American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1921-04-22

height, He was not just Whisperfoot
the coward, that runs at the shadow
of a tall form IN the thickets. The
consummatson was complete. and that
single experience of a month before
had made of him a 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 a 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 flrst she did not dare to
hope that aid had come to her. she
had thought of Dan as on the TAR
away marshes; and her father the
only other living occupant OF this part
Of the Divide, might even now be ~
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 a voice, and II SEEM
ed to be calling to her. "Snowbird-
a I'm coming, S%nowbird," a mans strong
} voice was shouting. She whirled with
a sob of thankfulness.
At that instant the cougar sprang'
Terrified though she was, Snow
birds refexes had kept sure and true,
Even as the great cat leaped, a long
D 1.-THE shadow out of the shadow, her
finger pressed back against the trigger
s of her pistol. She had been carry
e ing her gun in front of her, and she
n fired II, this last time, with no con-
/, scious effort. It was just a last In
Stinctive effort to defend herself.
: One other element affected the is
y sue. She had whirled to answer Dams
n cry Just as the cougar left the ground.
r But she had still been in range. The
IN only effect was to lessen, in some de-
gree, the accuracy of the spring. The
r. bullet caught the beast In mid-air
at but even II 1t had reached Its heart
lie the momentum of the attack was toe
to great to be completely overcome
d. Snowbird only knew that some vast
-. TGSlSlicSS DbNtT Huu SlIhOh htis hhA
I'D that the darkness seemed 70 roar ant
re explode about her.
Id Hurled to her face In the trail, sh'
he did not see the cougar sprawl on tn
or earth beside her. The flame In tn
lie lantern almost tlicked out as 1t fel
from her hand, then flashed up an
down, from the deepest gloom to
vivid glare with something of the ei
feet of lightning hickering in the SIX!
he Nor did she hear the first frenzle
he thrashing of the wounded ANNA
Kindly uneonsciousness had fallen, oil
wv, securing this and also the sight of tn
I'm, great cat, In the agony of Its woun'
nd creeping with broken shoulder an
as barred claws across the pine needle
toward her defenseless body.
mt. But the terrible fangs were new
, a to know her white flesh. Some OF
his, had come between. There was I
It'll chance to shoot: Whisperfoot and Il
.ov- girl were too near together for tho
ks, But one course remained and the
sed was not even time TO count the COS
Top. In this most terrible moment of ID
ave Faillng's life, there was not even
ght instant's hesitation. He did not kno
was that Whisperfoot was wounded. l
,wn saw the beast creeping forward In I
mpt weird dancing light Of the fallen la
ger tern, and he only knew that his ties
now not hers, must resist its rending [
him ons. Nothing else mattered. No Of
ice, er consideration could come betwe'
|. to 1t was the test and Dams instin'
one prompted coolly and well. He leap
rail with all his strength. The coug
But bounded into his arms, not upon !
the prone body of the girl. Ana she OPP