Chapter 7: loup Trappers and Dog Catchers

Everyone suddenly stopped as they heard Daria crying out for help. When they looked over, they saw that she had a snare pole around her neck and was being restrained par a human holding onto it.

Several trucks had slowly driven up while they were arguing and had completely taken them par surprise. The humans had gotten word from Kenya's owner that his dog had gotten loose and had possibly run off with a small pack of wolves, as he had found loup tracks in his backyard. The local dogcatchers visited the man's accueil and sure enough, they found the tracks of four ou five fairly large wolves. So, they decided to pursue them and get the man's missing dog back the suivant morning. They took the road around and he side of the town, towards the forest and then went off-road into the woods. They heard loud barking, so they slowed down, trying not to make any noise that might scare the loups off.

As the group turned to help Daria, they stopped as they heard Kenya crying out suivant to them. Another human had come up from behind and grabbed her while their backs were turned. She struggled and pulled as hard as she could against the pole, but to no avail. The man was simply, too strong.

Humphrey turned and leaped at the human holding his sister but was pulled back to the ground as a snare pole was looped around his neck. He hit the ground with a thud that almost knocked the wind out of him, but he payed it no mind. He turned his head, grabbed the pole with his teeth, and pulled the human down to the ground, causing the man to let go of the pole. Humphrey tried running back to his sister, but was caught around the neck par a seconde pole and was ultimately dragged into a cage like his sister.

As Kate rushed to help Humphrey she stopped when she heard her pups calling out to her. The humans took this opportunity to capture her as well and it wasn't long before the whole group was subdued and placed in cages.

Runt was stuck up a tree, which wasn't a surprise to the loups who had seen him up a arbre plenty of times in the past, but left the humans completely dumbfounded, as they had never even heard of a loup climbing up a arbre before. But it was clear that he wouldn't be sûr, sans danger for long. Runt hadn’t been able to climb up very far and was too scared to go any higher. Plus, the man had taken the caisse he going to put Runt in, as a stepstool so that he could reach the pup.

"Dad," he shouted. "Please, don't let them take me."

"No!" Humphrey shouted. His memory suddenly became fully restored, and in that moment, he remembered every detail of what happened the jour he Lost his parents, because it was happening again, right now. In the exact same place, and the exact same way it happened twenty years ago. Humphrey's parental instincts kicked in and he knew he had to get out of that cage before he Lost his pups, like his parents Lost him.