Middletown transcript., 1921-04-30
CHAPTER li-Contjnued.

~
Rather and are to stay here"
What else can you do" He went
pack to his traces and drew the sled
loO yards farther. He didn't seem to
see the gaunt wolf that backed off
into the shadows as he approached.
lie refused to notice that the pack
seemed to be steadily growing bolder.
Human hunters usually had guns that
could blast and destroy from a dis
tance; but even an animal intelli-
gence could perceive that these three
seemed to be without this means OF
fnficting death.
A wolf is ever so much more intelli-
gent than a crOw-yet q crow shows
little fear of an unarmed man and is
wholly unapproachable by a boy with
gun. The ugly truth was simply that
In their increasing madness and ex-
citement and hunger, they were becom-
Ing less and less fearful Of these three
strange humans with the sled.
1t was not good place for camp.
They worked long time before they
cleared little patch Of ground of it's
snow mantle. Dan cut q number Of
saplings gs-laboriously with his ax-and
built tre with the comparatively
dry core of dead tree. True, it was
feeble and Pickering, but as good as
could be hoped for, considering the
difficulties under which he worked.
The dead logs under the snow were
soaked with water from the rains and
thaws. The green wood that he cut
smoked without blazing
mo more time to be lost" Dan told
Snowbird. 1T lies in your hands to
keep the fire burning. Aad don't leave
the circle of the fire light without
that pistol in your hand"
"You don't mean," she asked, unbe-
lieving, 'that you are going to 60 out
there to fight Cransron-unarmetl?"
"Of course, Snowbird. You must
keep the pistol"
"But it means death; that's all it
means. What chance would you have
against q man with q rifle? And as
soon as you get away from this fire,
the wolves will tear you to pieces"
"And what would you and your IA
ther do, if took 1t? You can't get
him into a tree. You can't build q
big enough fire to frighten them.
Please don't even talk about this mat
ter, Snowbird. My minds made up. |
think the pack will stay here. They
usually-God knows how-knOw who
is helpless and who isn't. Maybe with
the gun, you will be able to save your
lives"
whats the chance of that?'
"You might-with one cartridge
kill one of the devils; and the others
but you know how they devOur their
own dead. That might break their
famine enough so that they'd hold of
until can get back. That's the prize
I'm playing for"
sand what If you don't get back?'
He took her hand in one of his. and
with the other he caressed, for sim
gle moment, the lovely flesh Of her
throat. The love he had for her spoke
from his eyes-such speech as no hu'
man vision could possibly mistake
bOIn OI llcM WCAC lAAS AA6 NAAo - 49,
less with great. sweet wonder.
"Never let those fangs tear that
softness, while you live he told here
gently. "Never let that brave old man
on the sled 60 to, his death with the
mack tearing at him. Cheat 'em
Snowbird! Beat 'em the last minute
If no other way remains! Show 'en
who's boss, after all-of all this for
est"
~You mean-?" Her eyes widened
81 mean that you must only spenC
one of those three shells in fighting
off the wolves. Save that till the mo
ment YOU need it most. The othel
two must be saved-for something
else"
She nodded, shuddering an instan
at a menacing shadow that moved
within 60 feet of the fire.
"Then goodby, Dan!" she told him
And she stretched up her arms. "Tht
thing 1 said-that day on the hillside
doesn't hold any more"
His own arms encircled her, but HI
made no effort to claim her lips. Len
nox watched them quietly; in thi
moment Of crisis not even pretendin.
to look away. Dan shook his head II
her entreating eyes. 1T isn't just 1
kiss darling" he told her soberly. Il
ooes deeper than that. It's symbol
+ was your word, too, and mine; ant
words can't be broken, things being a
thev are. Can't I make you under
stand?'
She nodded. His eyes burned. Per
hans she didn't understand as far q
actual functioning of the brain wa
concerned, But she reached up t
him. as women-knowing life in tn
concrete rather than the abstract
have always reached up to men; an,
She dimly caught the CLEAN of som
eternal principle and right behind hi
words. This strong man of the noun
tains had given his word, had bee
witness to her own promise to hin
and to herself, and law that goe
down to the roots Of life prevente
him from claiming the kiss.
Many times, since the world wa
nv. comfOrt-happiness- itsel
have been contingent on the breakin
NJ n law. Yet in spite Of what SCENE
caramon sense, even though no punisf
r,~nt would forthcome if it wer
broken, the law has been kept. 1t wa
this way now. It wouldn't have bee
tust kiss such as boys and girls hav
always had in the moonlight. 1t mean
the symbolic renunciation of the DEB
that Dan owed Cranston-a debt tha