The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-12-16

the cougars to know thai The grVp
cat would certainly aim for her heat
and neck in the same way that n da,.k
hunter. leads fast-flying duck--il'p y
Ing to intercept her leap. Even as he's
feet left the ground she seemed &c
whirl in the air, and the deadly ,a'ons
whipped down in vain Then cu:tin
back in front. she raced down wind
1t is usually the most unmiii,r,ter
folly for n cougar To chase deer
, against which he has missed his
stroke; and 1t is also quite faral 10 his
dignity. And whoever doubts for
minute that the larger creatures have
no dignity. and that II is not very dear
to them. simply knows nothing ahonl
the ways of animals. They cling tr
1t to the death. But tonight one lis
appointment after another had cr,im
bled. as the rains crumhie leaves. The
last vestige of Whisperfoot's self-ron-
troll. Snarling in fury. he bounded
after the doe.
She was lost to sight at once in
the darkness. but for fully thirty yards
he raced in her pursuit. If he had
otoPPNn ~ IL "Vuiu btth
one of the really great surprises of
his life to hear the sudden. unms-
taxable stir and movement of large.
living creature not fifteen feet distant
In the thicket-
He didn't stop to think at all. He
didn't puzzle on the extreme unlikeli-
hood of doe halting in her flight from
a cougar. 1t is doubtful whether. in
the thickets. he had any perceptions
of the creature other than its move
ments He was running down wind.
so It is certain that he didn't smell 1t.
II he saw II at all. 1t was just as a
shadow. sufficiently large to be that
of deer. 1t was moving, crawling as
Woof the bear sometimes crawled.
seemingly to get out of his path. And
Whisperfoot leaped straight at 1t.
1t was perfect shot. He landed
high on its shoulders. His head lashed
down. and the white teeth closed. All
the long life of his race he had known
that pungent essence that flowed forth.
His senses perceived 1t. message
shot along his nerves to his brain. And
then he opened his mouth in high.
far-carrying squeal of utter. abject
terror.
He sprang full fifteen feet back
into the thickets; then crouched The
hair stood still at his shoulders. his
claws were barred: he was prepared
to fight to the death. He didn't under
stand. He only knew the worst single
terror of his life. IT was not doe
thof hn hod off m oil yad In, h, do Iyva
II was not Urson the porcupine. or
even Woof. 1t was that imperial mas
ter of all things. man himself. Un-
knowing he had attacked Landv Hill
dreth, lying wounded from Cranston's
bullet beside the trail. Word of the
arson ring would never reach the set
Elements. after all.
And as for Whisperfoot-the terror
that choked his heart with blood be-
gan to wear off In little while. The
man lay so still in the thickets. Be
Sides there was strange. wild smell
In the air. Whlsperfoot's stroke had
gone home SO true there had not even
been fight. The darkness began to
lift around him, and strange exultn-
tion. rapture unknown before In all
his hunting. began to creep into his
wild blood. Then. as a shadow steals.
he went creeping back to his dead.
.
Dan Falling had been studying ma
ture on the high ridges; and he went
home by a back trail that led to old
Bald mountain. The trail was just
narrow serpent in the brush; and
4 It had not been made by gangs Of
laborers. working with shovels and
picks. Possibly half a dozen white
men. in all. had ever walked along 1t.
1t was just the path Of the wild crea-
lures. worn down by hoof and paw
and cushion since the young days OF
the world. d y
1t was a roundabout trail home
but yet 1t had its advantages. II took
him within two miles Of Snowbird's
lookout station. and at this hour Of
day he had been particularly fortunate
In finding her at certain spring on
the mountain side. 1t was rather a sim
gular coincidence. Along about four
he would usually find himself wander.
ing up that way. Strangely enough.
at the same time, IT was true that
she had an irresistible impulse to go
down and sit in the green ferns beside
the same spring. They always seemed
to be surprised to see one another. In
reality, either of them would have
been considerably more surprised had
the other failed to put in an appear
ance. And always they had long talks,
as the afternoon drew to twilight.
But don't think you ought to wair
so late before starting home" the cir
would always say. You're moi
human hawk, and 1t is easier to !.
lost than you think"
And this solicitude, Dan rightly fig.
ured. was good sign. There was
only one objection to 1t. II resulted
In an unmistakble inference that she
considered him unable to take care
80 htx,.ol-ona <hc<