The Arvada enterprise., 1918-01-17

both. To their n0strlls had come the
scent Of deadlier enemy than IRE. A
lynx had taken possession Of the sand
bar. and was crouching at the end Of
It. Three percuplnes had dragged
themselves into the edge of the water,
and lay there like balls, their quills
alert and quivering. A fisher-cat was
snarling at the lynx. And the lynx,
with ears laid back. watched Kazan
and Gray Wolf a. they began the inva-
sion Of the sand ber.
Faithful Gray Wolf was full Of fght.
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. Lght-footed, his pointed
ears forward, NO menace or threat In
his attitude. he advanced. Il 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. It was the old feud of
many generations-made deadlier now
BY Ka8an's memory Of that night at the
top Of the Sun Rock.
Instinct told the fisher-cat what was
coming, and It crouched low and nat;
the pOrcupines. scolding like little chill
areu at the presence Of enemies and
she thickening clouds Of smoke. thrust
their quilts still more erect. The lynx
lay on its belly. like q cat. its hind
quarters twitching. and gathered for
the spring. Kazan's feet seemed scarce
" to touch the sand ~ he circled light
~ around It. The lynx pivoted a. he
crcled. and then It shot In q round
snariing ball over the eight feet Of
space that separated them.
Kasan did not leap aside. He made
10 effort to escape ths attack. bat met
II fairly with the full force Of his shoul.
ders, - sledee-dog meets sledge-doG.
He was ten pounds heavier than the
lynx. and for Q moment the big loose
jointed cat With :ts twenty knifelike
claws was thrown on it, side. Like
fash Kaxan took advantage Of the mo-
ment, and drove Soe the back Of the
cats neck.
In that same moment blind Gray
Wolf leaped II with snariing CRY. and
fighting under Kasan's belly. she fas-
tened her jaws In ono of the cats hind
leGa. The hone mapped. The lynx.
twies outwciGhed. leapsd backward.
dragEing both Kasan and Gray Wolf.
Il fell back down on one Of the poecu.
pines. and hundred quilts drove into
its body. Another leap and II was free
fleeing into the face Of the smoke.
Kaxan did not pursue. Gray Wolf
came to his side and licked his neck.
where freAh blood was crimsoning his
tawny hide. The nsher.cat lay AZ II
dead, watching them with fierce little
black eyes The porcupines continued
to chatter. a. II begging for mercy.
And then thick black sufSocating pail
OF smoke drove low over the sand bar
and with It came air that was furnace
bot.
At the uttermost end Of the sand bar
kaxan and Gray Wolf rolled them.
selves into balls and thrust their heads
under their bodies. The nre was very
near now. The roar Of Il was like that
Of q great cataract, with now and then
. louder crash Of falling trees. The
alr WAS alled with ash and burning
sparks, and twice Kasan drew forth his
head to snap at blazing embers that
fell upon and scared him like bot
Irons.
Close along the edge Of the stream
grew thick green bush, and when the
fire reached this, II burned more slow.
". and the heat grew less. still, It was
. long time before Knxan and Gray
Wolf could draw forth their heads and
breathe more freely. Then they found
that the finger Of sand reaching out in.
to the river had saved them. Every
where In that triangle between the two
rivers tho world had turned black. and
was hot underfoot.
The smoke cleared away. The wind
changed aenln. and swung down cod
and frcsh from the west and north. The
fishcr-cat wns the firxt to move eau.
lously back to the forests TINT had
been. but the porcupines were still
rolled Into bnlls when Gray Wolf and
knznn left the sand bnr. They began
10 travel upstream. and before night
came. their feet were sore from hot
ash ani burning cinbcrs.
The moon was strange and forcbod.
Ing TINT night. like n spn,ter Of blood
In the sky. and through the long silent
hours there was not fScn the hoot Of
mn owl TO give n sign TINT life still OK.
listed where yesterday had been = pnrn.
disc Of wild things. Knxnn knew that
there WIS nothing to hunt, and tAay