The Jasper news., 1921-06-09


"If We had a dog, wouldn't offer |
well find 'em in a big circle around |
the house--and then we1l have to
open up with the rifles"
But this picture appalled, neither Of |
his two young listeners. No wolf pack |
can stand against three marksmen,
armed with rifles and behind oaken |
walls.
Christmas came and passed, and |
January brought clear days and an
ineffective sun shining on the snow.
These were the best days Of all. Every
afternoon Dan and Snowbird would
go out on their skis or on snowshoes,
unarmed except for the pistol that
Snowbird carried In the deep pocket
Of her mackinaw. "But why notr Dan
replied to Lennox's objection. -She
could kill Eve wolves with Ave shots,
or pretty near Il, and you know well
enough that that would hold 'em till
we got home. They'd stop to eat the
I'VE. ] have hard enough time keep
ing up with her as It is, without carry
ing a rife" And Lennon was content.
Dan had tolo the truth when ne said
that flve deaths or even fewer. would
repel the attack Of any wolf pack he
had ever seen. There was Just one
troubling thought. He had heard. long
ago, and he had forgotten who had
told him, that In the most severe WIN
ters the wolves gather in particularly
large packs; and a quality In the song
that they had heard at night seemed
to bear II out. The chorus had been
exceptionally loud and strong, and he
had been unable to pick out individual
voices.
The snow was perfect for skiing.
Previously their sport had been many
times interrupted either by the fall Of
fresh snow or a thaw that had soft
ened the snow crust; but now every
afternoon was too perfect to remain
, indoors. They shouted and .romped In
J the silences, and they did not dream
, but that they had the wilderness all to
/ themselves. The fact that one night
Lennox's keen eyes had seen what
: looked like the glow Of a camp fire
In the distance didn't affect this belief
J Of theirs at all. It wns evidently just
} the phosphorus glowing In a rotten log
from which the winds had blown the
= snow.
Once or twice they caught glimpses
E Of wild life: once q grouse that had
e buried In the snow flushed from their
Q path and blew the snow-dust from Its
q wings; and once or twice they saw
g snOwshoe rabbits bounding away on
y fiat feet over the drifts. But Just one
y day they caught sight Of a wolf. They
y were on snowshoes on particularly
r brilliant afternoon late in January.
4 He was u lone male. evidently 9
IS straggler from the pack. and he leapet
Q from the top Of tall thicket that hat
q remained above the snow. The mar
/; and the girl had entirely different re
p actions. Dams nrst impression wa
70 amazement at the animals condition
e 1t seemed to be In the last stages o
g starvation: unbelievably gaunt, witt
X rib bones showing plainly even througl
1t the furry hide. Ordinarily the heavil,
le furred animals do not show signs o
E. famine; but even an inexperienced ey
I'd could not make a mistake In this case
SO The eyes were red, and they carrie
le Dan back to his first adventure In tn
n, the mad coyote. Snowbird thought O
9. the beast only as an enemy. The wolve
n killed her fathers stock; they wer
I'd brigands of the worst order; and sh
he shared the hatred Of them that is
or common trait OF all primitive peoples
III Her hand whipped back, seized her pii
ey tol, and she fred twice at the fieein
In figure.
mt The second shot was q hit: both {
Ill them saw the wolf 90 to its side, the
Ist spring up and race on. Shouting. bot
IL OF them sped after him.
m In a few moments he was out (
10 sight among the distant trees, but the
ut found the blood-trail and mushed ov'
the ridge. They expected at any m
Iat ment to find him lying dead; but Il
" track led them on clear down the ne,
en- canyon. And now they cared not
ne' all whether they found him: II vi
90, simply a tramp in the out-of-doon
.as and both of them were young with n
ito ito blood in their veins.
no But all at once Dan stopped In b
~ az tracks. The girl sped on for six pac
N before she missed the sound Of
"a "a snowshoes; then she turned to d
~. ~ him standing, wholly motlonless, WI
"a eyes fixed upon her.
II startled her. and she didn't knC
,,ra why. A companion abruptly freezi
me In his path, his muscles inert, and
ore eyes filllng with speculation, Is alwa
to startling. When this occurs II mea