The citizen., 1912-03-21
"Aren't they dangerous. these polar
bears?" she asked.

the ring OF rieing excitement Il won't
deny" he said. that II I had my way
about II. I'D have you safely shut up
inside the hut there before I tried
conclusions with him Give me the
revolver. and take care to keep out OF
the line OF fre. II you see a chance
TO slip inside the hut, do H. 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 on In case I
have to dance around him 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 q
brisk pace. moving in the arc OF cir.
Gle, parallel to his but larger. in
such way as to keep the bear. Philip
and herself, as all three moved in dlf-
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.
and the bear. were, perhaps, a dozen
PAGES apart, Without turning. he call
ed over his shoulder to her. Now run
for it-for the hut. I'll keep him
amused out here"
At the sound OF his voice the bear
rushed him. The girl had never in
her life found anything so hard TO do
as to obey orders now. But she did
obey and was running at top speed
toward the open door OF the hut when
she heard Cayley fire for the first
time. Just as she reached It. she
heard his second shot. When she
turned about. painting. to observe the
result of It, the two seemed to her
to be at horribly close quarters. The
bear. reared up on his hind legs. had
Just lunged forward.
He sprang back clear OF the flashing.
scythelike cut Of those terrible claws. !
A little to the girls surpise and con
siderably to her alarm. he turned and
went sprinting up the beach toward
the talus. at full speed. the bear
wounded, but not in the least disabled,
after him.
II takes n fast runner to outrun a
bear. but Cayley did IT, When he !
reached the foot of the talus, the bear
was 20 PAGES behind him. She saw
him stop short, whirl round again and
face his pursuer with a shout.
The bear also checked his speed |
and reared up once more. towering, |
upon his hind legs. Then Cayley |
fired twice. the shots coming so close I
Iy together as to be hardly distinguish
able One or both of them took In
effect. The great yellow.
sh-white mass tottered forward, and /
in a heap only a pace or two
rom where Philip was standing.
He waved his hand at the girl and
walked back for his wings When
she met him, half way up the beach,
ne was carefully taking the spent
shells out of his revolver. one at a
line. and depositing them in his pock.
II. mo telling how they may prove
Iseful." he commented then, with a
luick look into her face. Il hope you
frightened when you saw me
'un"
Il suppose I shouldn't have been,
)ut I'll have 20 confess that | was.
fou weren't trying TO get away from
lin. or you wouldn't have run in that
direction. But II looked rather dread.
III, just the same Why did you
10 it?"
I'VE were too far down the beach,
90 near the waters edge before. II
vas too late TO skin him and cut him
p tonight, and was afraid IL a storm
we're TO come up before morning. a
eally big storm, We might lose him.
was lot easier to get him up the
each before / fired those last two
hots than II would have been after
thought at first of running toward
he hut. II occurred TO me. only Just
D time. that there was no use in ma
ing an abattoir Of our front yard"
They had reached the hut, and as he
nished speaking. they entered IT, {
wen Philip caught his breath rather
with that first glance about
S transformed interior The drift
'ood fire. which glowed upon the
earth filled the whole room with
ght, and bathed the walls and rafters \
18th warm colo-s.
Here was their fortress-against the
Did and the dark, a fortress, too.
gainst despair. That rude hearth |
hich he had built today was TO be ,
leir altar of hope.
The girl stood looking at it a mo-