Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-15
CHAPTER XIv-tcontiuued,

CTILL he was afraid TO come out IheSc
- strange pursucrs that had come up OUT ol
the valley had filled him with deaGlE
terror pipounaskoos had not made MN
afraid Even the big black bear that THOR
Killed had not terrified him as these red
Tipped whitc-TauEcd strangers had fright
cncd him. So he remained in his creNlce'
crowded as far back as he could get, ike
a wad showed in a gun barrel
He could stll hear the tonguipg OF the
dogs when other and nearer sounds alarmed
him Langdon and Bruce came rushing
around the bulge in the mountain wall, and
nt sight Of the dead dogs they stopped.
LanEdon cried out In horror.
lie was not more than twenty feet from
NIuakwa. For the first time the cub heard
human voices: for the first time the
awcaty odor oC men filled his nostrils, and
he scarcely hrcathcd in hts new fear. Then
one Of the hunters stood directly In front
of the crack I'm which he was hidden, and
he saw his first man. a moment later the
men, too, were gone.
Later Musllwa heard the shots. After
that the barking of the dogs grew more ana
more distant. until finally he could not hear
them at all. It was about o'clock-the
sirsta hour In the mountains-and II was
very quiet
For a long time Muskwa did not move
lie listened And he heard nothing. An
other fear was growing In him now-the
fear of losing Thor with every breath he
drew he was hoping that Thor would re-
turn. For an hour he remained wedgcd IN
the rock Then he heard Checp cheep'
Chccp, and q tiny striped rock rabbit came
out on the ledge where Muskwa could sec
him and began cautiously investigating one
Of the slain Arcdalcs.
This gave Musllwa courage. lie pricked
MP his ears a bit. lie whlmpercd softly, as
If hesccching recognition and friendship OF
the ono tiny creature that was near h'h
in this dreadful hour Of loneliness and rear.
Inch by inch he Crawled out Of his hiding
place At last his little round, furry head
was ont. and he looked about him The
,raU was clear, and he advanced toward
tho rocy-rahhit with a shrill chatter the
striped mite dartcd for its own stronghold
and Musllwa was alone again
For "A few moments no stood Undecided
smiling the air that was heavy with inc
scent Of blood, Of man, and of Thor' theh
he turned up the mountain ,,-.,--
lie know Thor had gone In that direction,
and II little Muskwa possessed a nina ana
a soul they were filled with hut one desire
| now-to overtake his big friend and pro-
| tcctor. Even fear Of dogs and men un-
| known quantities in his life until today was
| nov nycrshadowed by the fear that he had
| lost Thor. u
! lie did not need eyes 10 follow the trail
II was warm under his nose, ana nc su'rleu
In tho Zigzag ascent OF the mountain as
| fast ne tONll E', ll''''
| where progress was difficult for ms snort
,,ps hut he kept on Nalantly ana nope
! fully. encouraged by Thors fresh scent.
II took him a good hour TO reach the
| beginning Of the naked shale that reaCneu
! a., 4, the belt Of snow and the SKY llnc'
J o,,, II was A o'clock when he started up
| those last three hundred yards between him
! and tbe poun.aiutop. Up there he believed
| IA, would find Thor. But he was alIalu'
| and hc continued to whimpcr sottly 10 hlm-
| self as he dug his little claws bravery
! into the shalc. A.. ,..z, ,,
| ,,a r,al again after he had started. TO
| bave done that It would have been nee
rssarv for him to stop ana turn slde"ise'
/ for the scent was steep ANA so: Wneh
! NIusl,yn was halfway to the top II nap
| ,,,,od that he did not see Langdon ana
| r., og thcv came over the sky line, and
! h. ,,,,Id not smell them Oblivious or thelr
| ,,rcscuce he came to the snow belt. JOY
! nn,,sl,. bc grnelled Thor's huge footprints ana
! rolIowcd them. And above nm Bruce ana
! Ianqdon waited, Crouched low, their guns
| an Inc ground and each with his thlck
flannel shirt StIlpptu "ll "'' "N'' ''' "
nv when Muskwa was less than twenty
| ards from them they came tearing uo"h
| mon him like m avalanche.
! Not until Bruce was upon hlm ala MUS
| ,,,., roroyer himself sufficiently to move
| Gr,b of a second and as Bruce flung him
! ,,lr forward, his shirt outspread Ike net
| ,t,gr,v,o darted to one side. Sprawling on
his face, Bruce gathered up shrttul OF
| erovv and ClutChcd IT to his breast DeiieV-
! i,. Co.. n nomcnt that he had the cub and
| at this same instant LanEdon made drive
| nat entangled him with his friends long
| to,,, and sent him turning somersaults down
| the snow-slide.
Ntrs,va bOltcd down the mountain as
| fast os his short legs could carry him. In
another second Bruce was after him. and
I,angdon Joined in ten feet behind.
Suddenly Musllwa made sharp turn, and
,bc momentum with which Bruce was com
inc carried him thirty or forty feet below
rim where the lanky mOuntaineer stopped
himself only by doubling up like a jack
knife and digging toes hands, elbows, and
even his shoulders in the soft shale.
Iangdon had switched, aad was hot after
,,nsIryyo. lie nung himself face downward,
obirt outspread just as the cub made
arntber turn and when he rose 10 his feet
his face was scratched and he spat half
n handful of dirt and shale out of his
mouth,
turn brought him straight down TO Bruce,
and before he could turn again he was
cnyeloped i'm sudden darkness and suffoca-
tion. and over him there rang out tiendish
and triumphant yell.
'I got i'm :" shouted Bruce.
Inside the shirt Muskwa scratched and
bit and snarled, and Bruce was having
his hands full when Langdon ran down with
the second shirt. Very shortly Muskwa
was trussed up like a papoose. His legs
and his body were swathed so tightly that
he could not move them. His head was
not covered Il was the only part Of him
that showed, and the Cnly Part Of MN that
he could move and II looked so round and
frightened and funny that for minute or
two Langdon and Bruce forgot their dlsap,
pointments and losses Of the day and
laughed.
Theu Langdon sat down on one side OF
NIuslwa. and Bruce on the other and they
filled and lighted their pipes, Muskwa could
not even kick an objection.
"A couple Of husky hunters we are said
Langdon then. Come out for grizzly and
end up with that!
lie looked at the cub. Muskwa was eylng
him so earnestly that LangdOn sat In mute
wonder for a moment and then slowly took
his pipe from his mouth and stretched out
"Cubby, cubby, nice cubby," he cajOled
softly.
Muskwa's tiny ears were perked for
ward. His bright eyes were like glass
Bruce, unobserved by Langdon was grim
ming eXpectantY.