Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-06-08

conclusions with him. Give me the
revolver, and take al to keep out OF
the line of fire. If you see a chance
to slip inside the hut, do it. And
don't assume that he's dead until /
tell you so. These polar bears have
no nerves at all. You can't shock
them. They don't stop until you have
put their locomotor facilities complete
ly out Of business"
She was smiling when she handed
him the revolver. Here's luck" she
said. Don't be afraid for me"
Cayley smiled, too. Keep behind
me, but not so far that you're in any
danger of getting cut of in case l
have to dance around him a little.
There he's winded us already"
Cayley turned for a last look at her.
He had slipped his bundled wings
from his back and laid them on the
ice. He was still smiling, but some
what ironically. I'm half afraid he'll
run away" he said, "and half afraid
he won't"
AAC ACAL luSIdlt oil OOubb OA SANe
head was set at rest. The monster
Kissed and came numbering toward
them. pretty rapidly, across the ice.
Cayley advanced slowly to meet
him, but not in a direct line. Instead,
he bore off in a curve to the left. The
girl understood the instant
ly, and, herself, set out landward at a
brisk pace, moving in the arc Of a cir,
Gle, parallel to his but larger, In
such a way as to keep the bear, Philip
and herself, as all three moved in diff
ferent directions. in a straight line.
They quartered round In this way
the bear swerving in well toward
Philip, until all three were in a line
about equidistant from the hut. Philip
and the bear, were, perhaps, a dozer
PAGES apart. Without turning, he call
ed over his shoulder to her, Now rur
for it-for the hut. I'll keep hin
amused out here"
At the sound of his voice the bea1
rushed him. The girl had never il
her life found anything SO hard to d.
as to obey orders now. But she dit
obey and was running at top speed
toward the open door of the hut wher
she heard Cayley fire for the frs
time. Just as she reached 1t, sh'
heard his second shot. When sh'
turned about, painting, to observe thu
result Of 1T, the two seemed to he
to be at horribly close quarters. TIL
bear, reared up on his hind legs, ha'
just lunged forward.
He sprahg back clear of the flashing
scythelike cut of those terrible claws
A little to the girls surprise End cor
siderably to her alarm, he turned an
went sprinting UP the beach towar
. the talus, at full speed, the bea
!, wounded, but not in tho least disabled
numbering after him.
. 1t takes a fast runner to outrun
= bear, but Cayley did 1t. When h
! reached the foot of the talus, the bea
was 20 PAGES behind him. She sa'
him stop short, whirl round again an
: face his pursuer with a shout.
= The bear also checked his spec
and reared up onc more, towerin
upon his hind legs. Then Gayle
fired twice, the shots coming SO clos
: ly together as to be hardly d~istinguis
: able. One or both of them took |
Simultaneous effect. The great yello'
! ish-white mass tottered forward, al
collapsed In a heap only a pace or tV
from where Philip was standing.
He waved his hand at the girl, al
walked back for his wings. Wht
she met him, half way up the beac
=, he was carefully taking the spe,
y shells out of his revolver, m at
. time. and depositing them in his poe
ct. mo telling how they may pro
IN useful" he commented; then, with
IA quick look into her face, Il hope "
~ weren't frightened when you saw I
rum"
II suppose | shouldn't have bee
:. but I'll have to confess that ! wi
"a You weren't trying to get away fre
him, or you wouldn't have u In tn
direction. But it looked rather dret
full, just the same. Why did y
y. do it,"
~ 1--WE were too far down the bea'
=. too near the waters edge before.
a. was too late to skin him and cut h
~ up tonight, and I was afraid IL q sto
were to come up before morning,
= really big storm, we might lose hi
1t was a lot easier to get him up
beach before I fired those last t
shots than it would have been aft
l thought at first of running toWi
~ the hut. 1t occurred to me, only ]
in time, that there was no use in !
king an abattoir Of our front yard
They had reached the hut, and as
finished speaking, they entered
l.. Even Philip caught his breath rat,
W. suddenly with that first glance alb
its transformed interior. The DR.
wood fire, which cglowed upon
hearth, filed the whole room "
light, and bathed the walls and raft
with warm colors.
tha Here was their fortress-against
cold and the dark; a fortress,
ira against despair. That rude hea
III. which he had built today wa to
their altar Of hope.
The girl stood looking at it a
ment in silence, her Lips pressed tt
Inc together, one outstretched hand g
hat ing for the door-jamb behind her,
IL she wanted the support Of SO
thing. Even in this warm ireli
ana she looked a little pale. BY an
dent effort Of will she was breath
ach very deep and steadily. She did
try to speak.
h a Cayley understood wen enough Y
him 1t meant. This place that they
come hack to for the night was b,