The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-11-17

was too enraged to stop to think that
a 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 the first living crea-
ture that he met.
But in single second he realized
that this wild chase was fairly good
! tactics, after all. The chances for a
meal were still rather good. The
fawn and the wolf were In the open
now, and 1t was wholly evident that
the gray hunter would overtake the
quarry in another moment. 1t 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. 1t 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, it was nothing but a sharp clang
of metal behind him and an answering
shrek Of pain-sounds that In It's
| terror IT heard but dimly. But Ii was
an unlOoked-for and tragic reality TO
the wolf. His leap was suddenly ar
rested In mid-air, and he was hurled
to the ground with stunning force.
Cruel metal teeth had seized hts leg,
and strong chain held him when he
tried to escape. He fought it with
desperate savagery. The fawn leaped
on TO safety.
But there was no need of the grizzly
continuing its pursuit. Everything had
turned out quite well for him, after
all. A wolf is ever so much more ill-
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.
"rll go with you to the forks in the
trail" Hudson told him. 81 want to
take look at some of my traps, any
how"
At the same hour-aS soon as II 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 a 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 a wall of brush made
il impossible for him to tell at dis
lance whether or not he had made Il
catch. But when still quarter Of a
mile distant, Hudson heard sound
that he thought he recognized. 1t was
high, sharp, agonized bark that
dimmed into low whine, Il believe
I've got a 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 a 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 background
only-dim details about the central
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
motionless, the two men staring. the
grizzly half-leaning over his prey, his
mead turned, his little red eyes full of
hatred. He uttered one hoarse, saw
age note, sound in which all his
power were made manifest, whirled
with incredible speed, and charged.
Hudson did not even have time to
turn. There was no defense; his gun
was strapped on his back, and even
II 1t had been in his hands, its bullet
would not have mattered the sting of
bee in honey-robbing. The only
possible chance of breaking that dead
ly charge lay in the thirty-thirty deer
rifle in Dawes arms; but the craven
who held ii did not even fire. He was
standing just below the outstretched
limb Of a tree. and the weapon fell
from his hands as he swung up into
the limb. The fact that Hudson stood
weaponless. ten feet away in the clear
Ing, did not deter him In the least
No human flesh could stand against