Evening star., 1924-07-29

even thrust it's upper rim. pale and
golden, above the skyline. He re-
seivsT It as sign The days yss were
turning. But scarcely had the cheer
of it's light departed, than he went
into camp. There were still several
hours of gray daylight and sombre
twilight, and he utilised them in
chopping an enormous supply of fire.
wood.
With night came horror. Not only
were the starving wolves growing
bolder. but lack of sleep was telling
upon Henry. He dozed despite him
self, crouching by the fire, the blank
cts about his shoulders, the axe be-
tween his knees and on either side
a dog pressing close against him.
He awoke once and saw in front of
him. not a dozen feet away. a big
pack. And even as he looked, the
brute deliberately stretched himself
after the manner of lazy dog,
yawning full in his face and looking
IL, in truth. he were merely delayed
meal that was soon to be eaten.
This certitude was shown by the
whole pack. Fully a score he could
count. staring hungrily at him or
calmly sleeping in the snow. They
about spread table and awaiting
permission to begin to eat. And he
was the food they were to eat! He
wondered how and when the meal
would begin.
AS he piled wood on the fire he
discovered an appreciation OF his own
body which he had never felt before.
He watched his moving muscles and
was interested in the cunning mech
anism of his fingers. BY the light of
the fire he crooked his fingers slowly
and repeatedly, now one at a time.
oil hnr
wide or making quick gripping move
ments. He studied the nail-forma-
ton. and prodded the finger-tips, now
sharply, and again softly. gauging
the while the nerve-sensations pro
duced. 1t fascinated him. and he
grew suddenly fond of this subtle
flesh of his that worked so beauti-
fully and smoothly and delicately.
Then he would cast a glance of fear
at the wolf-circle drawn expectantly
about him. and like a blow the real
ization would strike him that this
wonderful body of his, this living
flesh, was no more than so much
meat a quest of ravenous animals.
hungry fangs. to be sustenance to
them as the moose and the rabbit had
often been sustenance to him.
He came out of a doze that was
half nightmare, to see the red-hued
she-wolf before him. She was not
sitting in the snow and wistfully
regarding him. The two dogs were
whimpering and snarling at his
feet, but she took no notice Of them.
some time he returned her look.
There was nothing threatening about
her. She looked at him merely with
a great wistfulness, but he knew it
to be the wistfulness of an equally
great hunger. He was the food, and
the sight of him excited in her the
gustatory sensations. Her mouth
opened, the saliva drooled forth, and
she licked her chops with the pleas
ure of anticipation.
spasm of fear went through him.
He reached hastily for a brand to
and before his fingers had closed on
the missile. she sprang back into
safety: and he knew that she was
used to having things thrown at her.
ing her white fangs to their roots, all
her wistfulneSs vanishing, being re-
placed by carniyorous malignity
that made him shudder. He glanced
att,tins at the hand and that held the brand;
the fingers that gripped it, how
they adjusted themselves to all
the inequalities of the surface, curl
ing over and under and about the
rough wood, and one little finger, too
brand, sensitively and automatically
writhing back from the hurtful heat
to a cooler gripping-place; and in
the same instant he seemed to see
vision of those same sensitive and
torn by the white teeth Of the She
wolf. Never had he been so fond of
this body of his as now when his
tenure of it was so precarious.
All night, with burning brands, he
fought off the hungry pack When
he dozed despite himself, the whim-
pering and snarling of the dogs
the first time the light Of day failed
to scatter the wolves. The man
waited in vain for them TO CO. They
remained rem in circle about him and
possession that shook his courage
born of the morning light.
He made one desperate attempt to
pull out on the trail. But the mo-
ment he left the protection of the
fire the boldest wolf leaped for him.
but leaped short. He saved himself
by spIinging back. the jaws swapping
together scant six inches from his
thigh. The rest of the pack was
now up and surging upon him, and
throwing of frebrands right and
left was necessary to drive them
back to a respectful distance.
Even in the daylight he did not
dare leave the fire to chop fresh
huge dead spruce. He spent half the
day extending his campfire to the
tree, at any moment half dozen
burning fagots ready at hand to
tree, he studied the surrounding for
est in order to fell the tree in the
direction of the most frewood.
The night was a repetition OF the
night before, save that the need for
sleep was becoming overpowering.
The snarling of his dogs was losing
its efficacy. Besides. they were snarl-
ing all the time, and his benumbed
and drowsy senses no longer took
note of changing pitch and Intensity.
He awoke with start. The She
wolf was less than yard from him.
letting go of it, he thrust a brand
full into her open and snarling
mouth. She sprang away, yelling
with pain, and while he took delight
in the smell of burning flesh and
hair. he watched her shaking her
head and growing wrathfully a
score OF feet away.
But this time, before he dozed
again, he tied a burning pine-knot
to his right hand His eyes were
burn of the flame on his flesh
awakened him. For several hours
he adhered to this program. Every
time he was thus awakened he drove
back the wolves with flying brands,
replenfshed the fire, and rearranged
the pine-knot ON his hand. All
worked we'll, but there came a time
when he fastened the pine knot in
securely. AS his eyes closed it fell
away from his hand
He dreamed. 1t seemed to him
that he was in Fort McGurry. 1t was
warm and comfortable, and he was
playing cribbage with the Factor.
Also, 1t seemed to him that the fort
was besieged by wolves. They were
bowling at the very gates, and some