The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1921-05-13
CHAPTER ll-contlnued.

rdtlleT anu Il are u stuy hCiS
"What else can you dO?" He went
back to his traces and drew the sled
100 yards farther He didn't seem TO
see the gaunt wolf that backed off
into the shadows as he approached,
He refused TO notice that the pack
seemed TO be steadily growing holder.
Human hunters usually had guns that
could blast and destroy from a dis
lance; but even an animal intelli-
gence could perceive that these three
seemed to be without this means of
infilcting death.
A wolf Is ever so much more intelli-
gent than a crow-yet a crow shows
little fear of an unarmed man and is
wholly unapproachable by boy with
a gun. The ugly truth was simply that
In their increasing madness and ex-
element and hunger, they were becom-
ing less and less fearful of these three
strange humans with the sled.
1t was not good place for a camp.
They worked long time before they
cleared little patch Of ground Of its
snow mantle. Dan cut number of
saplings-laboriously with his ax-and
built a tre with the comparatively
dry core of a dead tree. True, 1t was
feeble and Pickering, but as good as
could be hoped for, considering the
difficulties under which he worked.
The dead logs under the snow were
soaked with water from the rains and
thaws. The green wood that he cut
smoked without blazing.
mo more time to be lost" Dan told
Snowblrd. 1T lies in your hands to
keep the fire burning. And don't leave
the circle of the fire light without
that pistol in your hand"
"You don't mean," she asked, unbe-
lleving, that you are going to go out
there to fight Cranston-unarmed?"
"0f course, Snowbird. You must
keep the pistol"
"But 1t means death; that's all 1t
means What chance would you have
against man with rifeY And as
soon as you get away from this fire,
the wolves will tear you to pieces"
"And what would you and your ia
Their do, if / took 1t? You can't get
him into a tree. You can't build a
big enough fire to frlghten them.
Please don't even talk about this mat
ter, Snowbird. My minds made up. l
think the pack will stay here. They
usually-God knows how-kn0w who
is helpless and who isn't. Maybe with
the gun, you will be able to save your
lives"
whats the chance of that"
"You might-with one cartridge
kill one of the devils; and the others
but you know how they devour their
own dead. That might break their
famine enough so that they'd hold off
until can get back. That's the prize
I'm playing for"
sand what II you don't get backT'
He took her hand in one Of his, and
with the other he caressed, for sim
gle moment, the lovely flesh Of her
throat. The love he had for her spoke
from his eyes-such speech as no hui
man vision could possibly mistake.
Both OF them were tingling and breath.
less with a great, sweet wonder.
"Never let those fangs tear that
softness, while you live" he told here
gently. "Never let that brave old man
on the sled go to his death with the
pack tearing at him. Cheat EN-
Snowbird! Beat 'em the last minute
II no other way remains! Show EN-
who's boss, after all-of all this for
est"
"You mean--?" Her eyes widened
.I mean that you must only spend
one of those three shells In fighting
off the wolves. Save, that till the mo
ment you need Ii most. The othel
two must be saved-for something
else"
She nodded, shuddering an instant
Mt a menacing shadow that moved
within 60 feet of the fire.
"Then goodby. Danl" she told him
And she stretched up her arms. "rh'
thing / said-that day on the hillside
doesn't hold any more"
His own arms enclrcled her, but h
made no effort to claim her lips. Len
pox watched them quietly; In THU
moment of crisis not even pretending
IN look away. Dan shook his head t
her entreating eyes. 'It isn't just
kiss darling" he told her soberly. Il
goes deeper than that. It's symbol
If was your word. too. and mine; ant
words can't be broken, things being a
they are. Can't / make you under
standr
She nodded. His eyes burned. Per
haps she didn't understand, as far a
actual functioning Of the brain wa
concerned. But she reached up Z
him, as women-knowing life In tn
concrete rather than the abstract
have always reached up to men; an
she dimly caught the CLEAN OF som
eternal principle and right behind hi
words. This strong man Of the noun
tains had given his word, had bee
witness 10 her own promise to hir
and 10 herself, and a law that gOe
down TO the roots Of life preyente
him from claiming the kiss.
Many times, since the world wa
navy rt-happiness-life itsel