Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-02-12
CHAPTER Iil-Continued.

3D.
He looked up, and the whole weird
picture was thrown upon the retina of
his eyes. The coyote was still racing
straight toward Dan, a gray demon
that in his madness was more terrible
than any charging bear or elk. For
there Is an element of horror about
the insane, whether beasts or men,
that cannot be denied. Both men felt
It, with a chill that seemed to pene-
trate clear to their hearts The eyes
famed, the white fangs of Graycoat
caught the sunlight. And Dan stood
erect in his path his rifle half raised
to his shoulder; and even in that first
frtnzied instant in which Lennox
looked at him. he saw there was a
strange impassiveness, a singular i'm
perturbability on his face.
"Shoot, mani" Lennox shouted.
"AVhat are you waiting for?'
But Dan didn't shoot. His hand
whipped to his face, and he snatched
off his thick lensed glasses. The eyes
that were revealed were narrow and
deeply intent And by now, the fren-
zied coyote was not fifty feet distant.
All that had occurred since the ami
NAL charged had possibly taken five
seconds. Sometimes five seconds is
just breath; but as Lennox waited
for Dan to shoot, it seemed like
period wholly without limit. He won
dered If the younger man had fallen
into that strange paralysis that a
great terror sometimes imbues.
"Shoot!~ he screamed again.
But 1t is doubtful if Dan even heard
his shout. At that instant his gun
slid into place, his head lowered, his
eyes seemed to burn along the glitter
ing barrel. His finger pressed back
against the trigger and the roar of
the report rocked through the summer
air.
The gun was of large callber; and
no living creature could stand against
the farious, shocking power of the
great bullet. The lead went straight
home. full through the neck and slant
ing down through the breast, and the
coyote recoiled as If an irresistible
hand had smitten him. 1t is doubtful
IL there was even a muscular culver
after Graycoat struck the ground, not
twenty feet from where Dan stoOo.
And the rife report echoed back to
find only silence.
Lennox got up off the ground and
moved over toward the dead coyote
He looked long time at the gray
body. And then he stepped back to
where Dan waited on the trail.
81 take 1t all back" he said simply
you take what back|
What / thought about you-that
the Failing line had gone to the dogs
I'll never call you a tenderfoot again.
But tell me one thing saw the
way you looked down the barrel.
could see how firm you held the rifle
the way you kept your head. Ana
that Is all like your grandfather. But
why. when you had a repeating rlile'
did you wait so long to shoOtT
II just had one cartridge in my gun.
didn't think of it until the coyote
charged"
Lennox's answer was the last thing
In the world to be expected. lie
opened his straight mouth and uttered
a great, boyish yell of joy. His eyes
seemed to light. The eyes of the two
men met, and Lennox shook him by
the shoulder.
You're not Dan Failing's grandson
you're Dan Failing himseltF he
shouted. "No one but him would nave
had self-control to wait till the game
was almost on top of him--no one nut
him would have kept his head IN
time like this. You're Dan Faiiihg
himself, l tell you, come back TO
earth. Grandson nothing You're
throwback. and now you've got those
glasses off. can see his eyes looking
right out of yours. Step on 'em Dan
YouTl never need 'em again, Ana give
up that idea Of dying in four nlou'hS