American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1921-05-20

strange and white. The cold ana the
exposure were having their effect on
his weakened system, and unconscious
ness was a near shadow indeed. "But,
dearest-if l could only make you do
what I want you to-"
sWhat?"
You're able to climb a tree, and IL
you'd take these coats. you wouldn't
freeze by morning. If you'd only have
the strength"
sand see you torn to plecesl"
"Tm old. dear-and very tired-and
I'd crawl away into the shadows, where
you couldn't see. There's 40 use mine
ing words, Snowbird. You're q brave
girl-always have been since a little
thing, as God is my Judg@and you
know we must face the truth. Better
one of us die than both. And prom
ise-Tll never feel their fangs, And |
won't take your pistol with me either"
Her thought flashed TO the clasp
hunting knife that he carried in his
pocket. But her eyes lighted, and she
bent and kissed him. And the wolves
leaped forward ever at this.
"we1l stay It OUT she told him..
Wen fight 1t to the last-just as Dan
would want us to do. Besides-it
would only mean the same fate for
me, In a little while. l couldn't cling
up there forever-and Dan won't come
back"
= . e
She was wholly unable to gain on
- A. nat, b- Agpt nF fhA most
heart-breaking toll was She able to Sc
cure any dry fuel for 1t at all. Every
length OF wood she cut had TO be
scraped of bark. and half the time the
fire was only a sickly column of white
smoke. 1t became increasingly diff
, cult to swing the ak. The trail was
almost at its end.
The after-midnight hours drew one
. by one across the face of the wilder
ness, and she thought that the deep
enlng cold presaged dawn. Her FIN
gers were numb.
, Once more she went TO n of the
: saplings. but she stumbled and almost
, went to her face at the first blow. 1t
: was the instant that her gray watch.
ers had been waiting for, The wolf
= that stood nearest leaped-a gray
! streak out of the shadow-and every
: wolf In the pack shot forward with q
> yell. II was o short, eXpectant cry
y but it chopped off short. For with q
half-sob, and seemingly without men
tai process. she aimed her pistol ant
fired.
. A fast-leaplng walf is one of the
:, most difficult pistol targets that can b'
u imagined. II bordered on the mlracu
" lous that she did not miss him alto
y gether. Her nerves were torn, thei
- control over her muscles largely gone
Yet the bullet coursed down through
- the lungs, inflcting q mortal wound.
y The wolf had leaped for her throat
~ but he fell short. She staggered fror
- a blow, and she heard a curious SCUM
=, In the region of her hip. Blu sh
:, didn't know that the fangs had gon
:. home in her soft flesh. The vol
rolled on the ground and If her pistc
had possessed the shocking power O
: n rifle. he would rave never got u
again. AS It was, he shrieked once
Il then sped of In the darkness to di'
Five or six of the nearest wolves
| catching the smell of his blood, baye
and sped after him.
But the remainder of the great pac
fully Is of the gray, gaunt creature
came stealing across the snow 4
ward her. White fangs had gOr
III home; and O new madness was In III
IA air.
HI . .
Stralnlng into the silence, a perfec
~ straight line between Cranston
camp and %Snowbird's, Dan Failir
III came mushlng across the snow. II
VA sense Of direction had never bee
M obliged to stand such a test as tn
XII before. ~Snowbird's fire was a sing
Y dot on a vast plateau; yet he had goI
I1 straight toward II.
UI He was risklng everything for d
y sake of speed. He gave no heed to d
fallen timber that might have torn q
III web of his snow shoes to shreds. II
n cause he shut out all thought Of II,
had no feeling Of fatigue. The fig
with Cranston had been a fright
strain on muscle and nerve; but
. scarcely remembered II now. II
whole purpose was to return 10 SnO
bird before the wolves lost the last
their cowardice.
The jerked venison that he b
munched had brought him back mu
of his strength. He was wholly uncC
scious OF his heavy pack. Never d
act he glide 50 swiftly, so softly, wi
such unerring step; and II was not
ez' ing more or less than a perfect EXPIRE
sion Of the irOn-clad control thht }
steel nerves had over his muscles.
IN Then, through the silence, he hea
ne the shout Of the pacE as the wolf b
zen leaped at Snowbird. He knew what
led meant. The wolves we're attack
I'm then, and a great food Of black, haiti
the bitterness poured over him at {
the thought he had been too late. II b
/. all been In vain. and before the thong
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