New Britain herald., 1922-01-09
(Continued From Last Issuc.)

ering even a portion of the heart it. self And yet the grizzly sprang like a demon through the deep snow, straight toward him,
 Nirginia's horrified eyes saw his fingers race as he worked the lever action of the gun. The bear seemed almost upon him. And she screamed when she heard the impotent click of the hammer against the breech, Bill had fired the single shot that was in the gun.
 Before ever he heard the sound Harold remembered. In one wave of horror he recalled that he had for gotten to refill the magazine with shells. Yet leaping fast--red and deadly upon the heels of his remorse there came an emotion that scared him like wall of fire. He saw Bil's fate.
 Here was his enemy the man he hated above all living creatures, and the blood lust surged through him like a madness. In one wave of ecstasy he felt that he was about to see the qualification of his hatred.
 Tn the hands of brave and loyal man, the rife Harold carried might yet have been Bills salvation. Yet Harold didn't lift it to his shoulder.
 But at that instant aid came from an unexpected quarter. Virginia re- membered the pistol at her belt, and she drew it in flash of blue steel. True and straight she aimed toward the glowing eyes of the grizzly.
 At the angle that they struck, her bullets did not penetrate the brain; but they did give Bill an instants re- prieve. The bear struck at the wounds they made. then halted. bawl- ing, in the snow. His rowing eye caught sight of Virginia's form. With a roar he bounded toward her.
 The next instant was one of drama, of incredible stress and movement. For all his mortal wounds, the short distance between the bear and the girl seemed to recede with tragic swiftness.
 Virginia stood her ground, firing shot after shot into the animals head. Because it was an automatic she was able to send home the loads in rapid succession.
 But Bill by now had found one of the extra shells Harold had given him.
 The grizzly was upon them
 He dropped the shell into the gun. There was no time to raise the wea- pon to his shoulder. He pointed it instinctively toward the gray throat. And the end of the barrel was against the bears flesh as he pressed the trig ger.
 No human eye could follow the lightning events of the next fraction of a second. One instant, and the three figures seemed all together: Bill crouched with rife held pointed in his arms, Virginia behind him, the grizzly full upon them both.
 The next. and Harold stood alone in the snow and silence-awed, terrified, and estranged as if in a dream.
 Except for three forms that lay still, half buried and concealed in the drifts it was as if the the adventure had never occurred
 The bullet had gone true. It had pierced the animals neck. breaking the vertebrae of the spinal column, and life had gone out of him as a flame goes out In the wind.
 Bill was first to move. He had re- ceived only a glancing blow; the drifts into which he had fallen were soft as pillows. He crawled over to Virginia's side.
 He seized her shoulders and shook her gently.
 Instantly her eyes opened. Her full consciousness returned to her with a rush. She was not scratched, not even shocked by the fall, and she reached up quickly for Bill's hands. And instantly, with a laugh on her lips she sprang to her feet
 You killed him?" she asked.
 "Bear's all dead" he answered cheerfully.
 Tn the weeks they had been to- eether, Bill had always been careful never to try to show Harold in bad light It was simply an expression of the inherent decency of the man. he knew that Virginia loved him, that she had plighted her troth to him. and as long as that love endured and the engagement stood, he would never trv to shatter her ideals in regard to him.
 But Harold had sickening and ehastly fear of the sober query in Bills eyes.
 ''why did you give me an unloaded gun and tell me it was full?" Bill demanded. Except for a good deal of luck there'd been a smile on the face of the grizzly-but no Bill!
 And by the way" he went on. as he waited for his reply. T don't re- member hearing your gun go off dur ing the fray. You might explain that, too"
 T didn't shoot because I couldn't" Harold replied, earnestly. At frst you were between me and the bear and then Virginia was. It all hap pened so quickly that there was noth- ing I could do I can't imagine why I forgot to reload the rife. A man can't always member--everything. Thank God that it didn't turn out any worse than it did Bill nodded; the girls face showed unspeakable relief. They gathered about the gray grizzled form in the snow.
 Docs this-help our food problem any?" Virginia asked.
 Except in an emergency-no. Hes an old. tough brute. Strong as mink and hard as rock. It we don't pick LID some more game during the day. I'll hike over to my Twenty-three Mile cabin and get the supplies I've