Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1921-05-06
BY EDISON MARSHALL
Copyright. 1920. by Little. Brown & Co.

I he's harmless-but he's likely enough
to lead us straight toward the pack.
And Snowbird-I didn't like his looks.
| He's too gaunt and he's too hungry
| and haven't bit of doubt he waited
! in that brush for us to come, intend
| ing to attack us-and lost his nerve
| the last thing. That shows he's des-,
| perate. don't like him. and / wouldn't
| like his pack. And whole pack nights
not lose its nerve"
"Then you think we'd better turn,
| back?'
Eyes. I do, and not come out any
| more without a whole pocket of shells.
| I'm going to carry rifle. too, just as
Lennox has always. He's got only a.
| flesh-wound. You saw what you did
| with two cartridges-got in one flesh
wound. Three of 'em against a pack
| wouldn't be great deal of aid Il
| don't mean to say you can't shoot, but
| a jumping, lively wolf is worse than;
bird in the air. We've gone over
three miles; and he'd lead us ten miles
| farther-even if he didn't go to the
| pack. Let's go back.
eff you say So But / don't think
/ there's the least bit of danger. We,
| can always climb a tree"
Sand have 'em make a beautifuli
| circle under it! They've got more pa
thence than we have-and we'd have
to come down some time. Your fatherl
can't come to our help, you know. It's
| the sign of the tenderfOOt not to thinks
there's any danger-and I'm not going
to think that way any MORE"
They turned back and mushed in
| silence long time.
81 suppose you'll think I'm a cow
ard" Dan asked her humbly.
| ''Only prudent, Dan," she answered,
smiling. Whether she meant it he did
not know. 'Tm just beginning to un-
derstand that you--living here only a,
! few months-really know and under
stand all this better than / do" She
| stretched her arms wide to the wilder
ness. 81 guess it's your instinct"
] "And I do understand" he told her
| earnestly. 81 sensed danger back
| y
| face That packard it's a big one
is close; and it's terribly hungry. And
you know-you can't help but know
| that the wolves are not to be trusted
in famine times"
81 know it only too WE'LL" she said.
Then she paused and asked him
| about a strange grayness, like snow
blown by the wind on the sky over
the ridge.
Bert Cranston waited in a clump Of
exposed thicket on the hillside until
he saw two black dots. that he knew
were Dan and Snowbird, leave the
Le.lnox home He lay very still as
! they circled up the ridge, noticing
| that except for the pistol that he
knew Snowbird always carried, they
were unarmed There was no par
ticular reason why he should be inter-
| ested in that point. 1t was just the
mountain way always to look for
weapons, and it is rather difficult to
trace the mental processes behind this
| impulse Perhaps it can be laid to
the fact that many mountain families
are often at feud with one another,
| and anything in the way of violence
may happen before the morning.
The two passed out of his sight,
and after long time he heard the
crack of Snowhird's pistol He
guessed that she had either shot at
some wild creature, or else was mere
/ ly at target practice-rather a COM
| mon proceeding for the two when
they were on the hills together. Thus
| it is to be seen that Cranston knew
their habits fairly well. And since he
had kept close watch upon them for
several days, this was to be expected
/ He had no intention of being inter-
| rupted in this work he was about to
do. He had planned it all very we'll
| The elder Lennox was still helpless.
| Cranston had noticed that when Dan
and Snowbird went out, they were
usually gone from two to four hours !;
| and that gave him plenty of time for
] his undertaking. The moment had
| come at last to make a thorough
| search of Lennox's house for those in
! eliminating documents that Dan had
found near the body of Landy Hill
| dreth.
The only really dangerous part of
his undertaking was his approach. If
j by any chance Lennox were looking
| out of the window, he might be found
waiting with a rifle across his arms.
1t would be quite like the old noun
| taineer to have his gun beside him,
and TO shoot it quick and exceptional
| ly straight, without asking questions,
at any stealing figure in the snow. Yet
Cranston felt fairly sure that Lennox
was still too helpless to raise gun
to a shooting position.
He had observed that the noun
taineer spent his time either on the
| fireplace divan or on his OWL bed.
Neither of these places was available
to the rear windows of the house. SO.
| very wisely, he made his attack from
the rear.
(To BE CONTINUED)