Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1921-10-28
CHAPTER I-continued.

Hes got a cabin over toward the
marshes, and 1t has come to me that
he's going to start tomorrow, or maybe
has already started today, down into
the valley to give his evidence. OF
course, that is deeply confidential be-
tween you and me. If the gang knew
about it, he'd never get through the
.hickets alive"
But Dan was hardly listening. His
attention was caught by the hushed,
Intermittent sounds that are always to
,e heard, II one listens keenly enough,
N the wilderness at night. Il wish
he pack would sound again." he said.
Il suppose it was hunting"
"Of course. And there Is no living
hing in these woods that can stand
against a wolf pack in Its full
strength"
Except man, of course"
"A strong man, with an accurate
life, Of course, and except possibly
the starving times in winter he'd
never have to fight them. All the
beasts of prey are out tonight. You
zee, Dan, when the moon shines, the
ieer feed at night instead Of In the
wilights and the dawn. And Of
.ourse the wolves and the cougars
,unt the deer. 1t may be that they
ire running cattle, or even sheep"
But Dams imagination was afire.
ae wasn't content yet. "They couldn't
,e-hunting man?" he asked.
"No. II it was midwinter and the
pack was starving. we'd have to lis
EN- better. 1t always looked to me as
the wild creatures had law
against killing men. just as humans
lave. They've learned 1t doesn't pay
something the wolves and bears Of
Europe and Asia haven't found out.
The naturalists say that the reason Is
'ather simple-that the European
peasant, his soul scared out Of him by
he government he lived under, has
always fled from wild beasts. They
we're tillers of the soil, and they car
led hoes instead of guns. They never
,ut the fear Of God into the animals
md as a result there are quite num-
ser Of true stories about tigers and
wolves that aren't pleasant to listen
o. But our own frontiersmen were
lot men to stand any nonsense from
wolves or cougars. They had guns,
md they knew how to use them. And
hey were preceded by as brave and
Us warlike race as ever lived on the
.arth-armed with bows and arrows.
Any animal that hunted men was i'm
nediately killed, and the rest found
,ut it didn't pay.
"Just ms human beings have found
nut the same thing-that 1t doesn't
bay to hunt their fellow men. The
avs Of life rs well as the laws Of ma
ions are against it,"
But the words sounded weak and
lin under the weight Of the throbbing
darkness; and Dan couldn't get away
rom the idea that the codes of life by
which most men lived were forgotten
lluickly In the shadows of the pines
even as he spoke. man was hunting
nan on the distant ridge where Wits
|,erfoot the cougar had howled.
Bert Cranston, head of the arson
ing that operated on the Umpqua di
hide, was not only beyond the pale In
'egard to the laws of the valleys, but
he could have learned valuable lesson.
rom the beasts in regard to keeping
he laws Of the hills. The moon looked
Town to find him waiting on a certain
rail that wound down to the settle
nents. his rifle loaded and ready fol-
mother kind Of game than deer OF
wolf. He was waiting for Landy Hi
1reth; and the greeting he had fol
aim was to destroy all chances Of tn,
prosecuting attorney In the valley be
low learning certain names that h,
particularly wanted to know.
There was no breath of wind tn,
great pines. tall and dark past belief