The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-23

meal of fresh, hot, luscious meat--the first
! adequate meal in nearly COZ miles of snov5t
shoing, mad awakened every merciles, hup-
ger rang that during the previous vvael,s
had oeen gradually dulled into insensi-
! putty. Gazing on the big black animal IL
peIore us, we saw not game. but meet
anu every nerve and fiber in my gaunt
s DouS was VIBRATING with a furious ana
| savage munger for that meat-meat thar
| should be soft and warm; meat into which
! the teeth could sink and tear and rend.
meat that would not blister Iips and tongue
with its frost nor ring like rock against
! the teeth
Painting and quivering with excitement
we lay for a few moments. We conId not
llsk shot at that distance.
said Matt. Oo''ie LOT US
God knows, hope so, boy, for then
we are sure of some of them. Are Won
Yes, SIR
Come on, then"
Rising, one of us one side OF the bio
boulder, the other on the other side rs
udshed across the rocks and snow straight
toward Them. There was a snort ana
stamp from the big bull guarding the ber5
ana the next instant every animal was
on hts 1eet, facing us, thank God! The
i iIeA, moment they were in close line. with
!
yelied Tor JOY if l had had the breath 10
spare. III ~
livery one OF us had read thrilling sto-
RES OF deer chased by hungry wolves and
II Is IN the nature of man to mnatbize
with the creatures that are irving 10 &c
Iape. But did any of us ever stop to
thlhk now those other Door crea t1ires tbo
| wolves, were feeling? l Know how met
what their feelings are, and | cannot helm
SyIhpdthizlng with them | was no bet
Ter than a wolf myself at that moment.
we were within less than fifty yards of
the herd When the big bull with a quick
motion lowered his horns still more IN
sunct, ProVidence-call it what you will
tod me 1t was the signal for the herd to
charge. Without slackening my pace. I
pulled my Winchester to nv shoulder and
sent a bullet at the back of his neck over
horns. Wv siS"'
Heart and soul and brain aud eyes went
with that singing bullet I felt that I
was strong enough and hungry enougb
ana wild enough so that had the bull been
alone, could have sprung upon him bare
handed and somehow made meat of MIN
But against the entire hes9 we should have
Deen poWerless Once the black avalanche
had gained momentum we should have
beeAyaTushed by it like the crunching snow
cryN%s under out feet
AS the bun fell upon his knees the herd
WaVered. A COW half turned and as
Mats rifle cracked, fell with bullet back
OF her fore-shoulder. Without raising INV
rifle above my hips, another one dropped.
Ihen another for Matt; then the herd
broke, and we hurried in pursuit
wounded COW wheeled and, with lowered
mead was about to charge me; again
Mats rifle cracked and she fell AS
rushed past her he shouted: THAT was
my last cartridge" short distance be-
you'd the. remainder of the herd faced about
again, and | put bullet into the breast
of another bull, but it did not stop him
and the herd broke again and disappear
ed over sharp ridge. l had neither wind
nor strength to follow.
Suddenly the back of one of the animals
appeared above the ridge. | whirled and
hred. did not see the sights-I think l
scarcely saw my rifle, but felt my aim as
l would with harpoon or stone. / heard
the thud of the bullet. / knew the beast
was hit behind the fore shoulder. AS the
animal disappeared. 1 sank down on the
snow, quite unable to go further.
But after little rest was able to move
Matt came up. We instantly set about
bleeding the last beast | had killed. How
delicious that tender, raw, warm meat was
"a mouthful here and a mouthfu there
cut from the animal as we skinned it, 1t
seems dreadful and loathsome to have
made such meal. But l wish those who
stay at home al ease to realize what hun
ger drives men to. This was the barba-
rism out of which our race has risen Matt
and l were savages for the time | ate TN
l dared eat no more, although still unsat-
isfied.
Then Matt went back to bring up the
dogs and sledge, while 1 began removing
the skins from our game. With Mats
return, came the supremest luxury of all
That was to toss great Jumps of the meat
to the gaunt shadows which we called
dogs, till they, too could eat no more.
and lay gorged and quiet upon the rocks
The removal of the great shaggy black
peltS of the musk oxen was neither an
easy nor a rapid job. BY the time it was
completed it was midnight, the sun was
low over the mountains in the north. and
a biting wind whistled about our airy To-
cation
We were glad to drag the skins to
central place construct a wind guard with
the assistance of the sledge, few stones
and a couple of the skins, and make a bed
of the others on the lee side of it:
We built up a little stone shelter for
our cooking lamp, and then stretched upon
our luxurious, thick, soft, warm couch, we
were, for the first time, able to spare the
time to make ourselves some tea and cook
some Of the delicious musk OK meat.
Then, with the savage. somber northern
land lying like a map below us-the bar
rem rocks, notified here and there with
eternal snow drifts, with the SUBMITS of
the distant mountains disappearing in a
mist of driving snow; with the biting
breath of the Great Ice" following US
even here, and drifting the fine snow over
and about our shelter we slept again as
tired children-nay, as tired savages-
sleep.
I'D like your candid opinion of this
new novel," she said to the young man