Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1921-11-11
CHAPTER li-continued.

And as for Whisper oot-the terror
that choked his heart with blood be-
gan to wear off in a little while. The
man lay so still in the thickets. Be
sides, there was a strange, wild smell
in the air. Whisperfoot's stroke had
gone home so true there had not even
been a fight. The darkness began to
lift around him, and a strange exulta-
lion. a rapture unknown n before in all
his hunting. began to creep into his
wild blood. Then. as a shadow steals,
he went creeping back to his dead.
ture on the high ridges and he went
home by a back trail that led to old
Bald mountain. The trail was just
a narrow serpent in the brush and
it had not been made by gangs of
laborers. working with shovels and
picks. Possibly half a dozen white
men, in all. had ever walked along it.
1t was just the path of the wild crea-
lures. worn down by hoof and paw
and cushion since the young days of
the world.
It was a roundabo ut trail home,
but yet it had its advantages. 1t took
him within w miles of Snowbird's
lookout station, and at this hour of
day he had been partic ularly fortunate
in finding her at a ce rtain spring on
the mountain side. 1t was rather a sin
gnlar coincidence. Al ng about four
he would usually find himself wander
ing up that way. Strangely enough.
ut the same time, it was true that
she had an irresistible impulse to 60
down and sit in the green ferns beside
the same spring. They always seemed
TO be surprised to see one another. In
reality, either Of them would have
been considerably NOR surprised had
the other failed to put In an appear.
ance. And always they had long talks,
rs the afternoon drew to twilight.
But I don't think yo u ought to wait
so late before starting home" the girl
would always say. you're not n
human hawk. and 1t Is easier to get
lost than you think"
And this solicitude, Dan rightly fig
ured. was a good sign. There was
only one objection to 1t. 1t resulted
in an unmistakble inf rence that she
considered him unable to take care
of himself-and that vas the las,
thing on earth that he wanted hel
to think. He under stood her wei
enough to know that her standard.
were the standards of the mountains
valuing strength ard self-relianc,
above all things. He didn't stop t,
question why. every day, he trod 81
many weary miles to be with her.
She was as natural as n fawn al
many times she had quite taken ava.
his breath. And once she did II liter
ally. He didn't think that so long a
death spared him he would ever b.
able to forget that experience. 1t wa
her birthday, and knowing Of 1t Il
time he had arranged for the deliver
of a certain package. dear to a girls
heart, at her fathers house. In tn
trysting hour he had come trudgin
over the hills with 1t, and few exper
ences in his life had ever yielded sue
unmitigated pleasure as the sight G
her, glowing white and red, as she too
off Its wrapping paper. It was a joll
old gift, he recollected-and when sh
had seen 1t. she fairly leaped at hin
Her warm, round arms around HI
neck. and the softest. loveliest lips |
| the world pressed his, But in thos
days he didn't have the strength tbs
be had now. He felt he could endul