New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-04-29
CHAPTER li-Continued.

seemed to be steadily growing holder.
Human hunters usually had gun that
could blast and destroy from a dis
lance; but even an animal intelli-
gence could perceive that these three
seemed to be without this means of
inilicting death.
A wolf is ever 50 much more intelli-
gent than "A crOw-yet n crow shows
little fear of an unarmed man and is
wholly unapproachable by "A boy with
a gun. The ugly truth was simply that
I'm their increasing madness and eN-
element and hunger. they were becom-
Ing less and less fearful of these three
strange humans with the sled.
II a not II good place for II camp.
They worked a long time before they
cleared a little patch of ground of its
snow mantle. Dan cut a number of
Saplings-laboriOusly with his aN-and
built Il ire with the comparatively
dry core of a dead tree, True, it was
feeble and pickering. but as good rs
could be hoped for, considering the
difficulties under which he worked.
The dead logs under the snow were
soaked with water from the rains and
thaWs. The green wood that he cut
smoked without blazing.
NO more time 10 be lost" Dan told
Sn0wbird. 1T lies in your hands to
keep The fire burning. And don't leave
the circle of the fire light without
thar hiStpl I'm ynIIr LnnI ~
~ u don't mean she asked, unbe-
%lieving, that you are going to 90 out
there to fight Cranston-unarmed?'
"Of course, Snowbird. You must
Keep the pistol"
But it means death; that's all IL
means. What chance would you have
against Il man with II rifle? And rs
soon rs You get away from this fire,
the wolves will tear you to pieces"
And what would YOU and your fa-
Their do, if | took It? You can't get
him into II tree. You can't build n
big enough fire Ia brighten them.
Please don't even talk about this mat
ter. Snowbird. My minds made up. I
think the pack will stay here. They
usually-God knows how-know who
is helpless and who isn't, Maybe with
the gun. you will be able to save your
lives
whats the chance of that?"
'lou might-with one cartridge
kill one of the devils and the others
YOU know how they devour their
own dead. That might break their
famine enough so that they'd hold off
until I can get back. That's the prize
I'm playing for"
"And what If you don't get back r
He took her hand in one Of his, and
with the other he careSsed, for n sin
gle moment, the lovely flesh of her
throat. The love he had for her spoke
from his eyes-such speech AS no hu-
vision could possibly mistake,
Both of them were tingling and breath
less with a great, sweet wonder.
Never let those fangs tear that
s~oftness, while you live he told here
gently. Never let that brave old man
the sled go to his death with the
l'illllE ut Num- 'h'hl WI,
Snowbirdl Beat 'em the last minute,
If no ether way remains Show 'em
boss, after all-of all this for
You mean-T" Her eyes widened.
81 mean that you must only spend
of those three shells in fighting
pf the wolves. Save that till the mo
you need it most. The other
must be saved-for something
else"
She nodded, %shuddering an instant
NJ - menacing shadow that moved
80 feet of the fire.
Then goodby, Dan" she told him.
And she stretched up her arms. THE
hing | said-that day on the hillside
hold any more
His own arms encircled her. but he
no effort to claim her lips. Len
nox watched them quietly in this
of crisis not even pretending
% look away. Dan shook his head to
her e~ntreating eyes. at isn't just a
,lss darling he told her sobcrly. at
,oes deeper than that. It's a symbol.
was your word. too. and mine; and
words can't be broken. things being as
hey are. Can't I make you under
itandF"
She nodded. His eyes burned. Per
lsps she didn't understand. as far as
Ictual functioning of the brain was
,o@ncerned. But she reached up to
as mountaineering life in the
,nncrete rather than the abstract
ave always reached up to men and
he dimly caught the CLEAN of some
ternal principle and right behind his
This strong mar of the noun
to her own promise TO him
nd to herself. and a law that goes
TO the roots of life prevented
from claiming the kiss.
Many times, since the world was
CIV. comfort-happiness-life itself
ave been contingent on the breaking
f a law. Yet in spite of what seemed
ommon sense, yer though no punish
lent would forthcome if it we're
roken. the law has been kept. II was
way now. 1t wouldn't have been
ust a kiss such as boys and girls have
Iways had in the moonlight. 1t meant
he symbolic remuneration of the debt
hat Dan owed Cranston-a debt that
n his mind might possibly go unpaid
no weight of circumstance could
lake him %nounc
His longing for her lips pulled at
he roots of him. But by the laws Of
is being he couldn't claim them until
he debt incurred on the hillside.
,onfhs ago. had been paid; to take
hem now meant to dull the fine edge