Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-10-13
By EDISON MARSHALL
Author of 1.-The Voice of the Pack

he froze again into a lifeIess gray
| patch In the thickets. There were
light steps on the trail Again they
were the steps of deer-but not of the
great. wary elk this time Instead it
was just a fawn, or a yearling doe at
least, such creature as had not yet
learned to suspect every turn in the
trail. The forest gods had been good
10 him, after ALL
He peered through the thickets, and
In moment more he had 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 a 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
iii pursuit Of the running wolf. He
was too enraged to stop TO think that
Il grizzly bear has never yet been able
to overtake n 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
that this wild chase was fairly good
tactics, after all The chances for
meal were still rather good. The
fawn and the wolf were in the open
now, and it 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 it.
In this case, the wolf would do that
part of the work for him. 1t was just
a 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 sharp cIang
of metal behind him and an answering
shrek of pain-sounds that In its
terror it heard but dlmly. But 1t was
an unIooked-for and tragic reality TO
the wolf. His leap was suddenly ar
rested In mfd-air. and he was hurled
to the ground with stunning force.
Cruel metal teeth had seized his leg.
and a strong chain held him when he
tried TO escape. He fought II with
desperate savsgery. The fawn leaped
on to safety.
But there was no need of the grizzly
its 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 |
prlsoned and helpless in one OF Hud- |
Sons traps.
.
In the first gray OF morning, Dave |
Turner started back toward his home.
I'm 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 hour-as soon as ii was
light enough to see-Bruce was finish
ng his breakfast in preparation for
he last lap of his journey He had
passed the night by spring on long
'idge almost In eye range OF Hudson's
amp. Now he was preparing TO dip
Town into the Killers glen.
Turner and Hudson followed up the
title creek.
The first of Hudson's sets proved
mpty. The second was about turn
n the creek, and a wall of brush made
impossible for him to tell at q dis
ance whether or not he had made a
atch. But when still a quarter Of q
lille distant. Hudson heard a sound
hat lie thought he recognized. Ii was
high. sharp, ag5nzed bark that
immed into a low whine. Il believe ,
We got coyote or wolf up there
e said They FASTENED their steps.
The whole picture doomed suddenly
efore their eyes There was no wolf I
the trap. The steel had sprung. {
srtainly, but only bideous fragment Z
Z a foot remained between the jaws. :
he bone had been broken sharply
\, as q man might break match 10 ,
i fingers There was no living wolf D
he had gone out OF fhs gray body h
any minutes before The TWO men 4
~ ell these things as 3 background :
lly dim details shout the central !
gure Bur the ming thai fr0zs them h
their fEscks Win terror Was me Il
,esf. xrsy form 81 the Killer MOI
Fenty feel distant beside The man 4,
20 body 0f fhe VOL y
The events ihsi follosea thereafter Z
...a Ia .lleh ulllck sufressIuu AZ Ia i.