The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-02-03

one thing she could not do-to fall un.
conscious before the last of her three
cartridges was expended In the right
way.
Again she went forth to the sapIing,
and this time Il seemed to her that II
she simply tossed the az through the
air. she could fell one of the gray
crowd. But when she stopped to pick
1t up-she didn't finish the thought.
She turned to coax the fre. And then
she leaned sobbing over the sled.
whats the usef" she cried. .He
won't come back. What's the use of
fighting any mOre?"
There's always use of fighting" her
father told her. He seemed to speak
with difficulty, and his face looked
strange and white. The cold and the
exposure were having their effect on
his weakened system, and unconscious
ness was a near shadow indeed. But.
dearest-ff could only make you do
what want you to-"
'What?"
You're able to climb a tree, and II
you'd take these coats. you wouldn't
freeze by morning. II you'd only have
the strength"
"And see you torn to pieces!"
I'm old. dear-and very tired-and
I'd crawl away into the shadows. where
you couldn't see. There's no use mine.
ing words. Snowbird. You're brave
girl-aIways have been since a little
thing. as God is my Judge-and you
know we must face the truth. Better
one Of us die than both. And prom
ise-I'll never feel their fangs. And
won't take your pistol with me either"
Her thought flashed to the clasp
hunting knife that he carried in his
pocket. But her eyes lighted, and she
bent and kissed him. And the wolves
leaped forward even at this.
"We1l stay II out she told him
Wen fight 1t to the last-just as Dan
would want us to do. Besides-ii
would only mean the same fate for
me. in n little while. I couldn't cling
up there forever-and Dan won't come
hack"
She was wholly unable TO gain on
the fire. Only by dint of the most
heart-breaking toll was she able to Sc
cure any dry fuel for 1t at all Every
length Of wood she cut had to he
scraped of bark. and half the time the
fire was only a sickly column Of white
smoke. 1t became increasingly diff
almost at its end
The after-midnight hours drew one
by one across the face of the wilder
ness. and she thought that the deep.
ening cold presaged dawn. Her fin
gers were numb.
Once more she went to one of fhe
saplings. but she stumbled and almost
went to her face at the first blow. II
was the instant that her gray watch
ers had been waiting for. The wolf
that stood nearest leaped-a gray
streak out of the shadow-and every
wolf in the pack shot forward with a
yell. II was a short, expectant cry !;
but It chopped of short. For with a
half-sob. and seemingly without men.
tai process. she aimed her pistol and
fired.
A fast-ieaping wolf Is one of the
most difficult pistol targets that can be
imagined. 1t bordered on the miracu-
lous that she did not miss him alto
gether. Her nerves were torn. their
control over her, muscles largely gone
Yet the bullet coursed down through
the lungs, infiicting mortal wound.
The wolf had leaped for her throat !;
but he fell short. She staggered from
a blow. and she heard curious sound
In the region Of her hip. But she
didn't know that the fangs had gone
home In her soft flesh. The wolf
rolled on the ground; and If her pistol
had possessed the shocking power OF
a rifle, he would have never got up
again. AS IT was, he shrieked once.
then sped of In the darkness to die.
Five or six Of the nearest wolves.
catching the smell Of his blood. bayed
and sped after him.
But the remainder Of the great pack
fully Is of the gray, gaunt creatures
came stealing across the snow to-
ward her. White fangs had gone
home: and a new madness was In the
air.
.
Straining into the silence. a perfect
~ straight line between Cranston's
camp and Snowbird's. Dan Failing
came mushing across the snow. His
sense of direction had never been
obliged to stand such test as this
before. Snowbird's fire was a single
dot on vast plateau; yet he had gone
straight toward 1t
He was risking everything for the
sake Of speed. He gave no heed to the
fallen timber that might have torn the
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 frightfuI
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