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


ssar,~Iy r.iWmlsered q MOI His
whole purpose was to return I'd Snow
bird before the wolves lost thepasf Of
their cowardice.
The jerked venison that y had
munched had brought him bad much
Of his strength He was who'll incon-
scious Of his heavy pack. rker did
ha glide 90 swiftly. 30 sofN. with
such unerring step; and 10 wq moth
Ing more or less than q perfec expres-
sion OF the iron-ciad control hat his
steel nerves had over his muRles.
Then. through the silence. je heard
the shout Of the PACK a. thekolf had
leaped at Snowbird. He knes what it
meant The wolves were attacking
then, and q great food Of bla6, hating
bitterness poured over hia nc the
thought he had been too lae II had
all been In vain. and b - O. thought
could fully 80 home. 3 DC -
far-of crack Of q pist(
Was that the first ol =.
the one she might Be
wolves. or had the d 10y
been spent and wasHpe taking the last
gateway Of escaped Perhaps even now
Lennon was lying So on the sled. and
she was standing lore the ruin Of
her fire. praying tisF her soul might
have winga He shA3 tied with all the
power OF his lungs ross the snow.
But Snowbird on heard the soft
glide Of the wolves IL The sncw.- The
wind was blowing toward Dan: and
while he had heard the loud chorus Of
the park, one OF the most Ar-carFying
cries. and the penetrating rack Of a
pistol. she couldn't hear his answering
shout In fact. the wildern Aeemed
prcternaturally still. All v breath
less. heavy with suspenaf ind she
stood, just as Dan had % int, be-
tween the ruin OF her fire n De sled,
and she looked with straie YES to
the Oncomlng wolves.
Hurry, Snowbird," lie was
whispering. ''Give me the lbl-for
that last work. We have q O mo
ment more"
He looked very calm and half
raised as he was on the sled. and per-
haps half-smile fingered nc his beard
ed lips. And the bravest thing Of all
wns that to spare her. he was willing
TO take the little weapon from her
hand to use II In ITS 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 I'm 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 Pickering tongue OF the little
fire to die away. The last OF her fuel
was ignited and burning out; they
were crouched and ready to spring II
she should venture forth after more.
The darkness closed down deeper. and
at last only a column Of smoke re-
NAMED.
It was nothing to BE- afraia = The
gress ray leader Of fine pack. oli
tn .ls &ssshsS nearly hoo pounds BE-
ga gly and delIbe rateiy % SET -
muscis zkoS thsaRd} hg. wes sn(
same as - sht}n &kes
to bay at tho. yciiTs usual.
ly some ons wol.,5 he great pack
leader, wishing to FemiH8 his followers
Of his might, or else somY fuil-grown
male proud In his strength win attack
alone. Because this was5 the noblest
game that the pack had ever faced
the leader chose to make the first leap
himself. Il was true that these two
had neither such hoEns nor razor.
edged hoofs as the elk, Dyet they had
eyes that chilled his art when he
tried to look at them. lBut one was
lying almost prone. andlrhe fire was
out Besides. the madn ISIS Of starva.
ton, intensified ten time by their ter.
rible realization Of the Wound ut her
hip. was upon the packk rs never be.
fore. The muscles buk ched mt his
lean tanks
But as Snowbird am her father
gazed at him I'm fascinatkd horror. the
great wolf suddenly smd shed down In
the snow. She was awsen>of It's curl.
Gus, utter collapse actuaky before the
sound OF the rifle shot hit occasioned
It had penetrated her consciousness
II was a perfect shot long range
ana for long instant her tortured
faculties refused to accesr the truth.
Then the rife spoke a3in, and a sec.
ond wolf-a large male That crouched
on the other side of the aed-feII kick.
ing In the snow. The pf4:k had leaped
forward at the first doth; but they
halted at the second. and then ter
ror came to them when $he third wolt
suddenly opened Its safage lips and
screamed IN the deash azbny.
Up to this time, excest for the re
port or the rfne, the atEhck had been
made In utter silence. he reason was
Just mat both breath 5and nervous
force are needed TO shqut; and Oar
Failing could afford 20 waste nesthe,
OF these vitai forces. y had dropped
TO his knee. and was hsSng again and
again, his gray eyes iool,lng clear and
straight along the barrdl. his fingers
without Jerk or tremof pressing again
and again at the trigsg. his hands
holding the rifle as In wise. Every
nerve and muscle were completely In
his command. The -disf3nce was far
Jet no shot with deadly amazing &c
curacy. The wolves werg within few
feet OF the girl. and frslction's waveu
In the gun barrel might have sped his
bullet toward her.
"Tt's Dan Failing" Ldhnox shouted
as the fourth wolf died.
Then Snowbird snatcied her pistol
from her fathers hand ada opened Ere
The two shells were no longer needed
to free herself and her fdther from the
agony OF fangs. She took careful aim,
and although q pistol is never as nc.
curate or as powerful as a rife, she
killed one wolf and wounded another.
Frenzied In their savagery, three OF
four Of the remaining wolves leaped
ut the body Of one Of the wounded
but the others scattered In ell direc.
fiona Still Dan firnH with enc aarnn rv..