The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-01-12

as the slightest chance remains" h,
replied
"And you'll forgive me If 1t come.
! to nothing?"
He smiled dimly. She took fresl
heart when she saw he still hat
strength enough to smile. "You dom
have to ask me that"
"A moment ago an idea came Il
met came so straight and sure Il
was as If voice told me-" she ex
planned hurriedly. She didn't look al
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. "It was after the bear
mad 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
view. Didn't you see-his anger
seemed to die In him and he started
on In the face of the storm. I've
watched the ways of animals too long
N'~S ~ hhoW mat .lc lldu SOIlelUlHg
view. 1t wasn't food; he would have
attacked the body of the horse, or
even Simon's body. If he had Just
Deen running away or wandering, he
would have gone with the wind, not
against 1t. He was weakened from the
fight-perhaps dying-and 1 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. 1t
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, know heard you fire. And
it's only a thirty-thirty at that. It's a
risk-as terrible a risk as we've yet
run. But it's chance"
They talked no more. Instead, they
walked as fast as they could into the
face Of the storm. They walked much
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 thew
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 fiurries 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
its side. The aperture had been almost
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. eff 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 vital
place.
He walked steadily nearer until It
seemed tc Linda he would advance
straight into reach of the terrible
claws. The Killer turned his head
and saw Bruce. Rage famed again
In his eyes. He half-turned about;
then poised to charge.
The gun moved swiftly, easily, to
the mans shoulder, his chin dropped
down, his straight eyes gazed along
the barrel. In spite of his wound never
had human arms held more steady
than his did then. And he marked the
little space of gray squarely between
the two reddening eyes.
The finger pressed back steadily |
against the trigger. The rifle cracked |
IN the silence. And then there was a |
curious effect of tableau, long sec
ond In which all three figures seemed |
to stand deathly still.
The bear leaped forward, and It |
seemed wholly impossible to Linda |
that Bruce could swerve aside in time
to avoid the blow. She cried out in |
horror as the great paws whipped |
down In the place where Bruce had |
stood. But the man had been pre-
pared for this very recoil, and he had |
sprung aside just as the claws raked
past
And the Killer would hunt no more |
n Trails End. At the end of that
cap he fell, his great body quivering
strangely in the snow. The lead had /
gone straight home where it had been
aimed. and the charge itself had been
mostly muscular reflex. He lay still
1t last, gray, mammoth figure that |
vas majestic even In death.
No more would the deer shudder
With terror at the sound of his heavy
step In the thicket. No more would
he herds fly into stampede at the
sight of his great shadow on the