Charlevoix county herald., 1921-02-04


pistol ball that she could afford to ex-
pend on the wolves-of the three she
had--the fire was her last defense.
But It was losing fight. The rain
soaked wood smoked without flame,
the comparatively dry core with which
Dan bad started the fire had burned
down, and the green wood, hacked with
such heart-breaking difficulty from the
saplings that Dan had cut, needed the
most tireless attention to burn at all.
Her nervous vitality was flowing
frorr her in frightful stream. Too
the C instant presence of da syer, and
she was very near indeed to utter ex-
haustion. But at the same time she
knew she must not faint. That was
one thing she could not do-to fall un-
conscious before the last of her three
cartridges was expended In the right
way.
Again she went forth to the sapling,
and this time II seemed to her that If
she simply tossed the Ak through the
air, she could fell one of the gray
crowd. But when she stopped to pick
Ii up--she didn't finish the thought.
She turned to coax the fire. And then
she leaned sObbing over the sled.
What's the use?" she cried. "He
won't come back. What's the use of
fighting any mOre?"
There's always use of fighting" her
Co.. N2II hA.. l. 30 Il
with difficulty, and his face looked
strange and white. The cold and the
exposure were having their effect on
his weakened system, and unconscious
ness was a near shadow indeed. But.
dearest-if could only make you do
what I want you to"
"WhatY"
You're able to climb n tree, and II
you'd take these coats, you wouldn't
freeze by morning. If you'd only have
the strength"
And see you torn to pieces J"
"Tm old, dear-and very tired-and
I'd crawl away into the shadows. where
you couldn't see. There's no use mine
ing words. SnOwbird. You're a brave
girl-always have been since a little
thing, as God is my Judge-and you
know we must face the truth. Better
one of us die than both. And prom
ise-Tll never feel their fangs. And
won't take your pistol with me either"
Her thought flashed to the clasp
hunting knife that he carried In his
pocket. But her eyes lighted, and she
bent and kissed him. And the wolves
leaped forward even at this.
"We1l stay II out" she told him.
"We'll fight 1t to the last-just as Dan
would want us TO do. Besides-it
would only mean the same fate for
me, in little while. couldn't cling
up there forever-and Dan won't come
back"
T She was wholly unable to gain on
the fire. Only by dint of the most
heart-breaking toll was she able to Sc
cure any dry fuel for it at all. Every
length Of wood she cut had TO be
scraped of bark. and half the time the
fire was only q sickly column of white
smoke. 1t became increasingly diff
cult to swing the ak. The trail was
almost at Its end.
The after-midnight hours drew one
by one across the face Of the wilder
ness, and she thought that the deep
ening cold presaged dawn. Her fin
gers were numb.
Once more she went to one of the
saplings, but she stumbled and almost
went TO her face at the first blow. II
was the instant that her gray watch
ers had been waiting for. The wolf
that stood nearest leaped-a gray
streak out Of the shadow-and every
wolf in the pack shot forward with
yell. 1t was short, expectant cry;
but 1t chopped off short. For with a
half-sOb, and seemingly without men,
tai process, she aimed her pistol and
fred.
A fast-leaping wolf is one Of the
most difficult pistol targets that can be
imagined. 1t bordered on the miracu-
lous that she did not miss him alto
gether Her nerves were torn, their
control over her muscles largely gone.
Yet the bullet coursed down through
the lungs inflicting a mortal wound.
The wolf had leaped for her throat;
but he fell short. She staggered from
blow, and she heard curious sound
in the region of her hip. But she
didn't know that the fangs had gone
home in her soft flesh. The wolf
rolled on the ground; and II her pistol
had possessed the shocking power of
a rifle. he would have never got up
again. AS it was, he shrieked once,
then sped Off in the darkness to die.
Five or six Of the nearest wolves,
catching the smell Of his blood, bayed
and sped after him.
But the remainder of the great pack
fully Is Of the gray, gaunt creatures
came stealing across the snow to-
ward her. White fangs had gone
home; and new madness was In the
air.
Straining into the silence, perfect
ly straight line between Cranston's
camp and Snowbird's, Dan Failing