The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-01-23

And from TIC savage powers of
Nature there came a strange and an
Incredible response. The wind
shrieked. then seemed TO whip about
Ia the sky. completely changing al
rection. And AL at once the smoke
from the fire began 20 pour in upon
him. choking his lungs and filling
his eyes with tears.
NNlI
For tuil moment Bin gave little
attention 20 the deepening clouds Of
pungent. biting wood smoke that the
wind whipped In thru the hole he
had cut in the door. Likely Il was
just a momcntary gust. shifting In
the air currents. and the wind would
} soon resume SIS normal direction. he
sides. the discovery that he had Just
made seemed TO hold and occupy all
tn. territory OF his thought. he was
scarcely aware OF the burning pain
that tho acrid rcxinous greenwood
smoke brought 60 hts eyes. This Was
the most bitter moment of his life.
and he was lost and remote in his
dark broodtngs. The smoke didn't
matter.
lilo began really 20 wonder about II
when the room grew 10 smoky that
Il no. longer received the freight.
The hole In the door was like fiue:
the snokc--the deadly green wood
smoke known u old TO the woods.
umn--strcamed thru in grr&t clouds.
lie had shut his eyes Mt first now
he found II inpoSAibiN 20 keep them
open The pungent smoke crspt into
his lungs and throat. burning like
fire. He knew that Il could no Ions.
er be disrrgarded-
II had been part II his wilderness
training 10 respond like lightning ia
a crisis Many times on the forest
trails life itself had depended upon
an instantaneous decision. then I'M
mediate effort TO carry the decision
out. The fawn that does not leap
Ike n serpenf's head az the first
crack OF a twig a. the wolf steals
toward him In the thicket never lives
20 grow antIers. The power TO act.
70 summon and focus the full might
.cf the muscles In the wink of ar
eve then 20 huri them into a breach
rad been Ellrs salvation many times
But tonight the power seemed gone.
For long seconds his muscles hung
inert He didn't know what to 40.
The capacity for mighty and IN.
Simultaneous effort seemed gone from
his body. His mind was slow too
bIunted. He could make no decisions
lie only seemed bewildsred and i'm
potent.
The truth was that EfIi had been
near the point Of utter exhaustion
from his days toll in the snow and
his labor Of building the fire The
vital nervous fluids no longer aprang
forth 10 his muscles at the command
Of his brain. they came tardiiy. IL at
alt The fountain OF his nervous
energy had simply run down as the
battery runs down In a motor. and
Il could only be rccharged by rest
Eut there was a deeper reason be.
hind this strange apathy. The last
hIow--the sight OF the photograph OF
his fathers murderer and its new
connection with his iife--had for the
tim. being AZ least crushed the fight.
ing spirit within the man. The fight
Tor life no onger seemed worth
while. In his bitterness he had lost
the power 70 carr.
The smoke deepened in the cabin.
1T seemed To be affecting his power
10 stand erect lie tried TO think OF
some way 10 save himself. his mind
was slow and dun.
He knew that he couldn't get out
OF the cabin There was only little
hole In the door: 10 crawl thru II.
inch BY inch an he had entered.
would subject him 10 the fun fury
Of the flames. Oh. they would scar
and destroy him quickly II he tried
20 creep thru them, All night they
had been hooking him with their
cheerful crackle. they had only been
waiting for this chance to torture
him He had TO spring high TO enter
the little hole at all. there was no
way 10 dodge the flames outside. But
he might knock the logs apart and
put the fire out.
There waa only a distance of two
pacss between him and the door. but
he seemed 10 have difficulty In max.
ing these. He reeled against the
his arms thru to reach the burning
logs. the cruel tongues stabbed at
his hands.
But In spite ~ the pain. he reached
again. The skin blistered on his
hands. and for long. horrible in.
slant he CROPPED irnpotentiy. The
flame was raging by now. two or
three pi,ch-laden spruce chunks biaz-
ing fiercely at once. and u aeened
wholly likely that the cabin Itself
would catch fire. But he couldn't
reach the logs.
The truth was thar the fame had
steadily melted the snow on which
the fire had been built, letting the
burning logs sink ever lower. I'm
less he could push his head ana
shoulders ru the opening. they
were hopclcssly out Of his reach.
fIe remembered his gloves then
and fumbled for them in his pocket.
The smoke could only be endured a
few seconds more. lie caught hold
the edge OF the opening and tried
10 spring up. But the flames beat
into his face and drove him down
again.
For moment he stood recling,
trying ~ think, trying TO remember
some resource, some avenue OF es-
cape. There was no furniture 10
stand on. n he could cover his face
he might be able 10 leap part way
thru the opening and knock the
|. burning logs apart. He tried 10 open
his snarting eyes. but the lids were
wrackei with pain and would not at
once respond. lie made It at last.
but the dense smoke was imperyious
n his vision. The freight gave II
ghastly pollcr.
His ax: with his Ak he could chop
the door away His hand fUmblcd
at bis belt But be remembered nov