The Dolores star., 1921-07-15
Copyright. 1920. by Little. Brown & Co

the darkness.
"Shes only got one shot more" he
said. He knew how many bullets her
pistol carried: and the danger-what-
ever II was-must be just at hand. Un-
derbrush cracked beneath him. And
then the horse drew up with Jerk
that almost hurled him from the sad
die.
He lashed at her in vain. She was
not afraid in the darkness and the
rocks of the trail, but some Terror in
the woods in front had In an instant
broken his control over her. She
reared snorting; then danced in an
impotent circle. Meanwhile, precious
seconds were fleeing.
He understood now. The horse
stood still, shivering beneath him. but
would not advance a step. The silence
deepened. Somewhere in the dark
ness before him great cougar was
waiting by the trail, and Snowbird,
hoping for the moment that It had
given up the chase, was Fastening
through the shadows squarely into its
ambush.
Whisperfoot, crouched lower: and
again his long serpent Of a tail began
the little vertical motion that always
precedes his leap. He had not forgot
ten the wild rapture of that moment
he had inadvertently sprung on Landy
Hildreth-or how, after his terror had
died, he had come creeping back. He
hunted his own way. waiting on the
trail: and his madness was at its
height. He was not just Whisperfoot
the coward. that runs at the shadow
Of tall form In the thckets. The
consummation was complete, and that
single experience of month before
had made of him hunter of men.
His muscles set for the leap.
So intent was he that his keen
senses didn't detect the fact that
there was curious echo to the girls
footsteps. Dan Failing had slipped
down from his terrified horse and was
running up the trail behind her. pray
ing that he could be in time.
SnOwbird heard the pat, pat of his
feet; but at first she did not dare to
hope that aid had come to her. She
had thought of Dan as on the far
away marshes; and her father. the
only other living occupant Of this part
Of the Divide, might even now be ly-
ing dead in his house. In her terror.
she had lost all power of interpreta-
ton of events. The sound might be
the cougars mate. or even the wolf
pack, jealous of his game. Sobbing,
she hurried on into Whisperfoots am.
bush.
Then she heard voice, and 1t SEEM
ed to he calling to her "Snowbird-
I'm coming, SnOwbird.' a mans strong
voice was shouting. She whirled with
a sob of thankfuness.
At that instant the cougar sprang.
Terrified though she was, Snow
birds retlexes had kept sure and true.
Even as the great cat leaped. long,
1.-the shadow out of the shadow. her
finger pressed back against the trigger
of her pistol. She had been carry
Ing her gun in front of her. and she
fired II. this last time, with no con-
scious effort. 1t was just last in
''''N''' Niloit " ntTStlI.
One other element affected the Is
sue. She had whirled to answer Dams
cry Just as the cougar left the ground,
But she had still been In range, The
only effect was to lessen, in some de-
gree, the accuracy of the spring. The
bullet caught the beast in mid-air:
but even if 1t had reached its heart,
the momentum of the attack was too
great to be completely overcome.
Snowbird only knew that some vast.
resistless power had struck her, and
that the darkness seemed to roar and
explode about her.
Hurled to her face in the trail she
did not see the cougar sprawl on the
earth beside her. The flame in the
lantern almost fiicked out as It fell
from her hand. then flashed I'D and
down, from the deepest gloom to
vivid glare with something of the ef-
feet of lightning flickering in the sky.
Nor did she hear the first frenzied
thrashing Of the wounded animal.
Kindly Inconsistencies had fallen. oh.
scuring this and also the sight of the
great cat, In the agony Of its wound.
creeping with broken shoulder and
barred claws across the pine needles
toward her defenseless body.
tTo BE CoNTINUED)
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