American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1921-05-13

keep the Flrc burnlnp."
house. Somewhere In there I'll find
his tracks, the tracks he made when
he FIRST came over to burn up the
house. ! suppose he was careful to
mix 'em up after nee he arrived
here, but the FIRST part OF the way he
likely walked straight toward the
house from his camp. Somewhere, II I
go that way, ri cross his tral2-with-
In 10 miles at least. Then I'll back.
track him to his camp"
"And never come back the girl
cried.
Maybe not. But at lenst every
thing that can be done will be done.
Nothing will be left. No regrets. We
will have made the last trial. I'm not
going TO waste any time, Snowblrd,
The sooner we get your fire built the
better"
Father and | are to stay here-r
what else can you doP" He went
back to his traces and drew the sled
100 yards farther. He didn't Geem to
see the gaunt wolf that backed Off
into the shadows ms he approached.
lie refused to notice that the puck
seemed TO be steadily growing holder.
Human hunters usually had guns that
could blast and destroy from a dis
lance; but even an animal intelll-
gence could perceive that these three
seemed to be without this means of
infictlng death.
A wolf Is ever so much more intelli-
gent than a crow-yet a crow shows
little fear of an unarmed man and Is
wholly unapproachable by a boy with
n gun. The ugly truth was simply that
In their increasing madness and ex-
element and hunger, they were becom-
Ing less and less fearful of these three
strange humans with the sled.
1t was not n good place for a camp.
They worked a long time before they
cleared n little patch Of ground OF It's
snow mantle. Dan cut a number of
Enthusiastically with his ax-and
built a fire with the comparatively
dry core of a dead tree. True, II 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
Snowblrd. ut lies In your hands 10
Keep the fire burning. And 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 go out
there to fight Cranston-unarmed7"
"of course, snowbird. You must
keep the pistol"
"But II means death: that's all II
means. What chance would you have
against a man with Il riGe7 And ns
soon as you get away from this fire,
the wolves will tear you TO pieces"
TAnd what would you and your ia
Their do. II l took TT You can't get
him Into n tree. You can't build o
big enough fire 10 brighten them.
Please don't even talk about this mat
ter, snowbird. My minds made up. I
think the pack viii stay here. They
usually-God knows how-kn0w who
Is helpless and who isn't. Maybe with
the gun. you will be able 10 save your
lives"
whats the chance Of that7"
you might-with one cartridge
XIII n Of the devils; and the others
but you know how they deYOur their
" dead. That might break their
famine enough NO THAT they'd hold on
until ! can get back. That's the prize
I'm playing for"
"And what II you don't get back7"
He took her hand In one OF his. and
with the other he earessed, for a sin.
gle moment, the lovely flesh Of her
throat. The love he had for her spoke
from his eyes-such speech as no hui
man vision could possibly mistake.
Both Of them were tingling and breath.
less with a great, sweet wonder.
Never let those fangs tsar that
s~Oftness, while you live" he told here
gently. "Neyer let that brave old man
on the sled 20 10 his death with the
pack tearing at him. Chea. 'en,
snowbirdi Beat 'em the last minute,
II no other way remainsl Show 'em
who's boss, after all-of all this for
est"
You mean-T Her eyes widened.
II NEAR that you must only spend
one OF those three shells IN fighting
off the wolves. Save that TIL the mo-
ment you need II most The other
f.un rnnnt hn nnuod-fnr nnrnnthInn