Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1921-07-07

The gray circle about the fire was
growing impatient Snowbird waited to
the last instant before she admitted
this fact. But Il In possible only so
long to deny the truth OF q thing that
all the senses verify, and that moment
for her was past
She noticed that when she went to
her hands and knees, lahoriously to
cut a piece Of the drier wood from the
rain-sOaked. rotted snag that was her
principal supply OF fuel. every wolf
would leap forward, only to draw back
when she stood straight again. She
worked desperately TO keep the Gre
burning bright. She dared not neglect
it for q 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 a losing fight. The rain
soaked wood smoked without fame.
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 to burn at all.
Her nervous vitality was flowing
from her In a frightful stream. Too
long she had toIled without food In
the constant presence Of da eyer, and
abe 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 Il 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
it up-she didn't finish the thought.
She turned to coax the fire. And then
she leaned sobbing over the sled.
"What's the use7" she cried. Tie
won't come back. What's the use Of
fighting any mOre7"
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 i could only make you do
what ! want you to"
"WhatT"
You're able to climb n tree, and II
you'd take these coats, you wouldn't
freeze by morning. II you'd only have
the strength"
"And see you torn to piecesi"
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
giri-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. And I
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 the wolves
leaped forward even ut this.
"We'll stay II out" she told him.
We'll fight 1t to the last-just as Dan
would want us to do. Besides-it
would only mean the same fate for
me, In a little while. I 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 II atall 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. It became increasingly diff
cult to swing the az. The trail was
almost at its end.
The after-midnight hours drew one
by one across the face Of the wilder.
ness, and she thought that the deep
ening cold presaged dawn. Her I'm
gers were numb.
Once more she went to one Of the
saplings. but she stumbled and almost
went to her face at the first blow. It
was the instant that her gray watch
ers had been waiting for. The wolf
that stood nearest leaped-a gray
streak out OF the shadow-and every
wolf in the pack shot forward with q
yell. II was a short, expectant cry;
but II chopped OF short. For with a
half-sob. and seemingly without men,
tai process. she aimed her pistol and
fired.
A fnst-leaping wolf Is one OF the
most difficult pistol targets that can be
imagined. II bordered on the miracu-
lous that she did not miss him alto
gether. Her nerves were torn, their
control over her muscles largely gone.
Yet the bullet coursed down through
the lungs, infiicting a mortal wound.
The wolf had leaped for her throat !;
but he fell short She staggered from
q blow, and she heard q curious sound
In the region Of her hip. But she
didn't know that the fangs had gone
home In her soft flesh. The wolf
rolled on the ground: and II her pistol
had possessed the shocking power of
q rife. he would have never got up
again. As Il was. he shrieked once,
then sped or In the darkness to die.
Five or six Of the nearest wolves,
catching the smell of his blood. bayed
and sped after him.
But the remainder Of the great pack
fully Is Of the gray. gaunt creatures
came stealing across the snow to-
ward her. White fangs had gone
home; and q new madness was in the
air.
Straining into the silence. q perfect
ly straight line between Cranston's
camp and Snowbird's. Dan Failin: