The Snowflake herald., 1923-02-09

But before the question was flnlshed,
a strange note had come into his voice.
1t was as If his attention had been
called from his words by something
much more momentous. The truth
was that it had been caught and held
by q curious expression on the girls
face. All at once she Sprang t" her
feet.
"BruceI" she cried. Perhaps
there's a way yet. A long, long
chance, but maybe a way yet. Get
your rifie-Simons Is brOken-and
come with me-"
Without waiting for him to rise she
struck off into the storm, following
the huge footprints of the bear. The
man struggled with himself, sum-
moned all that was left of his reserve
supply of strength, and leaped up. He
snatched his rifle from the ground
where Simon had thrown it, and in an
instant was beside her. Her cheeks
were blazing.
maybe 1t just means further tor
ture," she confessed to him, "but don't
you want to make every effort we can
to save ourselves? Don't you want to
fight till the last breathe"
She glanced up and saw her answer
in the growing strength of his face.
Then his words spoke too. GAS long
as the slightest chance remains" he
replied.
"And you'll forgive me if it comes
to nothing"
He smiled dimly. She took fresh
heart when she saw he still had
strength enough to smile. "You don't
have to ask me that"
"a moment ago an idea came to
met came so straight and sure it
was as if a voice told me-" she ex-
planned hurriedly. She didn't look at
him again. She kept her eyes intent
upon the great footprints in the snow.
To miss them for a second meant, in
that world of whirling snow, to lose
them forever SIT was after the bear
had killed Simon and had gone away
He acted exactly as if he thought of
something and went out to do tex
actly as if he had a destination in
seemed to die in him and he started
off in the face Of the storm. I've
watched the ways of animals too long
not to know that he had something in
view. 1t wasn't food; he would have
attacked the body of the horse, or
even Simon's body. If he had just
been running away or wandering, he
,fAI
against it. He was weakened from the
fight-perhaps dying-and / think"
He finished the sentence for her
breathlessly. "That he's going toward
shelter"
"Yes. You know, Bruce-the bears
hibernate every year. That's my one
! hope nOw-that the Killer has gone
to some cave he knows about to hiber-
nate until this storm is over. l think
from the way he started off, so sure
and so straight, that it's near It
would be dry and out of the storm
and If we could take it away from
him we could make a fire that the
snow wouldn't put out. 1t would
mean life-and we could go on when
the storm is over"
"You remember--we have only one
cartridge"
"Yes, l knOw-I heard you fire. And
it's only thirty-thirty at that. It's a
risk-as terrible a risk as we've yet
run. But it's a chance"
They talked no more Instead, they
walked as fast as they could into the
faro
more swiftly than the bear, and they
could tell by the appearance of the
tracks that they were but few yards
behind him.
They soon became aware that they
were mounting a low ridge. They
left the underbrush and emerged into
the open timber. And all at once
Bruce, who now walked in front,
paused with lifted hand, and pointed.
Dim through the f1urries they made
out the outline of the bear. And Lin
da's inspiration had come true.
There was ledge of rocks just in
front-a place such as the rattle
snakes had loved in the blasting sun of
summer-and black hole yawned In
AeS cANS' AAC upCItuiC IdO DceI dlIlOSI
covered with the snow. and they saw
that the great creature was scooping
away the remainder of the white drift
with his paw. AS they waited, the
opening grew steadily wider, revealing
the mouth of little cavern In the
face of the rock
"Shoot!" Linda whispered. "If he
gets inside we won't be able to get
him out"
But Bruce shook his head then stole
nearer. She understood; he had only
one cartridge. and he must not take
the risk of wounding the animal. The
fire had to be centered on a vital
place
He walked steadily nearer until It
seemed to Linda he would advance
straight into reach of the terrible