The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1921-04-21
CHAPTER u'-contInusd.

hoct to his traces and drew the sled
10O Yards farther. He didn't seem to
600 the gaunt wolf that backed of
in+s the shadows as he approached.
10 refused to notice that the pack
seemed to be steadily growing holder,
Human hunters usually had guns that,
oould blast and destroy from ads
tonce: but even an animal intelll-
gonce could perceive that these three
Soemed to be without this means OF
INJECTING death.
A wolf is ever so much more intelEi-
GENT than a crow-yet crow shows
little fear of an unarmed man and is
wholly unapprOachable by box with
a 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.
It was not good place for p: camp.
They worked a long time before they
cleared little patch OF ground OF It's
snow mantle. Dan cut a number Of
sapllngs-laboriously with his ax-and
built a fire with the comparatively
dry core Of a dead tree. True, It 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
Snowbird. ut lies In. your hands to
keep the fire burning. And don't leave
the circle Of the fire light without
that pistol in your hand"
"Tou don't mean," she asked, unbe-
neTing, that you are going to so out
there to fight Cranston-unarmed %
"Of course, Snowbird. You must
keep the pistol"
But it means death; that's all It
means. What chance would you have
against a man with a rife? And as
soon as you get away from this fre,
the wolves will tear you to pieces"
And what would you and your IA
Their do, if 1 took it? You can't get
him into a tree. You can't build a
big enough fire to frighten them.
Please don't even talk about this mat
ter, Snowbird. My minds made up. 1
think the pack will stay here. They
usually-God knows how-knOw who
is helpless and who isn't. Maybe with
the gun, you will be able to save your
lives"
whats the chance Of that2"
"You might-with one cartridge
kill one of the devils = and the others
but you know how they devour their
own dead. That might break their
famine enough so that they'd hold off
until 1 can get back. That's the prize
I'm playing for"
"And what if you don't get backT'
He took her hand in one Of his, and
with the other he caressed, for 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 tear that
softness, while you live" he told here
gently. Never let that brave old man
on the sled go to his. death with the
pack tearing at him. Cheat 'em,
SnOwbird! Beat 'em the last minute,
If no other way remains! Show 'em
who's boss, after all-of all this for
est"
you mean-?' Her eyes widened.
Il mean that you must only spend
one Of those three shells in fighting
on the wolves. Save that till the mo-
ment you need it most. The other
TWO must be saved-for something
else"
She nodded, shuddering an instant
ut a menacing shadow that moved
within 60 feet Of the fire.
Then goodby, Dan" she told him.
And she stretched up her arms. "The
ming said-that day on the hillside
doesn't hold any more"
His own arms encircled her. but he
made no effort to claim her lips. Len
nox watched them quietly; in this
moment of crisis not even pretending
70 look away. Dan shook his head to
ner entreating eyes. SIT isn't just a
KISS darling" he told her soberly. cit
goes deeper than that. It's symbol.
II was your word, too, and mine; and
words can't be broken, things being as
uey are. Can't I make you under
standw
she nodded. His eyes burned. Per-
naps She didn't understand, as far as
"c'ual functioning of the brain was
SSoncerned. But she reached UP to
uiin as women-knowing life in the
SOhcrete rather than the abstract
lave always reached up to men; and
que uimIy caught the CLEAN of some
e'ernai principle and right behind his
%orus' This strong man of the noun
an ~llS mad given his word, had been
"'.ness to her own promise to him
uu 70 herself, and a law that goes
U"h to the roots of life prevented
l from claiming the kiss.
MANY MANY times, since the world was
Te"' comfort-happineAs itself