The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-01-11
Continued From Yesterday,
XVIII.

Few wilderness adventures offer a
morc stern test 20 human nerves
than the frightfui rush OF mad.
dened grixzly. II typifies all that l.
primal and savage In tho Wild. the
insane rage that can ind relief only
In the cruel rcndins OF flesh; the
laundering power that no mere
mortal strength can withstand but
Ben was wootsmAn. lie had been
tried In the firc. lie knew that not
tho cavern depended upon this ono
shot. ana II was wholly character
istie of Wolf Darby that his eye
held true aud his arm was steady
as a wise oc iron.
He was aware that he must wait
until the bear was almost upon him.
IN order TO be sure TO send the bull
let home 20 q vital place. This
alone was a test requiring no small
measure of self-control. Tho instinct
was TO fire at once In the neon
light 1; was difficult 20 SEQ hts
sights. his only chance was 20 en-
large hts target 60 the last. outer
limit OF safety. He aimed for The
great throat. below the slaversns
Jaw.
His finger pressed back steadily
against the trigger. Tho slightest
fiinching, the smallest motion naight
yet throw off his aim The rife
spoke with a roar.
but this wilderness battle was not
yet done Tho ball went straight
home, down thru the throat. mush-
rooming and blowing on into the
neck. innictinx a wound that was
bound 70 be mortal within q few
seconds. The bear reooiied. but the
mighty engine Of It's life was not
yet destroyed. Its incaiculabIe fonts
OF vitality had not yet run down.
Tho grizzly bounded forward
again. The ball had evidently
msssed the vertehrac and spinal col.
umn. His crashing. thunderous
rear Of pain snothered instantly the
re- echoing report Of the rifle and
stfried the instructive cry that had
come 20 Ben's lips. He wa. a fores.
ter. and he had known OF old what
havoc . mortaily wounded bear can
wreak In a few seconds Of life. In
that strange. vivid instant Ben
knew that his own and the girls
life stfll hung IN the balance. with
the beam incilninx toward DEATH
The grizzly was In his death
agony. nothing more: yet In that
final convulsion he could rip into
shrets the powerful form that OPP
posed him. Ben knew, with a cold.
sure knowledge. that II he failed 70
clay the beast. n would naturally
crawl into ia lair for It's last breath.
A. this dreadful thought flashed
home he dropped the empty rife
and seized the Az that leaned
against . log Of spruce beside the
fire.
There vas no time AZ an 70
search out another shell ana lead
hss rita II the shock Of the heavy
bullet had not siackened the bears
pace he would not even have had
time 70 ssixs the Az Finally. n the
bear had not been AL but dead. In
his last. threshing agony. Bens
mortal strength could not have sent
home enc blow. A. II was they
found themselves facing each other
over the embers Of the fire. well
matched contestants whose stake
was life and whose penalty was
death. The grizzly turned his head.
caught sight Of Ben. identified him
as the agent Of his agony. and
iurched forward
Just In time Ben sprsng aside.
out Of the reach OF those terrible
forearrns. and his AZ swung might
fiy In the air. Its blade cleaned
and descended---a blow that might
hare easily broken the bears back
n IL had gone true but which now
seemed only 70 infuriate him the
more. The bear reared up. r~eled.
and iashed down: and dying tho he
was. he struck with Incredible pow.
err One slashing stroke Of that vast
forrraw. one slow closing Of those
cruel fangs upon skull or breast.
and life would have gone out Hike
. light. But Ben lcaped aside again.
and again swung down his ak.
These were but the first blows
Of terrific battle that carried like
. storm thru the sfiii reaches Of
the forest. Far in the distant tree
aisIes the woods people paused In
their nights occupation TO listen.
stirred and terrified by the throb
and thrill in the air; the grazing
caribou lifted his growing horns and
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