The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-12-30
he found the note that she had !,

he found the note that she had !.
for him.
1t told. very simply and plainly. th',
her father lay injured in his he'd an"
could for him. She had gone for help
to the ranger station.
He leaped through the rooms to Len
nox's door. then went in on fipto"
And the first thing he saw when hc
opened the door was the grizzled
mans gray face on the pillow.
you're home early, Dan," he said.
How many did you get?"
1t was entirely characteristic.
Shaggy old woof is too proud TO howl
over the wounds that lay him low. and
this gray old bear on the bed had par
taken of his spirit.
"Good Lord" Dan answered. "How
badly are you hurt?"
mot so bad but that Tn sorry that
Snowbird has gone drifting twelve
miles over the hills for help. It's
dark as pitch"
And 1t was. Dan could scarcely
make out the outline Of the somher
ridges against the sky.
They talked on, and their subject
was whether Dan should remain TO
take care of Lennox, or whether he
should attempt to overtake Snowbird
with the horse. OF course the girl
had ordered him to stay. Lennox. on
the other hand. said that Dan could
not help him in the least. and desired
him to follow the girl.
TIN not often anxious about her."
he said slowly. "But II is a long walk
through the widest part Of the d.
vide. Some way-I can't bar accidents
tonight. I don't like to think of her
on those mountains alone"
And remembering what had lain be-
side the trail, Dan felt the same. he
had heard. long ago. that any animal
that once tasted human flesh loses its
| fear Of men and Is never to be trusted
again. Some wild animal that still
hunted the ridges had. in the last
month. done just that thing. He left
the room and walked softly to the
door.
The night lay silent and mysterious
over the Divide. He STOOD listening.
The girl had started only an hour be-
fore, and It was unlikely that she
could have traversed more than two
miles of the steep trail in that time.
Although the horse ordinarily did not
climb hill more swiftly than hu-
man being. he didn't doubt but that
he could overtake her before she
went three miles farther. But where
lay his duty-with the injured man
in the house or with the daughter on
her errand of mercy in the darkness?
Then the matter was decided for
him. So faint that It only whispered
at the dim. outer frontiers of hearing.
sound came pricking through the
darkness Only his months of listen
ing to the faint sounds of the forest.
and the Incredible silence Of the night
enabled him to hear 1t at all. But he
knew what 1t was. the report of a
pistol. Snowbird had met ali enemy
| In the darkness.
He called once to Lennox. snatchei
the shotgun that still stood where he
had placed II in the corner Of the
room. and hastened to the corral. The
mare whickered plaintively when he
took her from her food.
When Snowbird first heard the step
in the thickets beside her. she halted
bravely and held her lantern high. She
understood at last. The very extremity
Of the beams found reflection in two
very curious circles Of greenish fire !:
a fire that was old upon the world be-
fore man ever rubbed two sticks to-
gether to strike flame. OF course
the dim rays .i-i simply been reflect
I'd on the eyes Of some great beast Of
prey.
She Identified II az once. Only the
eyes of the felines. with vertical pu'
pills. have this identical greenish glare
The eyea Of the wolves glow In the
darkness. but the circles are usually
bright POINTS. or course 1t was cou
gar.
She didn't cry out again. Realizing
at last the reality of her peril, hel