The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1922-10-03

{ tiIf ~ AtAAt aIhin tAt tit NiAAtN
Who held Il did not even frs Ne WAS
standing jusi below The outsiretched
lnb II a tree. and the weapan fell
from bis hands as he swung up lnie
TIE ilmh The fae, that Hudson stood
weaponless. ten feet away in the clear
ing. tid pot deter him ia The least
Ne human flesh could stand against
that charge The vas, paw fsll with
rcslstiess furoe aud 40 need arose ffr
second blow. The trappers body
was struck down a. II felled hy a
meteor. aad the power Of The impact
forced IL deep Into the carpet of pine
needles. The savage creature turned.
the white fsngs caught the llght 10 The
open mouth The head lunged toward
the mans shoulder.
No man may say what agony llud.
son would have endured IN the last
fsw Seconds of his life n the Killer
had been given time aud opportunity
His usual way was TO llngcr long
sharp fangs closing again and again
until an living likeness was destroyed
The blood lust Was upon him there
would have been no mercy TO .the iy-
lnr creature in the pine needles Yet
Il transpired that Hndsons flesh was
not 90 know those rending fangs a
second time,
On the hillside above. a stranger "a
this land had dropped 10 his knee a.
the shrubbe... his rife lifted 10 the
level of his eyes, II was nrnce. who
had come IN time 60 see the charge
through a rift Ia the trees
The bear was on Hudson. and the
man had gone down. before Bruce
even interpreted him. Then Il was
just n gray patch. full three hundred
yards away. His instinct was 20 throw
the gun 20 his shoulder and fire with.
out aiming yet be conquered Il with
an iron will But he did move quickly
He dropped 70 hls knee me verv scc-
ond that tAc rln lcyicd e. ha >Auul.
der lie ee.aed Ga AnuW that fnsn
lower position the Target would be
more clearly resca.sd The iiheef
pressed back against thv trigger
The disiguce was FAR. Bune WAS
not practrcl r.le slais a3d d bef
dered 90 The mimculous thnl his lead
went anywhere nenr ihe hours be,ll
And Il Wus true thai the boli,s dl1
not rNch vital place Il siun= iike
a wasp a ihe killers hank. however
cutting shallow resh wound liui n
was enough % take his arpadfai aiisn
tien from the marlnlly wumded Tap
per IA the pine neesllef
lie whlrlea about. growing furious
Is aad billing at the wound Then hc
stood silll. turning hls gaEe urzt to ihe
pale face of Dave Turner thirty feet
above iin N The pine TIE elcs gipwed
IN fury and hatred he bad found
men out ~ last. they died even more
easily than the faWn lie started TO
turn hack 10 the fallen. and Tie rife
spoke again.
II WIS a complete miss this time;
yet the bear ieapcd IN fear when the
bullet thaackcd into the dust beside
him. lie did nDi walt for a ihlrl. Ills
caution suddenly returning 10 him.
and perhaps his anEer somewhat satl.
ated By the blow be had dealt Hudson
he crushed into the security of the
thickef.
Bruce waited a single instant hop
Ing for another glimpse ~ the crea.
tnre: then rnn down 70 mid Hudson
But IN driving the bear from the trap
per's helpless body he had already
given ali the aid that be could Tn.
derstanding cawc q0lckiy lie had
arrived only n. time for the Depar
iure-iust n rllmnsr - light ns Il
n l"d Tho oius hsd been more Than
az m-a beng ould slrvise. even
.nn = was eni ring spun dat
,far.e 4n ~nieh often. SO merci.
fgily. immediately precesies death.
lie opened his eyes and looked with
some wonder into Bruce's face The
light in them vas dlmming. fading IKE !
a twilight. yet there was Indication Of
neither confusion nor deliria'n.
There wns. however some inalcnf.on
~ peHlexliy NJ the peculiar turn A.
fairs had taken YOU'RE not Dave /
Turner" he said wonderiugly
Dim though the voIce was. there |
was considerable emphasis in the tone
Hudson seemed quite sure of this |
point. whether or not be knew ans. /
thing concerning the dark gates be
was about 10 enter lie w0uidut have /
spoken greatly different II be had 1
been sitting in perfect health before
bis own camp IRE md the shadow was !
now already ~ deep bis eyes could
scarcely penetrate II.
NO Bruce answered. Dave Tur. /
ner is up a tree. lie didn't even wait /,
to shoot
OF course be wouldn't Hudson
spoke with assurance. Tie words /
dimmed az The end. and he haIftlosed 1
bis eyes os II he were too sleepy 10 J
stay awake longer. Then Brsce saw 1
4 strange thing he saw. unmistak.
ahls as the s8n IN the SKY. the signs
of a curious struggle IN the mans /
face.
The trapper-a moment before sink
Inc into the calm Of deafh-wae fghf.