Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1921-06-03

influence upon him. The wild was
calling TO him. Weakening instincts
long smothered IN cities. but sure ana
true as ever. II was the beginning
of regeneration. Voices Of the long
past were speaking 10 him, and the
FaiIIngs once more had begun TO run
true 10 form. Inherited tendencies
were in n moment changing this weak,
diseased youth into a frontiersInah
and wilderness inhabltant such as his
ancestors had been before him.
They we're slipping along oYer the
pine needles. their eyes intent on the
trail ahead. And then Lennox saw
curious thing. lie beheld Dan sud-
denly stop in the trail and turn mis-
eyes toward a heavy thlcket that lay
perhaps one hundred yards to their
right. For an instant he looked al
most like wild creature himself. Ills
head was lowered. as II he were lis
tening. His muscles were set ana
ready.
Lennox had prided himself that he
had retained all the powers Of his five
| senses. and that few men In the noun
talns 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 10 probe
the thickets with his eyes.
Then Dan whispered. Ever 30 soft
"a sound but yet distinct In the 81
fence. There's something living In
that thicket."
Then Lennox heard II. 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 were rath-
err subdued, and yet as the animal ap-
preached. both Of them instinctiveiy
knew that they were extremely lond
for the usual footsteps Of any Of the
wild creatures.
"What is III" 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 of 1t. I'm free to
confess | don't know" he said. Its
booming right toward u.s. 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 thingi"
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 OF.
But / can't believe that 1t was just a
deer
But then his words chopped square
~ off in his throat The plodding adj
vance commenced again. And the
next instant gray form revealed IT.
self at the edge of the thicket.
1t was Graycoat the coyote, half
blind with his madness. and des-s
perate In his agony.
There was no more deadly thing In
all the hills than he. Even the bite
of rattlesnake would have been well
coined beside his. He stood long
instant, and all his instincts and re-
flexes that would have ordinarily
made him flee In abject terror were
thwarted and twisted by the fever of
his madness. He stared moment at
the two figures. and his red eyes could
not interpret them. They were simply
| foes. for II was true that when this
racking agony was upon him, even
| llfeless trees seemed foes sometimes
| He seemed eerie and unreal as 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 a gun
He was fully twenty feet distant from
Dan; yet he saw In an instant his
4
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 q
projecting root, and he was shot &c
his face on the trail But long life
In the wilderness had developed Len
nox's reflexes to an abnormal degree :
many crises had taught him muscle
and nerve control; and only for a
fraction of an instant. period OF
time that few instruments are fine
enough TO measure. did he lie supinely
upon the ground. He rolled on. into
position of defense. But he knew
now he could not reach the younger
man before the mad coyote would be
upon them. The matter was out OF
his hands. Everything depended on
the aim and self-control of the tender
foot