Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-08-13
CHAPTER lIi-continued.
p

web Of his snow shoes to Shreds. Be
cause he shat out all thought of IT, he
bad no feeling Of fatigue. The fight
with CranstOn had been a frightful
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
their cowardice.
The jerked yeniSon that he had
mmched had brought him back much
of his strength. lie was wholly uncon-
ecious Of his heavy pack. Never did
he glide so swiftly, so softly, with
such unerring step; and it was moth
ing more or less than a perfect express
sion of the irOn-cIad control that his
g,cel nerves had over his muscles.
Then, through the silence, he heard
the shout Of the pack as the wolf had
leaped at SnOwbird. He knew what it
meant The wolves were attacking
then, and a great flood of black, hating
bitterness poured over him at the
thought he had been too late. 1t had
all been in vain, and before the thought
coHld fully go home, he heard the dim,
larof crack of a pistol.
Was that the first of the three shots,
The one she might expend on the
wolves, or had the first two already
been spent and was she taking the last
gateway of escape? Perhaps even now
LennoX was lying still on the sled, and
al - nF
her fire, praying that her soul might
have wings. He shouted with all the
power of his lungs across the snow.
But SnOwbird only heard the soft
glide Of the wolves In the snow. The
wind was blowing toward Dan; and
while he had heard the loud chorus of
the pack, one of the most far-carrying
cries, and the penetrating crack of
pistol, she couldn't hear his answering
shout. In fact, the wilderness seemed
preternaturalIy still All was breath
less, heavy with suspense, and she
stood, just as Dan had thought, be-
tween the ruin of her fire and the sled,
and she looked with straight eyes to
the oneoming wolves.
Hurry, Snowbird," Lennox was
whispering. Give me the pistol-for
that last work. We have only a mo-
ment more"
He looked very calm and brave, half
raised as he was on the sled, and per-
haps half-smile fingered at his beard
ef lips. And the bravest thing of all
was that to spare her he was willing
% take the little weapon from her
hand to use It in its last service. She
tried to smile at him, then crept over
80 his side
The strain was over. They knew
what they had to face. She put the
pistol in his steady hand.
His hand lowered to his side and he
cat waiting. The moments passed. The
wolves seemed to be waiting, too, for
the last Pickering tongue Of the little
fire to die away. The last of her fuel
was ignited and burning out; they
were crouched and ready to spring If
she should venture forth after more.
The darkness closed down deeper. and
Of last only a column of smoke re-
manned.
IL was nothing to be afraid Of The
great gray leader of the pack, a wolf
That weighed nearly 100 pounds, be-
gan slowly and deliberately to set his
muscles for the spring. 1t was the
a3me as when the great bull elk comes
20 bay at the base of the cliffs; usual
~ some one wolf, often the great pack
leader wishing to remind his followers
II jlS might or else some full-grown
'laAe proud In his strength, win attack
N'"Ae. Because this was the n0blest
zane that the pack Had ever faced,
t0t leader chose to make the first leap
t.+iaself It was true that these two
.e1 neither such horns nor razor
boots as the elk, vet they had
HAT chilled his heart when he
'+5 10 look at them. But one was
.ls aImcst prone, and the fire was
BESIDES, the madness of sfarva-
.a Intensified ten times by their ter
realization Of the wound at her
as upon the pack as never be
A4-teEtEH DADtllGI al HIS
seen tanks.
aa. Is Snowblrd and her father
sized 80 him In fascinated horror. the
-. wolf suddenly smashed down in
-s snow. She was aware of its curl
utter collapse actually before the
= the rife shot tnat occasloned
penetrated her consciousness.
perfect shot at long range:
5s long Instant her tortured
refused To accept the truth.
2 fhe I.ie spoke again. and a sec
Ola large male that crouched
other side Of the sIed-feH kick
ne snow. The pack had lean q
Or the first death; but they
the second. And then ter
% them when the third wolf
opened It's savage lips and
n the DEAN agony.
% his time. except for the r.
: lie rife. the attack had been