Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-03-19
| The Voice of the Pack
BY EDISON MARSHALL
By EDISON MARSHALL
Copyright, 1920. by Little. Brown & c,


| the mountain men are not saved by
| their women without mourning obliga-
| ton. She attempted no barren de-
mails. She made no effort TO pretend
he had not incurred a tremendous debt
when she had come with her pistol. IL
was an unavoidable fact. A life for
a life is the code of the mountains.
| 1.-TWO things | must do before | can
ever dare to die" he told her soberly.
| "One of them is to pay you; the other
Is to pay Cranston for the thing he
| said. Maybe the chance will never
come for the first of the two; only I'll
pray that 1t will. Maybe II would be
kinder to you to pray that 1t wouldn't;
yet | pray that 1t will! Maybe can
| pay that debt only by being always
ready. always watching for chance
to save you from any danger, always
trying to protect you. You didn't
| come In time to see the fight | made.
Besides-I lost, and little else mat
| tiers. And that debt to you can't be
paid until sometime fight again--for
| you-and win" He gasped from his
weakness. but went on bravely. an
| never be able to feel at peace, Snow
bird, until Pm tested In the fire before
| your eyes I want to show you the
| things Cranston said of me are not
true--that my courage will stand the
| test.
ut wouldn't be the same, perhaps,
with an Eastern girl. Other things
| matter In the valleys. But l see how
| it is here; that there is only one
standard for men and by that stand
| ard they rise or fall. Things In the
mountains are down to the essen
| tials'
He paused and struggled for
| strength to continue. "And | know
| what you said to him." he went on.
"Half-unconscious as was, | remem-
Der every word. Each word just seems
| to burn into me, Snowbird, and I'll
| make every one of them good. You
said am a better man than he. and
| sometime 1t would be proved-and it's
| the truth! Maybe In a month"; maybe
| In a year. I'm not going to die from
this malady of mine now, Snowbird.
I've got too much to live for-too
many debts to pay. In the end, I'll
| prove your words to him."
His eyes grew earnest, and the hard
fire went out of them. "Its almost as
If you were queen, a real queen of
some great kingdom" he told her,
| tremulous with great awe chat was
stealing over him, as a mist steals over
water. "And because / had kissed
your fingers, for ever and ever ] was
your subject, living only to fight your
| fights--maybe with o dream In the
| end to kiss your fingers again. When
| you bent and kissed me on that hill
side-for him to sect was the same:
that was sworn to you, and nothing
mattered in my life except the service
and love I could give you. And It's
more than you ever dream, Snowbird.
It's all yours, for your battles and
your happiness"
The great pines were silent above
them, Swallowed and dark. Perhaps
they were listening to an age-old
story, those vows of service and self
gained worth by which the race has
struggled upward from the darkness.
"But I kissed you--once before"
she reminded him. The voice was
Just whisper, hardly louder than the
stir of the leaves in the wind.
"But that kiss didn't count" he told
her. ut wasn't at all the same.
loved you then, / think, but 1t didn't
mean what 1t did today"
sand what" she leaned toward
him, her eyes full on his, "does It
mean now7"
"All that's worth while in life. all
that matters when everything Is said
that can be said and all Is done that
can be done. And 1t means, please
God, when the debts are paid. that
may have such q kiss again."
"Not until then" she told him,
whispering.
until then. make oath that !
won't even ask 1t. or receive II II you
should give It. 1t goes too deep. dear
est-and 1t means too much"
This was their pact. Not until the
debts were paid and her word made
good would those lips be his again.
There was no need for further words.
Both Of them knew.
In the Skies the gray clouds were
gathering swiftly. as always In the
mountains. The raindrops were fall
Ing one and one. over the forest. The
summer was done, and fall had come
In earnest.
ITO RE CONTINIJED)