The Dolores star., 1921-09-16
CHAPTER iii-continued.

web of his snow shoes to shreds Be
cause he shut out all thought of 1t. he
had no feeling of fatigue. The fight
with Cranston had been a frightful
strain on muscle and nerve: but he
scarcely remembered 1t now His
whole purpose was to return to Snow
bird before the wolves lost the last of
their cowardice.
The jerked venison that he had
munched had brought him back much
of his strength. He was wholly uncon-
scious of his heavy pack. Never did
he glide so swiftly, SO softly. with
such unerring step; and 1t was moth
ing more or less than perfect expires
sion of&the iron-cad control that his
steel nerves had over his muscles
Then, through the silence, he heard
the shout of the PACK as the wolf had
leaped at Snowbird. He knew what it
meant The wolves were attacking
then, and great flood of black. hating
bitterness poured over him at the
thought he had been too late. 1t had
all been in vain, and before the thought
could fully go home, he heard the dim,
far-Off crack of pistol.
Was that the first of the three shots,
the one she might expend on the
wolves, or had the first two already
been spent and was sine taking the last
gateway of escape? Perhaps even now
Lennox was lying still on the sled and
she was standing before the ruin of
her fire praying that her soul might
have wings. He shouted with all the
power of his lungs across the snow.
But Snowbird only heard the soft
glide of the wolves in the snow. The
wind was blowing toward Dan; and
while he had heard the loud chorus of
the pack, one of the most far-carrying
cries and the penetrating crack of n
pistol, she couldn't hear his answering
shout. In fact, the wilderness seemed
preternaturally still. All was breath
less heavy with suspense. and she
stood, just as Dan had thought, be-
tween the ruin of her fire and the sled,
and she looked with straight eyes to
the oncoming wolves.
Hurry. Snowbird," Lennox was
whispering. Give me the pistol-for
that last work. We have only a mo-
ment more"
He looked very calm and brave, half
raised as he was on the sled. and per-
haps half-smile fingered at his beard
ed lips. And the bravest thing of all
was that to spare her. he was willing
to take the little weapon from her
hand to use it in its last service. She
tried TO smile at him, then crept over
to his side.
The strain was over. They knew
what they had to face. She put the
pistol in his steady hand.
His hand lowered to his side and he
sat waiting. The moments passed. The
wolves seemed to be waiting, too, for
the last flickering tongue of the little
IRE to die away. The last of her fuel
was ignited and burning out; they
were crouched and ready to spring if
she should venture forth after more.
The darkness closed down deeper, and
at last only a column of smoke re-
manned.
1t was nothing to be afraid of. The
great gray leader of the pack, wolf
that weighed nearly 100 pounds, be-
gan slowly and deliberately to set his
muscles for the spring. 1t was the
same as when the great bull elk comes
to bay at the base of the cliffs; usual
ly some one wolf, often the great pack
leader. wishing to remind his followers
of his might, or else some full-grown
male proud in his strength, will attack
alone. Because this was the noblest
game that the pack had ever faced
the leader chose to make the first leap
himself. 1t was true that these two
had neither such horns nor razor
edged hoofs as the elk, yet they had
eyes that chilled his heart when he
tried to look at them. But one was
lying almost prone, and the fire was
out. Besides, the madness Of starva-
ton, Intensified ten times by their ter
rible realization of the wound nt her
hip, was upon the pack as never be-
fore. The muscles punched at his
lean flanks.
But as Snowbird and her father
gazed at him In fascinated horror, the
great wolf suddenly smashed down in
the snow. She was aware of It's curl
Gus, utter collapse actually before the
sound Of the rifle shot that occasloned
1t had penetrated her consciousness.
1t was perfect shot at long range;
and for long instant her tortured
faculties refused to accept the truth.
Then the rifle spoke again, and sec
ond VOLTA large male that crouched
on the other side Of the sled--fell kick
Ing in the snow. The pack had leaped
forward at the first death: but they
halted at the second. And then ter
ror came to them when the third wolf
suddenly opened It's savage lips and
screamed in the death agony.
Up to this time. except for the re-
lOrt of the rife, the attack had BEEN