Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-15
THE GRIZZLY KING
BY JAMES OLIVER CURwooD
The Author Of "Kazan"

then, as he sucked his wounded finger he
laughed with Bruce. He's a sport--a dead
game sport he added Wen call him
Spitfre. Bruce. BY George. I've wanted a
cub like that ever since | first came into
the mountains. I'm going to take him home
with me Amt he a funny-lookng lite
cuss?"
Muskwa shifted his head. the only part
OF him that was not as stifily immovahle
as mummy. and scrutinlzed Bruce. Lang
don rose to his feet and looked back 10 the
skyline. His face was set and hard
-Four dogs" he said. as II speaking to
himself Three down bclow--aud one up
mere = He was silent for a moment and
Ihen said: II can't understand IL. Bruce
Theyve cornered fifty bears for us and until
today we've never lost a dog"
Bruce was looping n buckskin thong
Rbout Muskwa's middle. making Of II a sort
or handle by which he could carry the cub
as he would have conveyed pail Of water
or slab Of bacon. lie stood up and Musk
was dangled at the end OF his string.
We've run up against killer" he said.
An n meat-kllin' grizzly IL the worst ami
mai on tho face Of the earth wheu II comes
TO fght or a hunt The dogs'll never hold
m Jimmy, an II II don't get dark pretty
soon there won't none Of the bunch come
left
The old fellows got our wind. an you
can bet he knows what knocked him down
up there on the snow He's hikin'-an'
hlklu' fast. When we see i'm ag'in it'll be
twenty miles from here"
Langdon went up for the guns When
he returned Bruce led the way down the
mountain, carrying Muskwa by the buck.
skin thong. For a few moments they
paused on the hlood-staincd ledge Of rock
where Thor had wreaked his vengeance
upon his tormentors Langdon bent over
the dog the grizzly had decapitated.
This is Biscuits" he said. And We al
ways thought she was the one coward OF
| the bunch, The other two are Jane and
Tober old Fritz is up on the summit Three
or the best dogs we had Bruce ."
Bruce was looking over the ledge He
pointed downward
There's another-piched clean on the
that's five"
Langdon's fists were clcnched tightly as
| ne stared over the edge Of the ureciplce.
choking sound came from his throat.
| hruce understood its meaning. From where
| they stood they could sec "A black patch on
| the upturned breast of the dog a hundred
| teet under them Only one Of the pacl,
| was marked like that II was Iangdon's 8
tavorite. lie had made her a camp pet
rs Dixie" he said. For the first time
nc iet a surge Of anger sweep through
| MN, and his face was white as he turned
| nack To the trail "Ivc got more than one
reason for getting that grizzly now, Bruce "
! ne auued. wild horses can't tear me
| away from these mountains until | kill him
| II stick until winter II have to swear
| m going TO kill hm--if he doesn't run
| away"
| He won't do that" said Bruce terscly
| as he once more swung down the trail with
| MuSkwa.
Intil now Muskwa had been stunned into
| submissveness by what must have appeared
| 10 nun To be an utterly hopeless situation.
| lie had strained every muscle in his body
| 10 move leg or a paw, but ne was swathcd
as tightly as Ramescs had ever been. But
| now, however, it slowly dawncd upon him
| that as he dangled back and forth his face
| frequently brushed his enemy's leg and he
| stu had the use of his teeth
| lie watched his opportunity, and this
| came when Bruce took a long step down
! from rock, thus allowing Musllwa's body
! to rest for the fraction of a second on the
surface Of the stone from which he was
| descending
| quicker than n wink Musltwa took n bite
| II was n good deep bite, and II Langdon's 8
| howl had stirred the siences a mile away
| the yell which now came from Bruce beat
| MN by at least a half, II was the widest
most hlood-curdlng sound Muslwa had
| ever heard, even more terrible than the
barking of the dogs, and il frightened him
SO that he released his hold at once
CONTINUED TOMORROW