Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1921-06-23


Dan had cut the green liphs>6f the
trees and pIaned themEith his ax.
The sled had been Completed. handles
attached fer pushing II, and a piece Of
fence wire fastened with nails az n
rope TO pull It. The warm mackInaws
Of both Of them al well rs the one
blanket that Lennox had saved from
the fire were wrapped about the old
frontiersman's wasted body-Dan and
Snowbird hoping to keep warm by the
exercise Of propelling the sled. Elk
cept for the dull AZ and the half
empty pistol, their only equipment
was n single charred pot for melting
snow that Dan had recovered from
the ashes OF the kitchen.
The three had worked aIraost In
silence. Words didn't help now. They
wasted no sorely needed breath. But
they did have one minute TO talk when
they got to the top OF the little ridge
that had overlooked the house.
well travel mostly at night" Dan
told them. "We can see I'm the snow,
and by taking our rest In the daytime,
when the sun Is bright and warm. we
can save our strength. We won't have
TO keep such big fires then-and at
night our exertioh will keep us as
warm as we can hope for. Getting up
all night to cut green wood with this
dull Ak in the snow would break us to
pieces very soon. for remember that
we haven't any food. I know how to
build a fire even in the snow-es-
pecially IL ] can find the dead, dry
heart Of rotten iog-but Il isn't any
fun TO keep It going with green wood.
We don't want to have 10 spend any
more Of our strength stripping Off wet
bark and hacking at saplings than we
can help: and that means we'd better
do our resting In the heat Of the day.
After all. it's a fight against starva-
ton more than anything else"
"Just think" the girl told them, re-
preaching herself. Elf had shot
straight ut that wolf today. we could
have gone hack and got his body. II
might have carried us through"
Neither of the others as much as
looked surprised ut these amazing re-
grets over the lost, unsavory flesh of
n wolf They were up against reaiI-
ties. and they didn't mince words.
Dan smiled at her gently. and his
great shoulder leaned against the
traces.
They moved through a dead world.
The ever-present manifestations OF
wild life that had been such a delight
to Dan in the summer and fall were
quite lacking now. The snow was
trackless. Once they thought they
saw a snowshoe rabbit. a strange
shadow on the snow. but he was too
far away for Snowbird to risk pis.
toi shot. The pound or two Of flesh
would be sorely needed before the
journey was over, but the pistol car.
tridges might be needed still more
she didn't let her mind rest on certain
possibilities wherein they might b.
needed. Such thoughts stole the cour
age from the spirit, and courage wa:
essential beyond all things else Il
bring them through.
AS the dawn came out, they MI
stood still and listened to the wolf
pack. singing on the ridge somewhere
behind them.
II was a large pack. They couldn't
make out individual voices-neitheI
the more shrill cry Of the females, the
yapplng OF the cubs. or the low. clear
G-beIow-middIe-C note of the males.
eff they should cross our tracks
Lennox suggested.
"No use worrying about that now
not until we come to It." Dan told
him.
The morning broke, the sun ross
bright I'm a clear sky. But sim theJ
trudged on. In spite Of the fact tina
the sled was heavy and broke through
the snow crust as they tugged nc Il
they had made good time since theil
departure. But now every step wal
q pronounced effort. II was the dread
full beginning Of fatigue that only
food and warmth and rest could
rectify.
"We'll rest now" Dan told them a
ten O'Clock. 'sThe sun Is warm enough
80 that we won't need much Of q fire
And wen try to get FIVE hours sleep
TOO long. IL we're going to make !
out" Lennon objected.
"That leaves q workday OF nineteel
hours" Dan persisted. "Not any to-
little. Five hours IL win be-"
He found where the snow had drift
ed against a great. dead log. leavini
the white covering only a foot n
depth on the lee side. He began {,
scrape the snow away. then hacked a
the log with his AK until he had pro
cured a piece OF comparatively DIR
wood from its center. They all stoo
breathless while he lighted the littl
pile Of kindling and heaped it wit
green wood-the only wood procui
able. But II didn't burn freely. ]
smoked fitfully. threatening to die out
and emitting very little heat.
But they didn't. particularly care
The sun was warm above, ms Away
In the mountain winters Of sOuther
Oregon. Snowbird and Dan cleare
spaces beside the fire and slept. Ter
nox. who had rested on the journey
lay or his sled and with his uninjure
arm tried to hack enough wood fror
the saplings that Dan had cut to kee
the fire burning.
At three they got up. stfll tired an
aching in their bones from exposurs
Twenty-fcur hours had passed sine
they had tasted food, and their unrs
plenished systems complained. Their
IL no better engine I'm the wide worl
than the human body. II win stan
more neglect and abuse than the fines
steel motors ever made by the hand
OF Craftsmen. A man may fast man
days II he lies quietly IN one plac
4 nnG knnR9 wx~mwwn TIRE - @&g~~ e.