The Dolores star., 1921-08-05
BY EDISON MARSHALL
CHAPTER i-Continued,

When the Ice made a crust over the
snow, he learned to walk on snow
shoes. At first there were panied
ankles and endless laundering in the
drifts. But between the fall of fresh
snow and the thaws that softened the
crust he slowly mastered the art.
Snowbird-and Dan never realized the
full Significance OF her name until he
saw her flying with incredible grace
over the snow-laughed at him at first
and ran him races that would usually
nd in his falling headfrst into ten
foot snowbank. She taught him how
to ski and more than once she would
stop In the middle of an earnest bit
of pedagogy to find that he wasn't lis
tening at all. He would seem to be
fairly devouring her with his eyes, de-
lighting in the play of soft pinks and
reds In her cheeks, and drinking. as
man drinks wine. the amazing change
OF light and shadow in her eyes.
She seemed to blossom under his
gaze. Not one of those short winter
days went by without the discovery
of some new trait or little vanity to
astonish or delight him-sometimes
an unlooked-for tenderness toward the
weak. often sweet, untained philos-
ophy of life. or perhaps just a lower
ing of her eyellds In which her eyes
would snow instrous through the
lashes. or some sweeping exubtrant
gesture startlingly graceful.
Lennox Weakened one morning with
the realization that this was one of
the hardest winters OF his experience.
He began TO be very glad OF the abun-
dant stores of provisions that over
crowded his pantry-snvory hams and
baconS. dried venison, sacks of pota-
toes and evaporated vegetables, and,
of course. canned goods past count
Ing. With the high fire roaring In the
CRATE, the season held no Ills for them.
But sometimes, when the bitter cold
came down at twilight, and the moon
looked like thing Of Ice itself over the
snow, he began to wonder how the
wild creatures who wintered on the
Divide were faring. OF course most
II them were gone. Wool. long since,
had grunted and mumbled his way
into winter lair. But the wolves re-
NAMED. strange gray shadows on the
snow. and possibly few Of the
harder smaller creatures.
More than once in those long win
ter nights their talk was chopped off
short by the song of the pack on some
distant ridge. Sometime. when the
world is old. possibly a man will be
born that can continue to talk and
keep his mind on his words while the
wolf pack sings But he is certainly
an unknown quantity today. The cry
sets In vibration curious memory
chords. and for a moment the listener
sees In his minds eye his ancient
home in an ancient world-Darkness
and Fear and Eyes shining about the
cave It carries him back. and he
knows the wilderness as 1t really is:
and to have such knowledge dries I'D
all inclination to talk, as sponge
dries water. OF course the picture
isn't entirely plain. 1t is more a thing
guessed at, photograph in some dark
part of an under-consciousness that
has constantly grown more dim as the
centuries have passed Possibly some
time 1t will fade out altogether; and
then man may continue to discuss
the weather while the Song from the
ridge shudders in at the windows. But
the world will be quite cold by then,
and no longer particularly interesting.
And possibly even the wolves them
selves will then be tanned TO play dead
ana speak pleces-which means the
wilderness ltset VIII be tanned For
as long ms the wild lasts, the pack VIII
run through 1t In the winter. Ihey
We're mere in the beginning, and In
spite OF constant war and constant
hatred on the part Of men, they Will
be mere In the end. The reason Is just
that they are the symbol OF the Will
derness itseif, and the idea or 1t con-
tinuing to exist without them Is
stranger than that OF nation without
flag.