Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-20
CMNPrER WI Continued

CHAPTER NNII Continued
It's first thought was that he was pow
L i erlcss-uttcrly powcrlcss. lie could
not even run, for the rocl; wall was be-
hind him; h" could not fling himself valley
ward, for there was a sheer fall of n hun
drod feet on that side. lie was face TO
face with death, death as terrible AS that
which had ovcrtakcn the dogs.
And yet in these last moments Langdon
did not lose himself i'm terror. lie noted
even the reduCss In the avouging gri2zly's
eyes. lIc saw the naked scar along his
bacl; whore one of his bullets had plowed {;
he saw the bare spot where another Of his
bullets had torn its way through Thor's
iorc-shOulder. And he believed. as he OBJ.
rervcd these things, that Thor had de.
liherately trailcd him, that the bear had
followed HIM along the ledge and had
Cornercd him here that he might repay in
fun measure what had been inflicted upon
him.
Thor advanccd-just one step; and then
in that slow graceful movement. reared
himself TO fun height. LaugdOn, even then,
thought that he was magnificent. on his
part, the man did not move; he looked
steadily up at Thor and he had made up
his mind what to do when the great beast
lunged forward lie would fling himself
over the edge Down below there was one
chance in thousand for life, There might
be ledge or a projecting spur to catch
him.
And Thor!
uddcnly-uncXpcctcdly had come
upon man! This was the creature that had
hunted him. this was the creature that had
hurt him-and it was so near that he could
reach out with his paw and crush it! And
how weak, and white and shrinking it
looked now! Where was it's strange thun-
der' Where was its burning lightning?
Why did it make no sound?
Even dog would have done moro than
this creature, for the dog would have shown
it's fangs; it would have snared; 1t would
have fought But this thing that was man
did nothing And great, slow doubt
swept through Thor's massive head Was
it, really this shrinking harmless. terrified
thing that had hurt him? lie smelled the
man-smcll 1t was thick. And yet this
time there Camo with it no hurt
And then, slowly again. Thor came down
to all fours. Steadily he looked at the
man,
Had LanEdon moved then he would have
died. But Thor was not, like man. a muir
derer. For another haIf-minute he waited
for hurt, for some sign of menace Neither
came, and he was puzzled His nose swept
the ground, and LaUgdpn saw the dust rise
where tho grz2lys hot breath stirred IL
And after that, for another long and ter
rihlo thirty seconds the bear and the man
looked at each other
Then very slowly-aud doubtfully-Thor
half turned. lie growlcd His lips drew
partly back. Yet ne saw no reason To
fight. for that shrinking, whito-faced pigmy
crouching on the rock made no movement
20 offer him battle. lie saw that he could
not go on, for the ledge was blocked by
the mountain wall Had there been a
trail tho story might have been different
for LanEdon. As it was. Thor disappeared
slowly In the direction from which he had
come his great head hung low, his long
g1t oil oil 1f4l-
nets as he went
Not until then did It seem 10 I.angdon
that he breathcd again, and that his heart
resumed its beating lie gave u great sob
bing gasp. lie rose TO his feet and his legs
seemed weak lie Waited-one minute two
three and then he stole cautiously 10 the
twist in the ledge around which Thor had
gone
The rocks were clear, and he began to
retrace his own steps toward the meadowy
break watching and listening, and still
Clutching the broken parts of his rifle
When he came to the edge Of the plain
he dropped down behind a huge boulder.
Three hundred yards away Thor was
amblng slowly over the crest Of the dip
toward the eastward valley Not until the
bear reappeared on the farther ridge Of the
hollow, and then vanished again, did Lang
don follow
when he reached the slope on which he
had hobbled his horse Thor was no longer
in sight. The horse was where he had left
IT, Not until he was in the saddle did
Langdou feel that he was completely safe
Then he laughed nervous, broken, joyous
sort of laugh, and as he scanned the valley
he filled his pipe with fresh tobacco.
"You great big god Of bear"' he whis-
pered, and every fiber in him was trembling
i'm a wonderful excitement as he found
voice for the first time. "You-you mon
ster with a heart bigger than man" And
then he added, under his breath, as II not
conscious that he was speaking: III I'd
cornered you like that ia have killed youl
And YOU! You cornered me, and let me
liVew
He rode toward camp. and as he went
he knew that this day had given the final
touch to the big change that had been work.