The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-01-07

along.
Bill took rather a new course TO
day. He bent his steps toward :
stream that he called Greek Despair
named for the fact that he had
once held high hopes OF finding his
lost mine along Its waters, only tC
meet an utter and hopeless failure
After proceeding a long distance
Bill glanced back IN warning and
pointed to an enhancing wilderness
picture, a hundred yards in front
In little glade and framed by
the forest stood q large bull carl
bon. flashing and Incredibly vivid
against the SNOW.
lncidcntly he made a first.clasl
taFget--one that It seemed impos
sible to miss.
"I'll take him. Harold shouted
T4et me take him"
In flash Harold realized that
here was bis opportunity; in one
stroke, ono easy shot, he could 10
Gus Virginla's admiration upon him
self.
But It was not the way Of sports
men, wandering In file In mountain
trails, to clamor for the first shot al
game, Whatever is said is usually
in solicitation to a companion tc
shoot; and Virginia felt oddly EN-
barrassed.
Hsrold's gun leaped TO his shout
der. The target looked too big tc
miss, but his bullet flung IN the
snow behind the animal.
The caribou's powerful limbs
pushed out in a mighty leap. Fren
zied, Harold shot again: but hit
nerve was broken and his self.con
.trol blown to the four winds. The
animal had gained the shelter Of
the thickets by now.
MY sights are or" Harold
shouted. "They didn't shoot with
In three feet OF where aimed
Damn such a gun"
II think we'd better look fol-
something else" said Bill dryly.
Then want you to carry ny
gun awhile, and let me take yours
It's all ready, and there's handful
.of extra shells. You ought to be
willing to do that, at least"
Harold had forgotten that bis
man was not his personal guide
subject to his every wish. He held
out gun and shells: and, smiling
Bill received them, giving his own
weapon in exchange.
But Harold's miss had not beer
his greatest sin. The omission tina,
followed was by all the codes Of
me hunting trails objectionable
He supposed that he had reftlled
his rifle magazine with shell be
fore he put It in Bills hands. In
his confusion and anger. he had for
gotten to do SO: and the only loao
that tho gun contained was that ia
the barrel. thrown In automatically
VIXEN the last empty shell was
elected.
XIII.
Several seasons before there had
been fatality on the hillside above
Creek Despair. An ancient spruce
tree had langulshed, withered and
died from sheer old age.
On the day that the three hunt
ers emerged on their snowshoes IN
search of meat for their depleted
larder, the wind pressed gently
against II. Because It's trunk was
rotted away it swayed aud fell
heavily.
The falling tree had made Il
frightful crash just over tho head
Of great grizzly. alternating fot
the winter, and even the deep coma
in which be lay was abruptly dis
solved.
He sprang up, ready to fight
His little, fierce eyes burned and
smolderc0 with wrath, he grunkcd
deep In his throat, and he pushed
out savagciy through the cavern
nav. 1t was only a step farther
through the spruce thicket into thu
sunlight.
Three figures two abreast and
one behind, came mushiug through
the little pass whore tho creel
flowed. Tho grizzly recognized
them in an instant as his heredi
tary foes.
His ears laid back, and he Ut
tered deep growl.
As he stepped. bis fore:eet swung
out, giving to his carriage aD AFRO
gancc and a swaggcr that would
have been amusing II It hadn't been
terrible. His wicked teeth cleaned
white in foam. and the hair stool
stiff at his shoulders.
Bills keen eyes saw the bear
first,
II was the last sight in the world
that Bill had expected.
There was no waiting this time to
offer the sporting opportunity to
Harold.
Virginia was not aware Of a lapse
Of time between the instant that
Bill caught sight OF the bear AMI
that In which his gun came leapiMl,
to his shoulder.
File had full confidence in tho
hard.hittIng vicious bullet In
Harold's thlrty:fivo, and most OF all
he relied on the four reserve shots
that he supposed lay in the rifle
magazine.
The grizzly dies hard: he felt
that all four OF them would be need.
ed 10 arrest the charge that would
likely follow his first shot.
He aimed for the great shoulder,
the region OF the lungs and heart.
Continued in Our Next Issue.l
Dish washing Is q different Job
with Blue Devil ClNanaer.-AdY.