Williams news., 1921-09-16
THE CALL OF THE PACK
(Continued from last week.


 | going to waste any time, Snowbird. The sooner we get your fire built the | better" Fathef and I are to stay here-? | 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 l into the shadows he approx ched. | He refused to notice that the pack seemed to be steadily growing bolder. Human hunters usually had guns that could blast and destroy from a dis tance; but even animal intelli- gence could perceive that these three seemed to be without this means of inf1icting death.
 A wolf is ever so much more intelIi- gent than crow-yet a crow shows little fear of an unar1ned man and is wholly unapproa chabIe by boy with a gun. The ugly truth was simply that in their increasing madness and eX- citement and hunger. they were hecOnl- ing less and less fearful of these three strange humans with the sled.
 It was not q good place for camp. They worked a long time before they cleared little patch of ground of it's snow mantle Dan cut q number of saplings- s-IaboriousIy with his ax-;tnd built fire with the comparatively dry core of dead tree. True. il was feeble and fickerng. but as good could he 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
 "No more time to be lost' Dan told Snowbird. 'It 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-unarmed:"
 ''Of course, Snowbird. You must keep the piSto.'
 "But it means death; that's all it means. What chance would you have against a man with a rifle? And as soon you get away from this fire, the wolves will tear you to pieces"
 And what would you and your fa- ther do, if I took it? You can't get him into a tree. You can't build big enough fire to frighten them Please don't even talk about this mat ter. Snowbird. My minds made up. I 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 cf ance 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 I 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 a sin gle moment, the lovely flesh of her throat. The love he had for her spoke from his eyes-Such speech as no hu- man vision could possibly mistake. Both of them were tingling and breath less with 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 '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 m ngntlnS off the wolves. Save that till the mo- ment you need it most The other two must be saved-fOr something else"
 She nodded. shudderfng an instant at a menacing shadow that moved within 60 feet of the fire.
 "Then goodby. Dan !'' she told him. And she stretched up her arms. '.The l thing 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 | to look away. Dan shook his head to | her entreating eyes, 'It isn't just a kiss. darling" he told her sOberly. "It | 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 I make you under stand?'
 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 women-knowing life in the | concrete rather than the abstract l have always reached up to men and she dimly caught the gleam of some words. This strong man of the noun tains had given his word, had been witness to her own promise to him