The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1921-01-14

1 sUNB 0a1OSASGBOO IA NSASos UoS SOsS U00
true ~ sver. II vas the ~beginnins
81 regeneratioa. Voices Of the loos
past were speaking to him. and the
Failings once more had begun 70 run
true to form. Inherited tendencfea
were IN 4 moment changing this weak,
diseased youth into . frontiersmas
and wilderness inhabitant such % his
ancestors had been before him.
They were slipping along over the
pine needles, their eyes intent on the
trail ahead. And then Lennox law 4
curious thing. He beheld Dan sud-
denly stop in the trail and turn his
eyes toward a 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 II he were lis
tening. His muscles were e and
ready.
Lennox hard prided himself that he
had retained ali the powers Of his ave
senses, and that few men In the noun
tains had keener ears than he. Yet
II 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 II, toe. As they
stood still. the sound became ever
clearer and more p%ronounc J.. Some
living creature was advancing toward
them; and twigs were cracking be-
meath It's feet. The sounds were rath-
er subdued, and yet, as the animal ap-
preached, both Of them instlnctiveIy
knew that they were extremely lond
for the usual footsteps of any Of the
wild creatures.
"What is it," Dan asked quietly.
Lennon 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 it. I'm free to
confess ] don't know" he said. .It's
booming right toward US. like most
animals don't care to do. or course
II may be q human being. You mus.
watch out for that"
They waited. The sound. ended.
They stood strnining for q long mo
men without speech.
THAT was the dumdest thing"
LennOx went on. "Of course It might
have been q hear-you " know
what they're going to do. 1t might
have got sight Of us and turned Of.
But ] can't believe that 1t was just .
deer"
But then his words chopped square
~ of in his throat. The plodding ad-
n commenced again. And the
next instant a gray form revealed it.
self at the edge Of the thicket.
II was Graycoat the. coyote. half
blind with his madness. and des-
perate in his agony.
There was no more deadly thing In
oil the hills than he. Even the Bite
of a rattlesnake would have been well
coined beside his. He stood q long
instant, and all his instincts and re-
fiexes that would have ordinarily
made him nee In abject terror were
thwarted and twisted by the fever Of
his madness. He stared a moment at
the two figures. and his red eyes could
not interpret them. They were simply
foes. for 1t was true that when this
racking agony was upon him. even
lifeless trees seemed foes sometimes.
He seemed eerie and unreal ~ he
gazed at them Out OF his burning eyes:
and the white foam gathered at his
fangs. And then. wholly without
warning. he charged down at them.
He came with unbelievable speed.
The elder LennOx cried once in warn
ing and cursed himself for ventur-
Ing forth on the ridge without q gun.
He was fully twenty feet distant from
Dan; yet he saw IN an instant his
only course. This was no time to
trust their lives to the craftsmanship
Of an amateur. He sprang toward
Dan. Intending to wrench the weapon
from his hand.
But he didn't achieve his purpose.
AT the first step his foot caught in &
projecting root. and he was shot to
his face on the trail. But q long life
In the wilderness had developed Len
n0x's refiexes to an abnormal degree:
many crises had taught him muscle
and nerve control; and only for Q
fraction Of an instant. a period OF
time that few instruments are fine
enough to measure. did he lie supinely
upon the ground. He rolled on. into
a position Of defense. But he knew
now he could not reach the younger
q before the mad coyote would be
upon them. The matter was GU Of
his hands. Everything depended on
the aim and II -controI Of the tender
foot.