Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-07-23
CHAPTER II-continued.

Zoo long, II we re going 10 make II
cut" Lennox objected.
~That leaves a workday of nineteen
iaurs," Dan persisted Not any too
little Five hours it will be-"
He found where the snow had drift
ed against a great, dead log, leaving
the white covering only foot in
depth on the lee side He began to
scrape the snow away, then hacked at
the log with his AK until he had pro-
cured a piece of comparatively dry
wood from its center They all stood
breathless while he lighted the little
pile of kindling and heaped it with
green wood-the only wood procur-
able. But it didn't. burn freely 1t
smoked fitfully, threatening to die out,
and emitting very little heat
But they didn't particularly care.
The sun was warm above, as always
In the mountain winters of southern
Oregon. Snowbird and Dan cleared
spaces beside the fire and slept. Len
nox, who had rested on the journey.
Gay on his sled and with his uninjured
arm tried to hack enough wood from
the saplings that Dan had cut to keep
the fire burning.
At three they got up, still tired and
aching in their bones from exposure.
Twenty-four hours had passed since
they had tasted food and their unre-
plenished systems complained. There
Is no better engine in the wide world
than the human body. 1t will stand
more neglect and abuse than the finest
steel motors ever made by the hands
Of craftsmen. A man may fast many
days If he lies quietly in one place
and keeps warm. But fasting is a
deadly proposition while pulling
sledges over the snow.
Dan was less hopeful now. His face
told what his words did not. The
fines cleft deeper about his lips and
ewes; and Snowbird's heart ached
when he tried to encourage her with
G smile. It was a wan. strange smile
that couldn't quite hide the first sick
ness Of despair.
The shadows quickly heightened
sImply leaping over the snow from the
fast-fallmg sun. The twilight deep
enod the snow turned gray. and then.
On vague way. the journey began to
nartake Of quality Of unreality. 1t
was not that the cold and the snow
ond their hunger were not entirely
zeal or that the wilderness was no
longer naked 10 their eyes. It was lust
shat their whole effort seemed like
some dreadful, unburdened journey in
q dream-a stumbling advance under
3Iitculties too many and real to be
true.
Tie first sign was the far-off cry
OF the wolf pack. It was very faint.
simply stir in the eardrums. vet #
was entirely clear. That clear. cold
mountain air was a perfect telephone
system, conveying message distinct
ly, no matter how family. There
We're no tall buildings or cities 10 dis
ufh the ether waves. And all three
OF them knew at the same instant 1t
was not exactly the cry they mad
heard before.
They couldn't have told Just why.
even # they had wished to talk about
a. In some dim way. it had lost the
strange quality of despair it had held
before 1t was as if the pack were
running with renewed life, that each
"o.T was calling to another with a
d'e dfgl sort of exultation. It was an
excited cry, too-not the long. sad
song they had learned to listen for. It
sounded Immediately behind them.
They couldn't help but listen. No
Ha ian ears could have shut ont the
sound. But none Of them pretended
mat they had heard. And this was the
worst sign of all Each one Of the
''te was hoping against hope in his
very Aeart; and at the same time. hon
a- faaf the others did not understand
or long time. as the darkness
. Hf1ed about them, the forests were
Perhaps, Dan thought. he had
''.a mistaken after AL His shoulders
-a'ened. Then the chorus blared
+.a man looked back at the girl
Into her eyes. Lennox lay as
sleep. the lines of his dark face
pronounced And the girl
she was Of the mountains
md soul, answered Dams smile
nan they knew that all Of them knew
d. Not even an inexperienced
could have any decisions about
song now. 1t was that old
wilderness songs, the hunting
oat frenzied song Of blo0d-lust
wolf pack ufters when It Is
o7 the trail of game. It had
e ,racl7 Of living flesh at last
no use stopping, or trying
81 tree" Dan rod them s!rl-
'he first Place, Lennox can't
ne second. we've cot 10 t.lEe
'ar cold and hunger can et
"eee the wolf racE CANE"
houv without emoaoa
re be tiehtened the traces Of
hoard that sometimes the pack
p man for GAYS without at
Iarfunr scta 4t. u~ ~