The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1922-12-07

light steps on the trail. Again they
were the steps Of deer-but not Of the
great, wary elk this time. Instead 1t
was just fawn, or yearling doe at
least, such a creature as had not yet
learned to suspect every turn In the
trail. The forest gods had been good
to him, after ALL
He peered through the thickets, and
in a moment more he had a glimpse Of
the spotted skin. 1t was almost too
easy. But even as the KILLER watched,
the prize was simply taken out of his
mouth. A gray VOLTA savage old
male that also had just finished an
unsuccessful hunt-had been stealing
through the thickets in search Of
lair, and he came out on the trail not
fifty feet distant halfway between the
bear and the fawn. The one was al
most as surprised as the other The
fawn turned with frightened bleat
and darted away; the wolf swung into
pursuit.
The bear lunged forward with a
howl Of rage. He leaped into the trail
mouth, then ran as fast as he could
In pursuit of the running wolf. He
was too enraged to stop to think that
grizzly bear has never yet been able
to overtake wolf, once the trim legs
got well into action. At first he
couldn't think about anything; he had
been cheated too many times. His
first impulse was one Of tremendous
and overpowering wrath--a fury that
meant death to ethe first living crea,
ture that he met.
But in a single second he realized
that this wild chase was fairly good
tactics, after ALL The chances for a
meal were still rather good. The
now, and 1t was wholly evident that
the gray hunter would overtake the
quarry in another moment. It was
true that the Killer would miss the
pleasure Of Staying his own game
the ecstatic blow to the shoulder and
the bite to the throat that followed 1t.
In this case, the wolf would do that
part of the work for him. It was just
simple matter of driving the crea-
ture away from his dead.
But at that instant fate took hand
in the merry little chase. To the
fawn. 1t was nothing but sharp clang
of. metal behind him and an answering
sshriek Of pain-sounds that In its
terror 1t heard but dimly. But 1t was
an unlooked-for and tragic reality to
the wolf. His leap was. suddenly ar
rested in mid-alr, and he was hurled
to the ground with. stunning force.
Cruel metal teeth had seized his leg,
and strong chain held him when he
tried to escape. He fought 1t with
desperate savagery. The fawn leaped
on to safety.
But there was no need Of the grizzly
continuing it's pursuit Everything had
turned out quite well for him, after
all. A wolf is ever so much more fill
Ing than any kind of seasonal fawn;
and the old gray pack leader was i'm
prisOned and helpless In one Of Hud-
sons traps.
In the first gray of morning. Dave
Turner started back toward his home.
"Tll go with you to the forks In the
trail" Hudson told him. II want to
take look at some Of my traps, any
how"
At the same hoVr-as soon as 1t was
light enough to see-Bruce was finish
ing his breakfast In preparation for
the last lap Of his journey. He had
passed the night by spring on long
ridge almost in eye range of Hudson's
camp. Now he was preparing to dip
down into the Killers glen.
Turner and Hudson followed up the
little creek.
The first OF Hudson's sets proved
empty. The second was about turn
In the creek, and wall of brush made
1t impossible for him to tell at dis
lance whether or not he had made a
catch. But when still quarter of a
mile distant, Hudson heard sound
that he thought he recognized. 1t was
high, sharp, agonized bark that
lAIO q INV WulAC, UCAiCNO
I've got coyote or a wolf up there"
he said. They fastened their steps.
The whole picture doomed suddenly |
before their eyes. There was no wolf |
in the trap. The steel had sprung, |
certainly, but only hideous fragment |
of foot remained between the jaws. |
The bone had been broken sharply |
off, as a man might break match in |
his fingers. There was no living wolf
Life had gone out of the gray body |
many minutes before. The two men
saw all these things as a background |
only-dim details about the central I
figure. But the thing that froze them
In their tracks with terror was the
great, gray form of the Killer, not
twenty feet distant, beside the man.
gled body Of the wolf.
The events that followed thereafter
came in such quick succession as to
seem simultaneous. For one fraction
OF an instant all three figures stood
the two men staring, the
vrizzlv halfloanir0 0vor hfc nrnv hia |