Thor lifted his right paw four inches from the ground.

"Another inch and I'll give you a welt!" he growled.
Muskwa wriggled and trembled; he licked his lips with his tiny red tongue, half in fear and half pleading for mercy, and in spite of Thor's lifted paw he wormed his way another six inches nearer.
There was a sort of rattle instead of a growl in Thor's throat.

His heavy hand fell to the sand.

A third time he looked about and sniffed the air; he growled again.

Any crusty old bachelor would have understood that growl.
"Now where the devil is the kid's mother!" it said.
Something happened then.