Middletown transcript., 1921-04-16

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nails that Snowbird gathered from
the ashes of one Of the outbuildings.
The embers Of the house itself still
glowed red In the darkness.
Dan had cut the green limbs OF the
trees and planed them with his ak.
The sled had been completed, handles
attached for pushing it, and piece OF
fence wire fastened with nails as q
rope to pull it. The warm macklnaWs
of both of them as we'll as the one
blanket that Lennox had saved from
the fire were wrapped about the old
frontiersman's wasted body-Dan and
Snowbird hoping to keep warm by the
exercise of propelling the sled. Ex-
cept for the dull ak and the half
empty pistol, their only equipment
was single charred pot for melting
snow that Dan had recovered from
the ashes of the kitchen.
The three had worked almost In
silence. Words didn't help now. They
wasted no sorely needed breath. But
they did have one minute to talk wnen
they got to the top Of the little ridge
that had overlooked the house.
"We1l travel mostly at night" Dan
told them. "We can see in the snow,
and by taking our rest in the daytime,
when the sun is bright and warm, we
can save our strength. We won't have
to keep such big fires then-and at
night our exertion will keep US as
warm as we can hope for. Getting up
ali night to cut green wood with this
dull az in the snow would break US to
pieces very soon. for remember that
we haven't any food. I know how to
build a fire even in the snow-es-
pecially II I can find the dead, dry
heart of a rotten log-but it isn't any
fun to keep it going with green wood.
We don't want to have to spend any
more of our strength stripping OF wet
bark and hacking at saplings than we
can help; and that means we'd better
do our resting in the heat Of the day.
After all, it's fight against starva-
ton more than anything else."
"Just think" the girl told them, re-
preaching herself, IF I had shot
straight at that wolf today. we could
have gone back and got his body. 1t
might have carried us through"
Neither of the others as much as
looked surprised at these amazing re-
grets over the lost, unsavory flesh OF
a wolf. They were up against reali-
ties, and they didn't mince words.
Dan smiled at her gently, and his
great shoulder leaned against the
traces.
They moved through a dead world.
The ever-present manifestations OF
wild life that had been such delight
to Dan in the summer and fall were
quite lacking now. The snow was
trackless. Once they thought they
saw snowshoe rabbit, strange
shadow on the snow, but he was too
far away for Snowbird to risk a pis-
tol shot. The pound or two OF flesh
would be sorely needed before the
journey was over, but the pistol car
tridges might be needed still more
she didn't let her mind rest on certain
possibilities wherein they might be
needed. Such thoughts stole the cour
age from the spirit, and courage was
essential beyond all things else t.
bring them through.
AS the dawn came out, they al
stood still and listened to the vol
pack. singing on the ridge somewhere
behind them.
It was large pack. They couldn'
make out individual voices-neithel
the more shrill cry of the females, TIN
yapping of the cubs, or the low, cleal
G-below-middleC note of the males.
IF they should cross our tracks
Lennox suggested.
ssNO use worrying about that now
| not until we come to It," Dan toll
1 him.
The morning broke, the sun ros
bright in a clear sky. But still the.
1 trudged on. In spite of the fact tina
the sled was heavy and broke through
the snow crust as they tugged at II
they had made good time since thei
departure. But now every step wa
| a pronounced effort It was the dread
full beginning Of fatigue that onl,
| food and warmth and rest cOul
4 rectify.
i (ro BE coNT1NUEDJ