The daily Alaskan., 1922-04-20
ioopyrlEht, l09O, Llttle, Br0wR 2 O9mPhRyl

went on her face wlfh crack Of wood.
 Her snow shoe had been cracked by
 her fall of the day before, when run
 nlng to the fire, and whether she
 struck some other obstruction in the
 snow. or whether the cracked wood
 had simply given way under her
 weight, mattered not even enough for
 rhem to investigate. As in all great
 disasters. only the result remained.
 The result in this case was that her
 nowshoe. without which she could not
 walk at all ln the snow was lrrepara- bly, broken.
 Fate has stacked the cards against
 us," Lennox told them, after she first
 moments horror from the broken snOwShOe.
 But no one answered him. The girl,
 white-faced, kept her. wide eyes on ! Dan He seemed to be peering into the
 shadows beside the trail, as If he were ! watching for the gray forms that now and then glided from tree 10 tree. ID reality, he was moi looking for wolves. 1 He was gazing down Into his own soul
 measuring his own spirit for the trial
 that lay before him.
 ! The girl. unable tO step with the broken snOwshOe. rested her weight 0n one foot and hobhled like Q bird with broken wings across to him. No sighI of all this terrible Journey had been
 more dreadful In her fatlA eyes than this. It seemed 10 split open the strong heart of the man. She touched her hand to his arm.
 "Tm sorry Dan." she told him. "Yon
 tried Su hard"
 Ju>l one lirtlc sound broke from his
 throat-a strange, deep gasp that
 could not be suppressed. Then he
 caught her hand in his and kissed lr--
 again and again. Do you think care
 about that?" he asked her "R only
 wish could have done more-and
 what l have done doesn't count. Just i as ln my fight with Cranston, nothing
 counts because l didn't win. It's just
 fate, Snowbird. It's no ones fault, but l maybe. In this world, nothing Is ever l anyone'S fault" For in the twilight Of
 those winter woods In the shadow Of death itself, perhaps he was catching ! gIimmerIngS of eternal truths thai are | hidden from all but the most ,far-see. ing eyes.
 ] And this Is the end7" she asked 1 him. She spoke very bravely.
 Nor His hand frightened on hers. No. so long as an ounce of strength remains. To tight-never to give up may God give me spirit for It till l die"
 And this was DO idle prayer. His eyes raised to the starry sky as be spoke.
 But. son." Lennox asked him rath- | CT quietly. what can you do? The wolves aren't going 10 wait q great deal longer, and we cant go on" | "There's one thing more-one more l trial to make," Dan answered. "l thought about 1t at first. but Il was too long chance to try If there was any other way. And I suppose you though, | of lt too"
 "Overtaklng Cranston?"
 "Of course. And It sounds like a crazy dream. But listen. both of you. If we have got to die. up here in the ! snow-and 1t looks like we had-what is the thing you want done worst be fore we go?"
 Lennox's hands clasped. and he leaned forward on the sled. Pay | Cranstonl" :" he said.
 "Yesw Dams voice rang. "Crans- tons never going to be paid unless We do 1t. There will be no signs Of in- Cendiarism at the house, and no ! proofs. They'll find our bodies in the snow, and we'll Just be a mystery, 1 with DO one made to pay. The eyi- dence In my pocket will be taken by CranSton, some time this winter. If i don't make him pay, he never will pay. And that's one reason why I'm going to try to carry out this plan I've got. 'The second reason Is that It's the one hope we have left. take it That 1 none of us are deceived on that point. And no man can die tamely-if he is a mun-whlle there's a chance. mean a young man like me-not one who is old and tired, It sounds perfectly silly to talk about finding Cranston'S win ter quarters. and then, with my bare hands. COnuuering him, taking his food and his blankets and his snOwShOes and his rife. 10 fight away these wolves. and bringing em back here"
 You wouldn't be barehanded," the girl reminded him. You could have the pistol"
 He didn't even seem to hear her. I've been thinking about it. It's a long, long chance-muCh worse than the chance we had of getting out by straight walking think We could have made It, if the wolves had kept of and the snOwShOe hadn't broken. IL would have nearly killed us. but | believe we could have got out. That's why didn't try this other way first. A man with his bare hands hasn't