The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-12-23

not other words. could ne lis payment
All the voices of his body called l."
him to lie still. but the voices of the
spirit, those higher. nohIer prompting>
from which no man. to the glor, Of
the breed from which he sprung. can
ever quite escape. were stronger vel.
He tugged upward. straining. BuI I,r
didn't even have the strength to'hrenh
the hold that the soft arm had ahon'
his neck.
'Oh. If could only pull the rr'r
gerr' she was crying. IF conid
only kill him"
LET me-" he pleaded. "Give me
the pistol III kill him"
And he would. There was no finch
ing In the gray eyes that looked ~
to her. She leaned forward as If tc
put the weapon in his hands. bui =
once drew 1t back. And then s'n~'
sob caught nj her throat. An ins'nu
later they heard Cranston's iaueh'...
as he vanished around the turn of The
trail
For long minutes the two of then
we're still. The girl still held the man"
head upon her breast. The pistol hnt
fallen in the pine needles. and lhe
nervous hand plucked strangely al lie
leaves of n mountain flower. To Dam
eyes. there was something tranceiike
a hint of paralysis and nsensihilis
about her posture. He had never sesr
her eyes like this. The light thai he
had always beheld in them had van
ished. Their utter darkness stariie''
him.
He sat up straight. and her arm tha'
had been about his neck felt at her
side. He took her hand firmly in his
and their eyes met.
I'VE must go home. Snowbird" he
told her simply. I'm not so badly
hurt hut that can make it,"
She nodded: but otherwise scarcely
seemed to hear Her eyes still fipwp'
with darkness And then. before his
own eyes their dark pupils heeau 70
contract. The hand he held filed aud
throbhed with life and the iina-rs
closed around his. She leaned towarc
him.
Listen. Dnn.'' she said quickly
"you heard-didn't you-the last thing
that he said?"
'I couldn't help hut hear. Snow
bird"
Tier other hand sought for his
Then If you heard-paynient musl he
made. You see what | mean. nnn.
Maybe you cant see knowing the girls
that live on the plains. You We're tfr
cause of his saying 1t. and you mus
nnswer-'
II seemer 10 Dan that some Stern
code of the hills. unwritien excepi ia
rhe hearts of their children neNor;ible
ms night. was speaking through her
lips. This was nn personal thing. In
some dim. hnlf-understood way. II
went back TO the basic code Of life
People must fight their own fights
up here" she told him. The laws
OF the courts that the plains people
can appeal to are all too far AWAY
There's no one that can do It, except
YOU. Not my father. My father cant
fight your battles here. If your honor
is going to stand. It's up to YOU. Dan
You can't pretend that you didn't hear
him. Such as you are. weak and sick
to he beaten to n pulp in two minutes
you alone will have to make him an
swer for II. I came to your Midland
now you must come to mine"
Her fingers no longer clasped his
Strength had come back TO him. and
his fingers closed down until the blood
unconscious of the pain. In reality
she was conscious of nothing except
the growing fame In his fnce. It held
her eyes In passionate fascination. His
pupils were contracting to little bright
dots in the gray irises. The jaw was
setting. as she had never seen II he
fore.
do you think. Snowbird. that you'd
even have to ask me?" he demanded
Don't y0u think I understand? And
I. won't be In your defense-only my
own duty."
"But he is SO strong-and you are
so weak"
II won't be SO weak forever. new
er really cared much about living he
fore. ri try now. and you'll see
oh.' Snowbird. wait and trust me: l
understand everything. It's my own
fighf-when you kissed me. and he
cried down that word In anger and
jealousy. II put the whole thing on me-
No one else can make him answer: no
one else has the right. It's my honor
no one else's. that stands or falls"
He lifted her hand to his lips and
kissed II again and again.
And for the first time he saw the
tears gathering In her dark eyes. "Rui
you fought here. didn't you. DAMP"
she asked with painful slowness. "You
didn't put up your arms-or try 70
run nway7 didn't come till he had
you done. so didn't see." She looked
at him as II her whole joy of life hung
on his answer.
Fought! would have fought till
dIedl But that isn't enough Snow.
bird. II isn't enough just TO fight. in
case like this. A mans got to win !,