The daily Alaskan., 1922-04-25

The Fruy circle about The fire woS growing impatient. SnOwhird waited lp the inst instant before she admitted this fact. But lt IS possible only SO long to deny the truth of q thing thst all the senses verify, and that moment for her was past.
 She noticed that when she went Co her bands and knees. lahOrjOuNIy TO cut a piece of the drter wood from fhp rnln-Soaked routed Snag that was her principal supply of fuel. every wolr would leap forward. only to draw bucy wheL she stood straight again. She worked desperately to keep the nre burning bright. She dared not neglect It for a moment. Except for the. single pistol ball that she could afford to eN' pend on the wOIyeS-Of the three she had-the fire was her last defense.
 But lt was losing fight. The raln- soaked wood smoked without flame, the comparatively dry core with which Dan had started the Ire had burned down. and the green wood. hacked with such heart-hreaking difficulty from the saplingS that Dan hud cut, needed tue most tireleSs attention to burn al all.
 Her nervous vitality was flowing from her in frightful stream. To-" long she had tOIled without food in the constant presence of daE'er, and she was very near indeed to utter eX- hauStiun. But al the same time she knew she must not faint. That was one thing she could not dO-to fall un' conscious before the last of her three cartridges was expended ln the right way.
 Again she went forth to the sopIins, and this time lt seemed to her that if she simply tossed the ax through the air. she could fell one of the gray crowd. But when she stopped to pick it up-she didn't finish the thought She turned to coax the fire. And then she leaned sobbing over the sled.
 "What's the use?" she cried. He won't come back. What's the use of fighting any more?"
 "There's always use of fighting" her father told her. He seemed to speak with difficulty, and his face looked strange and white. The cold and the exposure were having their effect on his weakened system, and unconscious ness was near shadow indeed. But dearest-If could only make you do what I want you to-"
 "What?"
 You're able to climb a tree, and if you'd take these coats. you wouldn't freeze hy morning. If you'd only have the strength"
 And see you torn to pieces"
 "Tm old. dear-aud very tired--and I'd crawl away Into the shadows, where you couldn't see. There's no use mine ing words. SnowbIrd. You're brave girl-aIwayS have been since a little thing. as God Is my Judge-and yon know we must face the truth. Better one of us die than hOth. And ] prom Ise-Tll never feel their fangs. And l won't take your pistol with me either"
 Her thought flashed to the clasp hunting knife that he carried In his pocket. But her eyes lighted, and she bent and kissed him. And the wolves leaped forward even at this.
 wen stay It out" she told him. Wen fight 1t to the last-just as Dan would want us to do. Besides-it would only mean the some fate for me. in a little while. ] couldn't cling up there iorever-und Dan won't come back"
 {" She was wholly unable to gain on the fire. Only by dint of the most heart-hreaking toll was she able to se- cure any dry fuel for 1t at all. Every length of wood she cut had to he scraped of bark, aud half the time the