Gilpin observer., 1918-02-21

I
scent Of deadlier enemy than fire. A
lynx had taken possession of the sand
bar, and was crouching at the end of
It, Three porcupines had dragged
themselves into the edge of the water,
and lay there like balls, their quilts
alert and quivering. A fisher-cat was
snarling at the lynx. And the lynx,
with ears laid back, watched Kazan
and Gray Wolf as they began the inva-
sion 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 quivering and whining while
he advanced. Light-footed, his pointed
ears forward, no menace or threat in
his attitude, he advanced. 1t was the
deadly advance Of the husky trained in
battle, skilled in the art Of killing. A
man from civilization would have said
that the dog was approaching the lynx
with friendly intentions. But the lynx
understood. 1t was the old feud of
many generations-made deadlier now
by Kazan's memory of that night at the
top Of the Sun Rock.
Instinct told the fisher-cat what was
coming, and 1t crouched low and fiat !;
the porcupines, scolding like little chill
aren at the presence Of enemies and
the thickening clouds of smoke, thrust
their quilts still more erect. The lynx
lay on its belly, like cat, it's hind
quarters twitching, and gathered for
the spring. Kazan's feet seemed scarce
ly to touch the sand as he circled light
ly around it. The lynx pivoted as he
circled, and then it shot in round
snarling ball over the eight feet Of
space that separated them.
Kazan did not leap aside. He made
no effort to escape the attack, but met
1t fairly with the full force of his Shout
ders, as sledge-dog meets sledge-dog.
He was ten pounds heavier than the
lynx, and for moment the big loose
jointed cat with its twenty knifelike
claws was thrown on its side. Like q
flash Kazan took advantage of the mo-
ment and drove for the back of the
cats neck.
In that same moment blind Gray
Wolf leaped in with a snarling cry. and
fighting under Kazan's belly, she fas-
tened her jaws in one Of the cats hind
legs. The bone snapped. The lynx,
twice outweighed, leaped backward,
dragging both Kazan and Gray Wolf.
1t fell back down on one of the porcu-
pines, and hundred quilts drove into
its body. Another leap and it was free
l-haofnD into tho foca ~ tho cmoka
Kazan did not pursue. Gray Wolf
came to his side and licked his neck,
where fresh blood was crimsoning his
tawny hide. The fisher-cat lay as II
dead, watching them with fierce little
black eyes. The porcupines continued
to chatter, as II begging for mercy
And then thick black suffocating pail
of smoke drove low over the sand bar
and with 1t came air that was furnace
hot.
At the uttermost end of the sand bar
Kazan and Gray Wolf rolled them.
selves into balls and thrust their heads
under their bodies. The fire was very
near now. The roar of 1t was like that
of great cataract, with now and then
a louder crash of falling trees. The
air was filed with ash and burning
sparks, and twice Kazan drew forth his
head to snap ut blazing embers that
fell upon and scared him like hot
irons.
Close along the edge of the stream
grew thick green bush, and when the
fire reached this, 1t burned more slow
ly, and the heat grew less. Still, 1t wa.
long time before Kazan and Gray
Wolf could draw forth their heads ant
breathe more freely. Then they fount
that the finger of sand reaching out in
to the river had saved them. Every
where in that triangle between the tive
rivers the world had turned black, am
was hot underfoot.
The smoke cleared away. The wint
. changed again, and swung down co"
j. and fresh from the west and north. TIL,
, fsher-cat was the first to move eau
. tiously back to the forests that hat
, been. but the porcupines were still
rolled into balls when Gray Wolf ant
J Kazan left the sand bar. They begai
, to travel upstream, and before nigh
came, their feet were sore from no
I ash and burning embers.
, The moon was strange and forebod
Ing that night, like a spatter Of bloc,
In the sky, and through the long silen
! hours there was not even the boot o
} an owl to give sign that life still ex
! listed where yesterday had been para
} disc Of wild things. Kaxan knew tina
! there was nothing to hunt, and the.