American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1921-05-20

| ~preternaturally still. All was breath
less. heavy with suspense, and h
stood, just as Dan had thought, be-
tween the ruin of her fire and the sled,
and she looked with straight yes 70
the oncoming wolves.
"Hurry. Snowbird," Lennox was
whispering, give me the p~istol-for
that last work. We have only a mo-
ment more"
He looked very calm and brave, half
raised as he was on the sled, and per
haps a half-smile fingered at his beard
ed lips, And the bravest thing of all
was that to spare her, he was willing
TO take the little weapon from her
hand to use II in ITS last service. She
tried to smile at him, then crept over
to his side.
The strain was over. They knew
what they had to face. She put the
pistol In his steady hand.
His hand lowered to his side and he
sat waiting. The moments passed. The
wolves seemed to be waiting, too, for
the last ~fickering tongue of the little
fire to die away. The last of her fuel
was ignited and burning out; they
were crouched and ready to spring II
she should venture forth after more.
The darkness closed down deeper, and
at last only q column of smoke re
manned.
II was nothing TO be afraid OF. The
great. gray leader of the pack, a wolf
that weighed nearly 100 pounds, be-
gan slowly and deliberately TO set his
muscles for the spring. 1t was the
same as when the great bull elk ecTnes
to bay at the base Of the cliffs usua,-
ly some one wolf, often the great pack
leader, wishing TO remind his followers
of his might, or else some full-grown
male proud In his strength, win attack
alone. Because this was the noblest
game that the pack had ever faced,
the leader chose 10 make the first leap
himself. II was true that these two
had neither such horns nor razor
edged hoofs rs the elk, yet they had
eyes that chilled his heart when he
tried to look at them. But one was
lying almost prone, and the fire was
out. Besides, the madness of stnrvn-
. ton, intensified ten times by their ter
! rible realization of the wound ut her
! hip, was upon the pack as never be
, fore. The muscles punched at his
; lean TANKS.
. But as Snowbird and her father
= gazed at him In fascinated horror. the
:. great wolf suddenly smashed down II
= the snow. She was aware of It's curl
Gus, utter collapse actually before th'
\ sound of the rifle shot that occaslone'
1t had penetrated her consciousness
. II was n perfect shot at long range
= and for a long instant her torturet
y faculties refused TO accept the truth.
Then the rifle spoke again, and n sec
If ond VOLTA large male that croucheI
a on the other side OF the sled-fell Kick
ing in the snow. The pack had leape,
forward at the first death but the
halted at the second. And then tel
- ror came to them when the third VOL
- suddenly opened Its savage lips an
" screamed In the dean agony.
. Up 20 this time. except for the n
40 port of the rifle, the attack had bee
~ made In utter silence. The reason wa
20 lust that both breath and nervou
force are needed to shout; and Da
~ Failing could afford to waste neithC
~ OF these vital forces. He had droppe
~ to his knee, and was firing agnln an
"a agnin, his gray yes looking clear an
straight along the barrel. his nngel
without Jerk or tremOr pressing aga
and again at the trigger, his hant
% holding the rifle MS In a wise. Ever
nerve md muscle were completely
~, his command. The distance was IN
" yet he shot with deadly, amazing n
curacy. The wolves were within n fe
:. feet Of the girl. and a fractions way
~ In the gun barrel might have sped b
bullet toward her.
rs ITS Dan Failing" Lennox shout'
~ as the fourth wolf died.
ne Then Snowbird snatched her pist
yIo from her fathers hand and opened III
ma The two shells were no longer need
TO free herself and her father from Il
agony OF fangs. She took careful al
and although a pistol is never as 9
curate or as powerful MS n rife, s
killed one wolf and wounded nnoth,
ha Frenzied In their savagery, three
m, four OF the remaining wolves leap
Ell ut the body Of one Of the wounde
no but the others scattered In all dir
10 lions. Still Dan fred with the same |
,,y. believable accuracy, and still I
~ wolves died In the snow. The 4
and the man we're screaming now
ga the frenzied Joy Of deliverance. 7
- wolves scurried frantically among
~ trees; and some Of them %unknowinl
ran full In the face Of their enemy,
49, be shot down without mercy. A
- few indeed were those that escaped
TO collect On a distant ridge. and, .
haps, TO be haunted In dream by
death that came out of the shadows
blast the pack.
Again the pack song would be
I, spairing and strange In the win
nightg-that age old cbnut OF Fam