Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1911-06-08

In his answering laugh abe heard
the ring Of rising excitement. 81 won't
deny" he said, that If l had my way
about it, I'd have you safely shut up
inside the hut there before ! tried
conclusions with him. Give me the
revolver, and take care to keep out of
the line of fire. If you see a chance
to slip inside the hut, do 1t. 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"
The next instant all doubt on that
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 of in a curve to the left. The
girl understood the maneuver 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, PhiliI
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 towart
Philip, until all three were in a line
about equidistant from the hut. PhiliI
and the bear, were, perhaps, a dozeE
PAGES apart. Without turning, he call
ed over his shoulder to her, Now rul
for it-for the hut. I'll keep hin
amused out here"
At the sound Of his voice the bea
|" rushed him. The girl had v II
her life found anything SO hard to d
as to obey orders now. But she di'
obey and was running at top spec,
toward the open door Of the hut wheI
she heard ,Cayley IRE for the frs
time. Just as she reached 1t, gh
heard his second shot. When sh
turned about, painting, to observe tn
result Of it, the two seemed to he
to be at horribly close quarters. TIL
bear, reared up on his hind legs, ha
Just lunged forward.
He sprang back clear Of the flashint
scythelike cut of those terrible claw
, A little to the girls surprise and col
Giderably to her alarm, he turned an
went sprinting up the beach towar
=. the talus, at full speed, the bet
wounded, but not in the least disable
numbering after him,
~ 1t takes a fast runner to outrun
bear, but Cayley did 1t. When
a reached the foot Of the talus, the bel
was 20 PAGES behind him. She sa
him stop short, whirl round again al
~ face his pursuer with a shout.
~ The bear also checked his spet
~ and reared up ono more, towerin
upon his hind legs. Then Gayle
IL fred twice, the shots coming 30 clos
- ly together as to be hardly distinguis
able. One or both Of them took
Simultaneous effect. The great yello
Mt ish-white mass tottered forward, al
to collapsed In a heap only a pace or tv
ID. from where Philip was standing.
q He waved his hand at the girl, a.
an walked back for his wings. VIII
ba. she met him, half way up the beac
aw he was carefully taking the spe
he shells out Of his revolver, n at
time, and depositing them In his poi
ct. mo telling how they may pro
IN useful" he commented; then, with
MD quick look into her face, 81 hope y
weren't frightened when you saw
run"
ar 81 suppose | shouldn't have be
-. but I'll have to confess that l W
You weren't trying to get away fir
-o+ him, or you wouldn't have run in tt
direction. But it looked rather Dire
full, just the anne. Why did
e do it?"
1--WE were too far down the bea
too near the waters edge before.
was too late to skin him and cut
up tonight, and l was afraid If a ste
were to come up before morning
SUI really big storm, we might lose h
- 1t was a lot easier to get him up
beach before l fred those last
shots than it would have been af
~ l thought at first Of running tow
!. the hut. 1t occurred to me, only
In time, that there was no use in
80 king an abattoir of our front yard
-. They had reached the hut, and al
finished speaking, they entered
Even Philip caught his breath rat
suddenly with that first glance al
its transformed interior. The d
wood fire, which glowed upon
hearth, filled the whole room '
light, and bathed the walls and raj
with warm colors.
tNa Here was their fortress-against
,oro cold and the dark; a fortress,
oroIoct doo0oir That r,,da hn