The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1921-05-06
CHAPTER ii-Continuad.

see the gaunt wolf that baked Off
into he shadows as he approached.
He refused to notice that the pack
seemed to be steadily growing boider.
Human hunters usually had guns that
could blast and destroy freln a dis
lance; but even an animal intelli-
gence could perceive that these three
seemed to be without this means Of
intiicting death.
A wolf is ever SO much more intelli-
gent than a crOw-yet n crow shows
little fear of an unarined man and is
wholly unapproachabIe by a boy with
q gun. The ugly truth was simply that
In their increasing madness and ex-
citement and hunger. they Were becGm-
ing less and loss fearful Of these three
strange humans with the sled.
1t was not a good place for a camp.
They worked a long time before they
cleared a little patch of ground of its
snow mantle. Dan cut a number of
saplings-laboriously with his ax-and
ullt a fire with the comparatively
dry core OF a dead tree. True, it was
'>SbiC atN iIlS, bul as S'tu rs
could be hoped for, considering the
difficulties under which he worked.
The dead logs under the snow were
sfaked 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. ut 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, that you are going to go out
there to fight Cranston-unarmedy"
"Of course, Snowbird. You must
keep the pistol"
But 1t means death; that's all II
means. What chance would you nave
against a man with a 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
Their do. II | took it? You can't get
him into a tree. You can't build a
big enough fire to brighten them.
Please don't even talk about his mat
fer. Snowbird. My minds made up. |
think the pack will stay here. They
usunily-iod knows how-know who
Is helpless and who isn't. Maybe with
the gun, o will be able to save your
lives"
whats the chance of thaty"
"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 II you don't get back?"
He took her hand in one Of his. and
with the other he caressed. for a sim
gle moment. the lovely flesh of her
throat. The love he had for her spoke
from his ~ryes-SHch speech as no HUI
man vision could possibly mistake.
Both OF them were tingling and breath
less with . great. sweet wonder.
"Never let those fangs tear that
s~oftness. 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 'em,
Snowbird! Beat 'em the last minute,
II no other way remains! Show EN-
who's boss, after all-of all this for
est"
"tnu mean" Her eyes widened.
II mean that you must only spend
one Of those three shells in fighting
off the wolves. Save that till the mo-
ment you need 1t most. The other
two must be saved-for something
else"
She nodded. shuddering an instant
at q menacing shadow that moved
within 60 feet OF the fire.
ssrhen goodby. DAM" she told him.
And she stretched up her arms. "The
thing l sald-that day on the hillside
doesn't hold any more"
His " arms encircied her. but he
made no effort to claim her lips. Len
nox watched them quietly; in this
moment of crisis not ever pretending
lao look away. Dan shook his head to
her e~ntreating eyes. 1T isn't just a
| kiss. darling" he told her soberly. 1T
goes deeper than that. It's a symbol.
It was your word. too. and mine; and
words can't be broken, things being as
they are. Can't ! make you under
stand7"
She nodded. His eyes burned. Per-
haps she didn't understand, as far as
actuAl functioning OF the brain was
concerned. But she reached up to
him. as mountaineering life In the
concrete rather than the abstract
have always reached up to and
she dimly caught the CLEAN Of some
eternaI principle and right behind his
words. This strong mar OF the noun
tains had given his word, had been
witness to her own promise to him
and to herself, and . law that goes
down to the roots OF life prevented
Aln from claiming the kiss.
Many times. since the world was
aeU. comfort-happiness-life itself