER XXIII. The Outcast CHAPTER XXIV. A Lone Bachelor CHAPTER XXV. Mated CHAPTER XXVI. The Pack and its Masters CHAPTER XXVII. Single Combat CHAPTER XXVIII. Domestic Life in the Mountain Den CHAPTER XXIX. Tragedy in the Mountain Den CHAPTER XXX. The Exodus CHAPTER XXXI. The Trail of Man CHAPTER XXXII. In the Last Ditch CHAPTER XXXIII. Back from the Wild LIST OF FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS THE MAN HAD HIS BACK TO THE WITHERED IRON-BARK NOW (Frontispiece) FINN AND HIS FOSTER-MOTHER TARA SMILED BROADLY, AND STRETCHED OUT HER FORE-LEGS ON THE GROUND THE GATE LEADING INTO THE YARD OPENED, AND BILL APPEARED FINN'S TEETH SANK DEEP THE NEXT INSTANT SAW THE PROFESSOR FLUNG BACK AT LENGTH AGAINST THE BARS OF THE CAGE WAS LOST IN THE SHADOW OF THE MAIN TENT SPURRING HIS HORSE FORWARD HE WAS BACKING GRADUALLY TOWARDS A BOULDER BESIDE THE TRAIL FINN WAS STANDING ROYALLY ERECT FINN'S TOWERING FORM STOOD OUT CLEARLY IN THE MOONLIGHT HE SLUNG THE WALLABY OVER HIS SHOULDER AND SET OUT FOR THE MOUNTAIN SCRAMBLING AND SLIDING DOWN THE HIGH BANKS OF A RIVER-BED THEY SETTLED WITHIN A DOZEN PACES OF HIS RECUMBENT FIGURE FOUR MEN WERE RIDING TOGETHER THROUGH THE LOW BURNT-UP SCRUB THE WOLFHOUND RAISED HIS BEARDED MUZZLE, AND SOFTLY LICKED THE MASTER'S THIN BROWN HAND [Illustration] CHAPTER I THE MOTHER OF HEROES