New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-04-01
CHAPTER l--Continued.

ankles Hil pnulPNS louilltrlls III lic
drifts. fIut between the fall of fresh
snow aud the thHws that softened the
crust. H." slowly mastered the art.
Snowbirl-and Dan never realized tn.
full Significance of her name until he
saw her flying with incredible grace
oVer the saoW-laughed AT HIN at hrSt
and ran him races that would usually
end in his falling hcadtirst into "A ten
foot ouowbauk. She taught him how
TO SKI and more than once she would
stop IN d.. middle of IN earnest bit
Of pedagogy 10 find that he wasn't lis
tenirE At all. He would seem to be
fairly |Iryouring her with his eyes, tie
lighting in he play of soft pinks and
reds IN her checks, and drinking, rs Il
man drinks wine, the amazing change
Of tight and shadow in her EYES.
size seemed to blossom under his
gat.. Npt one Of those short winter
du., went ny without the discovery
of some new trait or little vanity 10
~ae'oui-h or delight him-SomrtimeS
an ~unlo0kr,l-for tenderness toward the
weak. often Il sweet, untained phil"s-
opl,y OF life. or perhaps just "A lower
inI of her cyelidS In which her eyes
would ohow i~uStrous through the
la>hrs. or some sweeping, eNubrrant
gesture StartIinEly graceful.
LcnnoX Wakencd one morning with
the realization that this vas one Of
The hardest winters of his experience.
IL began 10 be very glad of the album
liant stores of provisions that over
crowded mis- pantry-saNory hams ana
bacons. dried venlSou, sacks of pota-
toes and eynpornted vegetables, and,
of course, canned goods past count
Ing. with the high fire roaring in the
crate, the season held no HIS for them.
But sometimes, when the bitter cold
came down at twilight, and the moon
looked like Il thing of lee Itself over the
SNOW. he began to wonder how the
wild creatures who wintered on the
Divide were faring. OF course most
of them We're gone. Wool, long since,
had gruntrd and mumhled his way
into a winter lair. But the wolves re-
manned. strange gray shadows on the
SNOW. and possibly II few of the
harder smaller creatures.
More than onc in those long win
ter nights their talk was chopped Off
short 10y the SONG of the pack on some
distant ridge. Sometime, when the
world is old, possibly n man will be
born that can continue TO talk and
keep his mind On his words while the
wolf paCk sings. But he Is certainly
an unknown quantity today. The cry
sets in vibration curious memory
chords, and for a moment the listener
sees in his minds eye his ancient
home in an ancient world-DarkncSs
and Fear and Eyes shining about the
cave. II carries him back. and he
knows the wilderness ms II really is;
and to have such knowledge dries IN
all inclination To talk. as a sponge
dries water. OF curse the picture
isn't entirely plain. II Is more IA thing
guessed at, a photograph in some dark
part of an under-cOnsciousness that
has constantly grown more dim ms the
centuries have passed. Possibly some
time II Will fade out altogether; and
then n man may continue TO discuss
the weather while the Song from the
ridg" shudders in at the windows. But
the world will be quite cold by then,
AMI no longer particularly interesting.
And possibly even the wolves them
selves will then be- tanned 10 play dead
and speak pieces-which means the
wilderness itself viii be tanned. For
As long ms the wild lasts, the pack will
run through II in the winter. They
were here in the beginning. and in
spite of constant wal and constant
hatred on the part Of men, they will
he here III the end. The reason Is lust
that they ARE the symbol Of the will
derncSs Itself. and the Idea Of II CON
10 exist without them IL
stranger than that. 81 n nation without
q fag.
II wasn't quite the same song that
Dan had listened 70 In the first days
Of faii. II had been triumphant then,
and proud with the wilderness pride.
OF course II had been sad then, too.
but II was more sad now. And 1t was
stranger, tuu, and crept further into
the souls Of its listeners. II was the
song Of strength that couldn't avail
against the snow. possibly Of cold and
despair aud courage Of starvation.
These three that heard n were Injured
10 tho wilderness hut a moment was
always needed after its last note had
He'd to regain thplr gayety.
They're getting lean and they're
getting savage" Lennox said one
night. stretched on his 6!van before
Fireplace. He was stfll unable to
galk hut the fractures were knitting
and the doctor had promi ed
hat the umnicr would find hin well.
IF We had q dog. I wouldn't offer
for his life. one Of these laws
ven find 'cm in a big circle around
he houS'-and then well have to :
,pen w aith the rifles" !
But this picture appalled, neither OF !
MS two young listeners. No wolf pack !
an stand against three marksmen.
,rmel with rifles and behind oaten J
Christmas cane and passed. and
brought clear days and an ]
Ineffective sun shining on the snow.
were the best days Of all. Every {
tfternOon Dan and Snowbird would '
20 out on their skis or on s~nowshoes. '
harmed except for the pistol that '
,nOwbird carried in the deep pocket Z
Il her mackinaw. but why not?- Dan a
eplied 10 LennOx> objection. "She a
ouid kill five wolves with five shots. {
n pretty hear il. and you know well (
nOugh that that would hold EN- till :
We got home. They'd stop to eat the
I've. ! have hard enough time keep {