Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-08-08


rested in his stride. The gray, cloudy
brush of his tail stiffened out. His
nostrils, held high to catch every watt
of the new scent, dilated; and the
edges of his upper lip came down over
the white fangs, from which they had
been snarlingly withdrawn. His pause
was but for breath or two. Yes,
there was no MISLEADING it. The scent
was moose-very far off, but moose,
without question. He darted forward
at a gallop, but with his muzzle still
held high, following that scent up the
wind.
Presently he struck the trail of the
herd. An instant's scrutiny told his
trained sense that there were calves
and young COWS, one or another of
which he might hope to stampede by
his cunning. The same instants
scrutiny revealed to him that the
herd had passed nearly an hour ahead
of him. Up went the gray cloud of
his tail and down went his nose; and
then he Strengthened himself to his
top speed, compared to which the
pace wherewith he had followed the
scent up the wind was a mere casual
sauntering.
When he emerged upon the open
plateau and reached the spot where
the herd had scattered to browse, he
slackened his pace and went warily,
peering from side to side. The COW
moose, lying down in the bushes to
fondle her imprisoned young, was hid
den from his sight for the moment;
and so il CHANGED that before he dis
covered her he came between her and
the wind. That scent--it was the
faint of death to her. 1t went
through her frame like an electric
shock. With snort of fear and fury
she heaved to her feet and stood,
wide-eyed and with lowered brow,
facing the menace.
The wolf heard that snOrting chal-
lenge, and saw the awkward bulk of
her shoulders as she rose above the
scrub. His jaws wrinkled back tight
ly, barring the full length of his keen
white fangs, and greenish phosphor-
escent film seemed to pass suddenly
across his narrow eyeballs. But he
did not spring at once to the attack
He was surprised. Moreover, he in
ferred the calf, from the presence OF
the cow apart from the rest of the
herd. And a full-grown COW moose,
with the mother fury in her heart,
he knew to be a dangerous adversary
Though she was hornless, he knew the
force of her battering front, the swift,
sharp stroke of her hoof, the dauntless
intrepidity Of her courage. Further
though his own courage and the avid
urge of his hunger might have led him
under other circumstances to attack
forthwith, tonight he knew that he
must take no chances. The cave i'll
the blue and white rocks was depend
ing on his success. His mate, wound
ed and heavy with young-if he let
himself get disabled in this hunting
she must perish miserably. With
prudent tactics, therefore, he circled
at a safe distance around the hidden
pit; and around its rim circled the
wary mother. presenting to him
ceaselessly the defiance of her huge
and sullen front. By this means he
easily concluded that the calf was
prisoner in the pit. This being the
case he knew that with patience and
his experienced craft the game was
safely his. He drew off some hall
dozen PAGES, and sat upon his
launches contempIatively to weigh
the situation. Everything had turned
out most fortunately for his hunting
and food would no longer be scarce
in the cave of the painted rocks.
That same night, in cabin of un
utterable loneliness some miles tC
the west Of the trail from the moose
ward a sallow-faced, lean bacllwoods
man was awakened by the moonlight
streaming into his face through the
small square window. He glanced a
the embers on the open hearth, anC
knew that for the white maple logs tt
have so burned down he must have
been sleeping a good six hours. AnC
he had turned in soon after the early
winter sunset. Rising on his elbow
he threw down the gaudy PATCHWORK
quilt of red, yellow, blue and mottleC
squares which draped the bunk in III
corner against the rough log walls
He looked long at the thin face o
his wife, whose pale brown hair la.
over the bare arm crooked beneath
her cheek. Her lips looked patheti
callv white in the decOlorizing ray
which streamed through the window
His mouth, stumbled with a week
growth of dark beard, twitched curl
ouslv as he looked. Then he got up
very noiselessly. Stepping across tn
bare hard room, whose austerity tn
moon made more austere, he gaze
into trundle-bed where yellow
haired, round-faced boy slept, wit
the chubby, sprawling legs and arm
OF perfect security. The lads fac
looked pale to his troubled eyes.
Its fresh meat they want, the bot
of 'em," he muttered to himself
"They can't live and thrive on porI
an molasses, nohOw!"
His big fingers, clumsily gentle
played for moment with the child
yellow curls. Then he pulled a thicl
gray homespun hunting shirt over hi
head, hitched his heavy trousers u
under his belt, clothed his feet i