The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-10-30

cry came a furious snarl which had
only one meaning for Johnson. and for
the horse as we'll.
Hastily he ~untethered the trembling
animal, mounted it, and rode down.
He heard the cry again, and the sound
of a discharged rifle. Presently he
came upon the little shelter of Du-
four.
Dufour was lying outside upon his
side, his rifle grasped firmly in his
hand. AS johnson approached his
horse snorted and reared. Johnson
leaped to the ground. A dozen stink
ing forms disappeared in the shadows
of the stunted trees.
A pack of wolves had scented Du-
four and had attacked him.
Johnson fired after them. He
thought by the yelping that he had hit
one; he was sure of it when he heard
the beasts fighting over the body. He
turned to Dufour. He saw at a glance
that the man had fallen down the cliff.
He was fearfully injured. and lay as
If paralyzed. His horse had evidently
bolted.
Johnson turned his horse loose. 1t
would have to look after itself; it
might evade the wolves, but no halter
or ropes could hold it there. 1t leaped,
whinnying, into the darkness. John
son crouched by Dufour's side, wait
ing. There was no time to lose in
words. and he knew the almost human
o,,nnsNr - 4hA x,NIf nonlr noddannd
with hunger in the last days of winter.
Suddenly. put of nothing, it seemed,
two huge forms leaped toward them.
They fell between Dufour and john
son. Johnson dubbed his rifle and
brought it down on one brute's head.
1t lay quivering, silent. The other
sprang at his throat.
For a moment Johnson was forced
back against the cliff. He felt the hot
breath on his face and heard the hiss
in the throat. Then somehow he had
evaded the fangs and hurled the mon
ster from him. He swung wildly with
his rifle stock. By some good fortune
he struck the beast behind the ear. 1t
fell, stunned.
Then the rest of the pack was upon
him. But it was beginning to grow
lighter. johnson dragged Dufour into
the shelter that he had dug in the
bank. and stood in front of him, wait
ing. Three times his rife rang out,
and each time he shot down a form
that leaped in midair.
1t was growing quite light. The
beasts were snarling over their dead.
They crouched round Johnson in a
half-circle, tearing at the flesh and
mans flesh to wolf-meat. johnson
knew that, but he knew that only a
concerted attack could overcome him
1t was dawn now. The beasts were
lurking further back among the trees
Johnson fired his last two bullets into
their refuge. He heard a yelping, and
in the gold of the first sunlight saw
the survivors stream away through
the birch thickets.
Then at last he turned to Dufour
The man must have fallen all the way
down the cliffs, and a glance showed
him that he could not live.
Dufour clutched at johnson as hi
bent over him. "Forgive!" he whis
pered. II followed you. l saw you IL
the valley. l made a detour and wen
behind you, to kill you-because 20,
took the girl l loved"
Johnson stared wide-eyed at him
he seemed to be interpreting his owl
heart.
81 hated you when Marie refused Il
marry me. Stay by me till l die. Sh,
loves you. ,Forgive!" whispered Du
four.
Johnson clasped the mans hand il
his. He waited there until the breatl
grew fainter, stopped. Johnson closet
the dead ayes and closed the mouth o
the shelter securely. Then he set hi
feet upon the trail back to Marie
cabin.
Copyright. 1915. by W. G. Chapman.)