Summary

Ootek’s acceptance of Farley helps Mike to overcome his fears, and he begins acting as interpreter. Through them, Farley learns a great deal, including that wolves prefer ground squirrels to caribou, expending less energy to catch them. He also explains how the wolves add fish to their diet by scaring them into narrow channels, catching them as they try to get away. Ootek describes having seen one wolf catch seven pike in less than an hour. They also catch suckers, sculpins, and salmon. When Ootek assures Farley that wolves seldom hunt caribou, Farley questions the skeletal remains surrounding the cabin, and Mike explains that he killed them to feed his dogs who become weak on a diet of fish alone. Asked how many he kills each year, Mike proudly admits that he kills up to three hundred yearly. Extrapolating...