Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1921-10-14

calling To him, Weakening instincts
long smothered in cities. but sure and
true ms ever 1t was the beginning
of regeneration. Voices of the long
past were speaking to him. and the
Failings once more had begun TO run
true TO form. Inherited tendencies
were in Il moment changing this weak
diseased youth into Il frontiersmah
and wilderness inhabitant such as ms
ancestors had been before him.
They were slipping along over the
pine needles, their eyes intent on the
trail ahead And then Lennox saw r
curious thing. He beheld Dan sud
denly stop In the trail and turn his
eyes toward heavy thicket that lay
perhaps one hundred yards to their
right. For an instant he looked al
most like a wild creature himself. His
head was lowered, as If he were lis
tening His muscles were set and
ready.
Lennox had prided himself that he
had retained all the powers Of his five
senses and that few men in the noun
tains had keener ears than he. Yet
| it was truth that at first he only knew
| the silence, and the stir and pulse OF
| his own blood. He assumed then that
| Dan was watching something that
from his position, twenty feet behind
he could not see He tried to probe
the thickets with his eyes.
| Then Dan whispered. Ever so soft
a sound. but yet distinct in the 81
fence. "There's something living In
that thicket."
Then Lennox heard it, too. AS they
stood still. the sound became ever
clearer and more pronounced. Some
living creature was advancing toward
them; and twigs were cracking be-
meath its feet. The sounds We're rath-
er subdued, and yet, as the animal ap-
preached, both of them instinctiveIy
knew that they were extremely loud
for the usual footsteps Of any Of the
wild creatures.
"What is it?' Dan asked quietly.
Lennox was so intrigued by the
sounds that he was not even observ-
ant of the peculiar, subdued quality
in Dams voice. Otherwise, he would
have wondered at 1t. I'm free to
confess l don't know" he said. ITS
booming right toward us, like most
animals don't care to do. OF course
1t may be human being. You must
watch out for that"
They waited. The sound ended
They stood straining for long mo
ment without speech.
THAT was the dumdest thing !!
Lennox went on. "Of course II might
have been a bear-you never know
what they're going to do. 1t might
have got sight of us and turned off
But can't believe that 1t was just 8
deer"
But then his words chopped square
ly off in his throat. The plodding ad
vance commenced again. And tnt
next instant gray form revealed 1t
self at the edge of the thicket.
1t was Graycoat the coyote. half
blind with his madness, and des
perate in his agony.
There was no more deadly thing II
all the hills than he. Even the bit
of rattlesnake would have been wei
coined beside his. He stood Ion;
instant, and all his instincts and re
fexes that would have ordinaril,
made him flee in abject terror wer'
thwarted and twisted by the fever o
his madness. He stared moment a
the two figures, and his red eyes coul'
not interpret them. They were simpl,
foes, for it was true that when thi
racking agony was upon him, evel
lifeless trees seemed foes sometimes
He seemed eerie and unreal as h
gazed at them out of his burning eyes
and the white foam gathered at hi
fangs. And then, wholly withOu
warning, he charged down at them.
He came with unbelievable speed
The elder Lennox cried once in warn
ing and cursed himself for ventui
ing forth on the ridge without a CUR
He was fully twenty feet distant froT
Dan; yet he saw in an instant hi
only course. This was no time t
trust their lives to the marksmanshi
of an amateur. He sprang tOwar
Dan, intending to wrench the weapo
| from his hand.
But he didn't achieve his purpos'
At the first step his foot caught in
projecting root, and he was shot
!. his face on the trail. But long III
e in the wilderness had developed Lei
nox's reflexes to an abnormal degree
e many crises had taught him muscl
5 and nerve control; and only for
Il fraction Of an instant Dpriod
;, time that few instruments are fln
z enough to measure, did he lie supinel
s upon the ground. He rolled on, I'M
i position of defense. But he kne
now he could not reach the youngt
& man before the mad coyote would /
e upon them. The matter was out
his hands. Everything depended Q
v the aim and self-control Of the tende
= foot.