The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-06-21
GNW-Llttle Brown Z Company

base blow, then dashed brutal blows
into Ben's face. The burst of strength
ebbed as quickly as it had come; his
legs wilted under him, and he sank
slowly to the ground
For few minutes they took little
notice of the prone figures at the far
edge of the fading freight. Attention
could be given them soon enough.
Their own triumph was beginning to
give way to deep fatigue.
Ben and Beatrice had talked softly
at first. accepting their fate at last
and trying to forget all things but
the fact of each others presence. His
right hand held hers close to his lips
and only she could understand the
message in it's soft pressure. But
presently her gaze fastened on some
object in the grass beside him..
Il see d way out-for us both"
she told him. She knew ne would
not misunderstood and dream that
she saw an actual avenue to life and
safety. Don't give any sign
Then hurry" he urged. They
may be back any instant. What is
it,"
"A way to cheat 'em-7to keep EN-
from torturing you-and to save
me from all the things they'll DO to
me-when you're dead. Oh Ben
you won't fail me-youll do it for
me-"
He smiled gently and strongly. DO
you think I'd fail you now?"
Then reach your good arm on the
other side There's a knife lying
there-your own knife-they knocked
out of my hand You know what to
do-frst me, in the throat-then your
self"
He turned. cropping with his hand
There was no use of waiting longer.
The knife lay just beyond his reach,
and softly he moved his body through
the grass.
But this gate to mercy was closed
before they reached it. A sudden
f1aring Of the fire revealed them-the
CLEAN Of the blade and Ben's stretch
ing hand-and Ray left his log in
a swift, catlike leap.
With a sharp oath Ray crushed the
blade into the ground with his heel;
then kicked viciously at the prone
body of his enemy.
His eye fell on a long. heavy club
Of spruce that had been cut for fuel
He bent and his strong hands seized
it.
AS he swung 1t high the girl
leaped between-with a last, frantic
effort, wholly instinctive-to shield
Ben's body with her own. Chan had
followed Ben, and sharing Rays fiend-
ish mood, jerked her aside.
Yet it was to be that Rays muir
derous blow was never to go home
A mighty and terrible ally had come
to Bens aid. He came bouncing from
the darkness, gaunt and dreadful
avenger whose code of death was as
remorseless as Rays own.
It was Ferris the wolf, and he had
found his master at last. Missing
him at the accustomed place in the
cave. he had trailed him 10 the lake
margin: a smell on the wind had led
him the rest Of the way. Like ghost
he had glided almost to the edg of the
freight, lingering there-Untll he had
made up his brute mind in regard TO
the strangers in the camp. But he
had waited only until he saw Ray
kick the helpless form before him
that of the god that Ferris. for all
the wild had claimed him, still wOr-
SHIPPED in his inmost heart. With
flendish. maniacal fury he had sprung
to avenge the blow.
And his three followers. trained by
the pack laws to follow where he led.
and keyed to the highest pitch by
their leaders fury. leaped like gray
demons of the pit IN his wake.
AS a young tree breaks and goes
down in the gale Ray Brent went
down before the combined attack of
the wolves.
Before ever Ray fell. Ben had taken
what measures of self-defense he
could in case the pack forgetting its
masters master. might turn on him
self and the girl. He had reached thu
knife hilt and severed the ropes about
the girls wrists. Stay behind me,
he cautioned. Don't move a muscle"
He saw Chan go down. seemingly
in a single instant, and he braced
himself against attack. Down. Fen
risr' he shouted. "Down-get down
The great wolf started at the voice,
p
at Ben with fierce. luminous eyes.
Down, down. boy" Ben cautioned.
in softer voice There, old fellow
-down-down."
Then Ferris whined in answer. and
Ben knew that he was no longer to
be feared The three lesser wolves
seemed startled. standing in a nervous
group, yet growing savagely and eye
ing him across the dying fire. Fenris
trotted slowly toward Ben. but with
the true instincts of the wild his fol-
lowers knew that this was no affair
Of fangs and death. He came In love,
in a remembered comradeship, just
as often he had led them to the mouth
of the cavern, and they did not I'M
derstand They slowly backed away
into the shadows, fading like ghosts.
Ben's arms. in unspeakable graft
tude, went about the shoulders of the
wolf. Beatrice. sobbing uncontrolably,
yet swept with that infinite thankful
ness of the redeemed, crept to his
side. Fenris whined and shivered in
the arms of his god
Quietude came at last to that camp
beside the lake. in the far hidden
heart Of Back There.
The wolves had gone Fenris's
three brethren had slipped away,
perhaps wholly mystif1ed and deeply
awed by their madness of a moment