Charlevoix county herald., 1921-01-21

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 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 to
bring them through.
AS the dawn came out. they all
stood still and listened TO the wolf
pack, singing on the ridge somewhere
behind them.
Ii was large pack. They couldn't
make out individual voices-neither
| the more shrill cry of the females. the
yapping of the cubs, or the low, clear
G-below-middle-C note of the males.
''If they should cross our tracks
LennOx suggested.
mo use worrying about that now
not until we come 10 it," Dan told
| him.
The morning broke, the sun rose
bright in clear sky. But still they
| trudged on. I'm spite of the fact that
the sled was heavy and broke through
| the snow crust as they tugged at 1t.
| they had made good time since their
| departure. But now every step was
a pronounced effort. 1t was the dread
| full beginning Of fatigue that only
| food and warmth and rest could
| rectify.
"We1l rest now," Dan told them at
| ten o'clock. "The sun is warm enough
| so that we won't need much of a fire.
And Wen try to get five hours sleep"
..'Too long. if we're going to make II
out" LennOx objected.
"That leaves workday Of nineteen
| hours" Dan persisted mot any too
little. Five hours il will be-"
He found where the snow had drift
ed against a great. dead log leaving
lIt Wtillt tONtilllS OulN lOOt III
| depth on the lee side. He began to
scrape the snow away. then hacked at
| the log with his Ak until he had pro-
| cured piece Of comparatively dry
| wood from its center. They all stood
| breathless while he lighted the little
| pile Of kindling and heaped 1t with
| green wood-the only wood procur-
able. But It didn't burn freely. 1t
smoked fitfully, threatening to die out.
and emitting very little heat.
But they didn't particularly care.
| The sun was warm above. as always
| In the mountain winters of southern
| Oregon. Snowbird and Dan cleared
spaces beside the fire and slept. Len
nox. who had rested on the journey,
| lay on his sled and with his uninjured
arm tried to hack enough wood from
| the saplings that Dan had cut TO keep
the fire burning.
At three they got up still tired and
aching in their bones from exposure.
| Twenty-four hours had passed since
they had tasted food. and their unre-
| plenished systems complained. There
| is no better engine In the wide world
| than the human body. II will stand
more neglect and abuse than the finest
steel motors ever made by the hands
| of craftsmen. man may fast many
days If he lies quietly in one place
and keeps warm. But fasting is q
deadly proposition while pulling
sledges over the snow.
Dan was less hopeful now His face
told what his words did not. The
lines cleft deeper about his lips and
eyes; and Snowbird's heart ached
when he tried to encourage her with
smile. II was wan. strange smile
that couldn't quite hide the first sick
ness of despair
The shadows quickly lengthened-
simply leaping over the snow from the
fast-falling sun. The twilight deep
ened, the snow turned gray. and then.
in a vague way, the journey began to
partake Of a quality of unreality II
was not that the cold and the snow
and their hunger were not entirely
real, or that the, wilderness was no
longer naked TO their eyes. 1t was Just
that their whole effort seemed like
some dreadful. unburdened Journey in
dream-a stumbling advance under
difficulties too many and real to be
true
The first sign was the far-off cry
of the wolf pack. 1t was very faint
simply stir In the eardrums. yet II
was entirely clear. That clear. cold
mountain air was perfect telephone
system. conveying message distinct.
ly. no matter how family. There
were no tall buildings or cities to dis
turb the ether waves And all three
Of them knew at the same instant N
was not exactly the cry they had
heard before.
They couldn't have told just Why.
even II they had wished to talk about
II. In some dim way. II had lost the
strange quality of despair II had held
before. II was as II the pack were
running with renewed life. that each
wolf was calling TO another with n
dreadful sort of exultation. II was an
excited cry, tOo--nOt the long sad