Controlled by an intuition or instinct which often surpasses reason, she was led to dart aside into the smaller stream at the critical moment when the fierce wolves were so near that escape seemed impossible.

She had fallen slightly to the rear, and a single terrified glance showed her a beast in the act of leaping at her.

Her dart to the left was only the effort to elude him for that instant, and she was not aware of the mouth of the creek until she had entered it.

Then, seeing that it was altogether too late to rejoin her brother, she had no course left but to continue the flight which, until then, she had not intended.
The words which she called to Fred, that were not understood by him, were to the effect that she would try to rejoin him farther down the stream, with whose many turnings she was more familiar than he.
She ascended the tributary with all the wonderful skill at her command.

Not only the brute that was on the point of leaping at her, but three others, turned as soon as they could poise themselves and went after her at their utmost bent.
But her change of direction was a most fortunate action.