Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1921-06-03
CHAPTER II-continued.

100 yards farther. He DIDN'T seem to
see the gaunt wolf that backed off
into the shadows as lie 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 dis
lance; but even an animal intelli-
gence could perceive that these three
seemed to be without this means of
infiicting death.
A wolf islever so much more intelli-
gent than crow-yet crow shows
little fear of. an unarmed man and is
wholly unapproachable by boy with
a gun. The agly truth was simply that
In their increasing madness and ex-
citement and hunger, they were becom-
ing less and less fearful of these three
strange humans with the sled.
1t was not good place fora camp.
They worked long time before they
cleared little patch of ground of its
snow mantle. Dan cut number of
saplings-laboriousl with his ax-and
built a fire with the comparatively
dry core of 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
Snowbird. cit 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-
lieving, shat 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 a man with q rifle? And as
soon as you get away from this fire,
the wolves will tear you to pieces"
"And what would you and your ia
him into a tree. You can't build a
big enough fire to frighten them.
Please don't even talk about this mat
ter, Snowbird. My minds made up. 1
think the pack will stay here. They
usually-God knows hOw-know 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"
"And what if you don't get back?"
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 60 to his death with. the
pack tearing at him. Cheat 'em,
Snowbird! Beat 'em the last minute,
If no other way remains Show 'em
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 it most. The other
two must be saved-for something
else"
She nodded, shuddering an instant
at a menacing shadow that moved
within 60 feet of the fire.
.eThen goodby, DAM" she told him.
And she stretched UP her arms THE
shing I said-that day on the hillside
doesn't hold any more"
His own arms encircled her, but he
made no effort to claim her lips. Len
nox watched them quietly; in this
moment of crisis not even pretending
70 look away. Dan shook his head to
her entreating eyes. III ish JUST u
kiss darling" he told her soberly. 1T
roes deeper than that. It's a symbol.
II was YOUR word. too, and mine; and
words can't be broken. things being as
they are. Can't / make you under
stand?"
She nodded. His eyes burned. Per-
hans she didn't understand, as far as
actual functioning of the brain was
concerned. But she reached up TO
him. as women-knowing life in the
concrete rather than the abstract
have always reached up to men; and
she dimly oanght the CLEAN of some
eternal principle and right behind his
words. This strong man of the noun
.ains had given his word, had been
witness to her own promise TO him
and TO herself. and a law that goes
down 10 the roots of life prevented
him from claiming the kiss.
Many times, since the world was
new ort-happiness-life itself
have been contingent on the breaking
ora law. Yet in spite of what seemed
common sense, even though no punish
ment would fsrthccme IL 1t were