Evening star., 1924-07-29

tions, until the campfire took on
the semblance of volcano.
But it could not last long. His
face was blistering in the heat, his
eyebrows and lashes were singed on
and the heat was becoming unbear-
able to his feet. With a flaming
brand in each hand, he sprang to the
edge of the fire. The wolves had
been driven back. On every side,
wherever the live Goals had fallen,
tie while a retiring wolf, with wild
leap and snort and snarl, announced
that one such live coal had been
stepped upon.
Flinging his brands at the nearest
e1 hts shs nso she sno
and stamped about to cool his feet
His two dogs were missing, and he
well knew that they had served as
had begun days before with Fatty,
the last course of which would
likely be himself in the days to
you amt got me yet" he cried,
savagely shaking his fist at the
hungry beasts; and at the sound of
his voice the whole circle was agi-
tated, there was a general snarl. and
the she-woh slid up close to him
across the snow and watched him
with hungry wistfulness.
idea that had come to him. He ex-
tended the fire into a large circle.
Inside this circle he crouched, his
sleeping outfit under him as a pro-
lection against the melting snow
When he had thus disappeared with
in his shelter of flame the whole
pack came curiously to the rim of
the fire to see what had become of
him. Hitherto they had been denied
access to the fire, and they now set
oyx alo
like so many dogs. blinking and
yawning and stretching their lean
bodies in the unaccustomed warmth.
Then the she-wolf sat down, pointed
her nose at a star. and began TO
howl. One by one the wolves Joined
with noses pointed skyward, was
bowling its hunger cry.
Dawn came, and daylight. The fire
was burning low. The fuel had run
out, and there was need to get more:
The man attempted to step out Of
his circle of fame. but the wolves
surged to meet him. Burning brands
made them spring aside, but they no
longer sprang back. In vain he
strove to drive them back. AS he
Gle a wolf leaped for him, missed,
and landed with all four feet in the
Goals. 1t cried out with terror, at
the same time snarling, and scram-
bled back to cool its paws in the
snow.
The man sat down on his blankets
in a crouching position. His body
leaned forward from the hips. His
shoulders, relaxed and dropping, and
his head on his knees advertised that
and again he raised his head to note
the dying down Of the fire. The cir
Gle of flame and Goals was breaking
into segments with openings in be-
tween. These openings grew in
size, the segments diminished.
"I guess you can come an get me
any time" he mumbled. Anyway,
I'm goin' to Sleep"
Once he awakened, and in an open.
ing in the circle, directly in front Of
him.
Again he awakened. a little later.
though 1t seemed hours to him. A
mysterious change had taken place
80 mysterious a change that he
was shocked wider awake. Some.
thing had happened He could not
understand at first. Then he dis
covered 1t. The wolves were gone.
Remained only the trampled snow to
show how closely they had pressed
ping him again, his head was sinking
down upon his kneea, when he reused
with a sudden start.
There were cries Of men, the churn
Of sleds, the creaking Of harnesses,
and the eager whimpering Of strain
the river bed to the camp among the
trees. Half q dozen men were about
the man who crouched in the center
Of the dying fire. They were shak-
ing and prodding him into con-
sciousness. He looked 1T them like
q drunkAn man and maundered In
strange. sleepy speech:
(Caltinued in Tomorrow's Star.l