Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1922-01-06
The Voice Of the Pack
BY EDISON MARSHALL.
By EDISON MARSHALL

January brought clear days and an :,
inenective sun shining on the snow.
These were the best days Of all. Every
afternoon Dan and Snowbird would |
60 out on their skis or on snowshoes,
unarmed except for the pistol that |
Snowbird carried In the deep pocket |
OF her mackinaw. "But why noty Dan |
replied to Lemons objection. "She |
could kill I'VE wolves with FIVE shots, |
or pretty near 1t, and you know well
enough that that would hold 'em till
We got home. They'd stop to eat the
nve. have hard enough time keep
Ing up with her as 1t Is, without carry
Ing rifle" And Lennox was content.
Dan had told the truth when ne said
that Ave deaths or even fewer, would
repel the attack of any wolf pack he
had ever seen. There was just one
troubling thought. He had heard, long
ago. and he had forgotten who had
told him, that in the most severe win
tiers the wolves gather in particularly
large packs; and a quality in the song
that they had heard at night seemed
to bear It out. The chorus had been
exceptionally loud and strong, and he
had been unable to pick out individual
voices
The snow was perfect for skiing
Previously their sport had been many
times interrupted either by the fall of
fresh snow or thaw that had soft
ened the snow crust; but now every
afternoon was too perfect to remain
indoors. They shouted and romped In
the silences, and they did not dream
but that they had the wilderness all to
themselves. The fact that one night
Lemons keen eyes had seen what
looked like the glow Of a camp fire
in the distance didn't affect this belief
of theirs At all. 1t was evidently just
the phosphorus glowing In a rotten log
from which the winds had blown the
snow.
Once or twice they caught glimpses
Of wild life: once a grouse that had
buried In the snow flushed from their
path and blew the snow-dust from its
wings; and once or twice they saw
snowshoe rabbits bounding away on
nat feet over the drifts. But just one
day they caught sight Of wolf. They
were on snowshoes on a particularly
brilliant afternoon late in January.
He was q lone male, evidently 9
straggler from the pack. and he leapet
from the top Of q tall thicket that hat
remained above the snow. The mar
and the girl had entirely different re
actions. Dams first impression wa
amaxement at the animals condition
It seemed to be in the last stages o
starvation: unbelievably gaunt. witt
rib bones showing plainly even through
the furry hide. Ordinarily the hcavil,
furred animals do not show signs o
famine; but even an inexperienced ey
could not make q mistake In this case
The eyes were red. and they carrie
Dan back to his first adventure in tn
Oregon forest-the day he had sho
the mad coyote. Snowbird thought o
the beast only as an enemy. The wolve
killed her fathers stock; they wer
brigands Of the worst order; and sh
!. shared the hatred of them that Is
common trait of all primitive peoples
Her hand whipped back, seized her pis
!. tol. and she fired twice at the fleein
. figure.
The second shot was a hit: both o
them saw the wolf 60 to Its side. the
spring up and race on. Shouting. bot
, Of them sped after him.
In q few moments he was out Q
sight among the distant trees. but the
found the blood-trail and mushed owe
the ridge. They expected at any me
ment to nnd him lying dead; but III
} track led them on clear down the mex
: canyon. And now they cared not a
all whether they found him: Il wa
, simply tramp In the out-of-doors
, and BOTH Of them We're young with re-
blood In their veins.
But all 1t once Dan stopped In hi
tracks. The girl sped on for SIX pace
before she missed the sound OF hi
snowshoes; then she turned to An
: him standing. wholly motionless. wit
eyes fixed upon her.
II startled her. and she didn't kno'
why. A companion abruptly freesin
! In his path, his muscles inert, and hi
| SSNS WIN oRVNusoNsS"s ~ "''"'
startling. When this occurs II mean
/. simply that thought 30 compellin
= add engrossing that even the hal
, unconscious physical functions. sue
. as walking, cannot continue. has con-
! into his mind. And It 10 part Of III
] old creed Of self-prsservation to dislil
!. greatly to be left out on any sue
thought ~ this. II danger IL presen
, the sooner II 10 Identified the better.
"What ia III" she demanded.
He turned to her curlously inten
. "How many shells have you In this
. pistolr'
. She took one breath and answere
D him. 1T holds ave, and shot twic
I I haven't any others"
4 "And don't suppose It ever o
|. CURED to you to carry extra ones
r your pocketr'
. "Fathsr IL always telling me to-an
several times ! have. But I'd shot
0 them away at target practice and 70
get to take any more. There was nevs
( any danger-except that night with