Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1917-05-31

10 pieces by the wolves, anu a 90" go
leaplng upon you, when one OF them
sprang to the sledge. At FIRST / thought
It was one OF the dogs. But II was
wolf. He tore once at US, and the bear
skin saved us. He was almost ut my
throat when baby cried, and then he
stood there, his red eyes foot from
us. and could have sworn that he was
u dog. In IN instant he turned, and
was fighting the wolves. l saw him
leap upon one that was almost at your
throat"
"He was.a dog" said old Pierre,
holding out his hands 10 the warmth.
"They often wander away from the
posts, and Join the wolves. have had
dogs do that. Ma cherle, dog Is dog
all his life. Kicks, abuse, even the
wolves cannot change him-fOr long.
He was one Of the pack. He came with
them-tO kill. But when he found
us"
HE fought for u.s." breathed the
girl. She gave him the bundle. and
stood w. straight and tall and slim In
the freight. "He fought for us-and
he was terribly hurt" she said. II saw
him drag himself away. Father, II he
Is out there-dying-"
Pierre RadlssOn stood up. he
coughed In u shudderlng way, trying to
stitie the sound under his beard. The
iieck Of crimson that came to his lips
with the cough Joan did not see.
She had seen nothing Of It during the
SIX days they had been travelling up
from the edge Of civilization. Because
Of that cough, and the strain that came
with ii. Pierre had made more than or
binary haste.
Il have been thinking Oi that" he
said. HE was badly hurt, and l do
not think he went far. Here-take lit
tie Joan and sit close to the fire until l
come back"
The mOOn and the stars were bril-
liant in the sky when he went out In
the plalE. A short distance from the
edge Of the timber line he stood for
moment upon the spot where the
wolves had Overtaken them an hour
before. Not one Of his four dogs had
lived. The snow was red with their
blood. and their bodies lay stlff where
they had fallen under the pack. Pierre
shuddered as he looked at them. II
the wolves had not turned their first
mad attack upon the dogs, what would
have become OF himself, Joan and the
baby? He turned away, with another
Of those hollow coughs that brought
the blood to his lips.
A few yards to one side he found in
the snow the trail Of the strange dog
that had come with the wolves. and
mad turned against them in that mo-
ment when all seemed lost. II was not
clean running trail. II was more Of
a furrOw In the snow, and Pierre Rad
issOn followed II, expecting TO ind the
dog dead at the end Of 1t.
In the sheltered spot to which he had
dragged himself in the edge Of the for
est KaZan lay for u long time after
the fight, alert and watchful. He felt
no very great pain. But he had lost
the power to stand upon his legs. His
TANKS seemed paralyzed. Gray Wolf
crOuched close ut his side, shifting the
air. They could smell the camp, and
Kazan could detect the two things that
were there-man and woman. He knew
that the girl was there, where he could
see the glow Of the freight through
the spruce and the cedars. He wanted
10 20 to her. He wanted to drag him
self close In to the fire, and take Gray
Wolf with him, and listen to her voice
and feel the touch Of her hand. Bul
the man was there, and to him man
had always meant the club, the whip
pain, death.
Gray Wolf crOuched close to hi
side, and whined softly as she urged
Kazan TO fee deeper with her into the
forest. At last she understood that hi
could not move. and she ran nervously
out into the plain, and back again. un
I'll her footprints were thick In the
trail she made. The instincts OF mate
hood were strong in her. 1t was she
who first saw Pierre RadlssOn com
ing over their trail, and she ran swift
~ back to. Kazan and gave the warn
ing.
Then KaZan caught the scent, ant
he saw the shadowy figure cOminI
through the starlight. He tried Il
drag himself back. but he could nov
only by inches. The man came rapid!
nearer. Kazan caught the glisten o
the rifle in his hand. He heard hi
hollow cough, and the tread Of his fee
In the snow. Gray Wolf crOuche'
shoulder to shoulder with him, trem
bling and showing her teeth. WheI
Pierre had approached within fifty fee
of them she skunk back into the deepe
shadows Of the spruce.
Kazan's fangs were barred menaclng
" when Pierre stopped and loOke'
down at him. With an effort b
dragged himself to his feet, but fel
back into the snow again. The maj
leaned his rife against q sapllng an
hent oyer him fearlesSly, With 1erc