Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-10-28
{ ~. 3. PHILIP STEELE. THE DANGER
Cspyrishs, The Dobbs-Merrill Company.

tons of the Pipestone and Cree rivers
would have begun then, but the wind
shifted It was fatal shift. The fire
was raging from the west and south.
Then the wind swept straight east
ward, carrying the smoke with it, and
during this breathing spell all the wild
creatures in the triangle between the
two rivers waited. This gave the fire
time to sweep completely across the
base of the forest triangle, cutting on
the last trails of escape.
Then the wind shifted again, and
the fire swept north. The head OF the
triangle became a death trap. All
through the night the southern sky
was filled with lurid glow, and by
morning the heat and smoke and ash
were suffocating.
Panic-stricken, Kazan searched vain
ly for means Of escape. Not for an
instant did he leave Gray Wolf. 1t
would have been easy for him to swim
across either of the two streams, for
he was three-quarters dog. But at the
first touch of water on her paws, Gray
Wolf drew back, shrinking. Like all
her breed, she would face fire and
death before water. Kazan urged. A
dozen times he leaped in and swan out
(, into the stream. But Gray Wolf would
come no farther than she could wade.
(, They could hear the distant murmur-
! ing roar Of the fire now. Ahead of 1t
came the wild things. Moose, caribou
and deer plunged into the water of the
streams and swan to the safety of the
opposite side. Out upon white finger
Of sand numbered big black bear with
two cubs, and even the cubs took to
; the water, and swan across easily. Ka.
/! Zan watched them, and whined to Gray
(, Wolf.
| And then out upon that white finger
Of sand came other things that dread.
ed the water as Gray Wolf dreaded It;
big fat porcupine. sleek little mar.
ten, a fisher cat that shifted the air and
walled like child. Those things that
cold not or would not swim outnumber'
ed the others three to one. Hundreds
of little ermine scurried along the
shore like rats, their squeakfng little
voices sounding necessarily; foxes ran
swiftly along the banks, seeking a tree
or a windfall that might bridge the
water for them; the lynx snarled and
faced the fire; and Gray VOLTS own
tribe - the wolves dared take no
! deeper step than she.
Dripping and painting, and half chok'
cd by heat and smoke, Kazan came to
Gray VOLTS side. There was but one
refuge left near them, and that was
the sand bar It reached out for fifty
: feet into the stream. Quickly he led
his blind mate toward It, AS they came
through the low bush to the river bed,
something stopped them both. To
their nostrils had come the scent of
deadlier enemy than fire. A lynx
had taken possession CT the sand bar
and was crouching at the end OF it.
Three porcupines had dragged them
selves into the edge of the water, and
lay there like balls, their quilts alert
and quivering A fisher cat was snarl-
ing at the lynx. And the lynx, with
ears laid back, watched Kazan and
Gray Wolf as they began the invasion
Of the sand bar.
Faithful Gray Wolf was full of fight
and she sprang shoulder to shoulder
with Kazan, her fangs barred. With an
angry snap, KaZan drove her back, and
she stood qlivering and whining while
he advanced. Light footed his point
ed ears forward, no menace or threat
in his attitude, he advanced. It was
the deadly advance Of the husky train
ed in battle. skilled in the art of kill
ing. A man from civilization would
have said that the dog was approach
ing the lynx with friendly Intentions
But the lynx understood. It was the
old feud of many generations - made
deadlier now bv Kazan's memory Of
that night at the top of the Sun Rock
Instinct told the fisher cat what was
coming, and it crouched low and fiat;
the porcupines, scolding like little chill