Owingsville outlook., 1921-06-09

.
and was bending its bone a. an Indian
bends a bow. Pain dashed through him.
And then this dark hearted man. who
had never known the meaning of mrr-
cy. opened his lips to scream that this
terrible enemy be mcrciful 10 him.
But the words wouldn't come. \
shaStly weight had come AT his throat,
and his tortured lungs Sohhcd for
breath. Tlcn, for "A long time. there
MAS curious pounung lashing sound
in the evergreen bouEhS. II seemed
mcrcilcsS and endless.
hut Dan got up M last, in strange,
heavy silence, and swiftly went to
work. lie took the rifle and filed il
with cartridges from CranSton'S belt.
Then he put the remaining two boxes
of shells into his shirt pocket. The
supplies of food the sack of nutri-
tiouS jcrbrd Ncnisun like dried bark.
the little package of cheese. the boxes
Of hard tack and one of the small
sacks of prepared ilur-he tied. with
single kettle. into his heavy hIan-
ketS and flung them with the rifle upon
his back. Finally he took the pair of
snow shoes from the floor. lie worked
coldly, swiftly. all the time munching
at a piece of jerkcd venison. When he
had finished he walked To the door of
the lean-tO.
Ii seemed To Dan that Cran>ton wills
pered family, from his unconscious
Ia.
not turn tO look. The snow shoes
srunched away into the CIrkness. On
the hill behind half dozen wolves
straCglcrs from the pack-friSked and
leaped about I'm curious way. \
strange smell had reached them on the
wind. and when the loud. fearful steps
were out Of hearing. IT might pay them
10 creep down, one by one, and investi
gate its cause.
The gray circle about the fire was
growing impatient. SnOwbird waited tu
the last instant before she admitted
this fact. But it is possible only so
long To deny the truth of a thing that
all the senses verify, and that moment
for her was past.
She noticed that when she went to
her hands and knees. labOriously to
cut n piece Of the drier wood from the
rain-SOaked. rotted snag that was her
principal supply of fuel, every wolf
would leap forward, only Ia draw back
when she stood straight again. She
worked desperately to keep the fire
burning bright. She dared not neglect
II for a moment. Except for the single
pistol ball that she could afford TO eX-
pend on the wolves-of the three she
had-the fire was her last defense.
But IL was losing fight. The rain
soaked wood smoked without flame.
the comparatively dry core with which
Dan had started the fire had burned
down, and the green wood, hacked with
such heart-breaking difficulty from the
saplings that Dan had cut, needed the
most tirelesS attention 10 burn at all.
Her nervous vitality was flowing
IRON her In frightful stream. Too
long she had tolled without food in
the constant presence of danger, and
she was very near indeed to utter ex-
hauStion. But at the same time she
knew she must not faint. That was
one thing She could not do-to fall un-
conscious before the last of her three
cartridges was expended in the right
way.
Again she went forth TO the sapling,
and this time II seemed TO her that il
she simply tossed the AK through the
air, she could fell one of the gray
crowd. But when she stopped TO pick
1T up-she didn't finish the thought.
She turned TO coax the fire. And then
she leaned sObbing over the sled.
WHATS the use?" she cried. "He
won't come back. What's the use of
fighting any more?"
There's always use of fighting" her
father told her. He seemed to speak
with difficulty, and his face looked
strange and white The cold and the
exposure were having their effect on
his weakened system, and unconscious
ness was a near shadow indeed. But.
dearest-if l could only make you do
what l want you to"
"What?"
You're able to climb a tree, and II
you'd take these coats. YOU wouldn't
freeze by morning. If you'd only have
the strength"
And see you torn TO pieces -
I'm old, dear-and very tired-and
I'd crawl away into the shadows. where
you couldn't see. There's no use mine
ing words, Snowbird. You're a brave
girl-alwaYs have been since a little
thing, as God is my Judge-and you
know we must face the truth. Better
one of us die than both. And / prom
ise-Tll never feel their fangs. Ard
won't take your pistol with me either"
Her thought flashed to the clasp
hunting knife that he carried In his
pocket. But her eyes lighted, and she
bent and kissed him. And he wolves
leaped forward even at this.
We'll stay II out" she told him.
Wen fight it TO the last-just as Dan
would want us TO do. Besldes-it
would only mean the same fate for
me, In a little while. | couldn't cling
up there fOrever-and Dan won't come
back"
She was wholly unable TO gain on
the fire. Only by dint of the most
heart-breaking toll was she able to Sc
cure any dry fuel for il at ALL Every
length of wood she cut had to be
scraped Of bark. and half the time the
fire was only a sickly column of white
smoke. Ii became increasingly diff
cult to swing the AK. The trail was
almost at fits end