The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-02-03


gateway Of escape7 Perhaps even nav
Lennox was lying still on the sled. and
abe was. standing before the ruin nf
her fire, praying that her soul might
have wings. He shouted with all the
power Of his lungs across the SNOW.
But Snowbird only heard the <of,
glide Of the wolves In the snow. The
wind was blowing toward Dan: and
while he had heard the loud chorns ot
the pack. one Of the most far-carryinc
cries, and the penetrating crack OF a
pistol. she couldn't hear his answering
shout. In fact. the wilderness seemed,
preternaturally still. All was breath
less, heavy with suspense. and sh,
stood. Just as Dan had thought, he
tween the ruin of her fire and the sled
and she looked with straight eyes to
the oncoming wolves.
Hurry, Snowbird," Lennox was
whispering. "Give me the pistoI-for
that last work. We have only mo
ment more"
He looked very calm and brave. half.
raised as he was on the sled and per-
haps half-smile fingered at his beard
ed lips. And the bravest thing of all
was that to spare her. he was willing
to take the little weapon from her
hand to use 1t In IT'S last service. She
tried to smile at him. then crept over
to his side.
The strain was over. They knew
what they had to face. She put the
pistol in his steady hand.
His hand lowered to his side and he
sat waiting. The moments passed. The
wolves seemed to be waiting. too. for
the last fiickering tongue of the little
IRE to die away. The last Of her fuel
was ignited and burning out; they
were crouched and ready to spring If
she should venture forth after more.
The darkness closed down deeper. and
at last only column of smoke re-
mained.
1t was nothing to be afraid of. The
great, gray leader Of the pack. wolf
that weighed nearly 100 pounds. he
gan slowly and deliberately to set his
muscles for the spring. 1t was the
same as when the great bull elk comes
to bay at the base of the cliffs; usual
ly some one wolf. often the great pack
leader, wishing to remind his followers
Of his might, or else some full-grown
male proud In his strength. will attack
alone. Because this was the noblest
game that the pack had ever faced.
the leader chose to make the first leap
himself. 1t was true that these two
had neither such horns nor razor
edged hoofs as the elk, yet they had
eyes that chilled his heart when he
tried to look at them. But one was
lying almost prone. and the fire was
out Besides. the madness of starva-
ton. intensified ten times by their ter.
rible realization of the wound Mt her
hip. was upon the pack as never he
fore. The muscles punched at his
lean fianks.
But as Snowbird and her father
gazed at him In fascinated horror. the
great wolf suddenly smashed down in
the snow. She was aware of its curl
GUS, utter collapse actually before the
sound of the rifle shot that occasioned
1t had penetrated her consciousness.
It was a perfect shot at long range;
and for long instant her tortured
faculties refused to accept the truth
Then the rife spoke again, and Sec
ond wolf-a large male that crouched
on the other side Of the sled-fell kick
ing In the snow. The pack had leaped
forward at the first death; but they
halted at the second. And then ter
ror came to them when the third wolf
suddenly opened Its savage lips and
screamed In the DEAN agony.
Up to this time. except for the re-
port Of the rife. the attack had been
made in utter silence. The reason was
just that both breath. and nervous
force are needed to shout; and Dan
Failing could afford to waste neither
Of these vital forces. He had dropped
to his knee. and was firing again and
again. his gray eyes looking clear and
straight along the barrel. his fingers
without jerk or ,tremor pressing again
and again at the trigger. his hands
holding the rifle as in n wise. Every
nerve and muscle were completely in
his command. The distance was far.
yet he shot with deadly. amazing ac.
curacy. The wolves were within a few
feet Of the girl. and fractions waver
In the gun barrel might have sped his
bullet toward her.
ats Dan Falling" Lennox shouted
as the fourth wolf died.
Then Snowbird snatched her pistol
from her fathers hand and opened fire
The two shells were no longer needed
to free herself and her father from the
agony Of fangs. She took careful aim,
and although a pistol is never as ac,
curate or as powerful as a rifle. she
killed one wolf and wounded another.
Frenzied In their savagery. three or
four of the remaining wolves leaped
at the body of one of the wounded /:
but the others scattered in all direc-
tions. Still Dan fired with the same un
believable accuracy. and still the
wolves died in the snow. The girl
nd l,A In,