Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-04-01

the snow at his feet. and excitedly
strained at his leash. To Steele's
eyes the fiat floor OF the snow lay nm
broken 10 the darkness. but the Indian
on his knees whispered in terror /:
''Eet ees beeg trail!"
-GoOdlr And the hound free.
plunged ahead into the murk Short
". his deep voice doomed through the
forest and the hunt was on.
AS they swung through, the blue
gloom OF spruce was less deep. the
great dog left them. Again. as they
followed. the voice on the shoulder OF
the hin defIed the night. AS It rose
In crescendo, a rifle shot sliced II
short or. Far above. the hound gave
voice. Then silence fell on the forest.
They've seen him !" said Steele.
HE may back track keep lookout
Don't shoot too quick or wen turn
hint"
There was no reply. He looked for
his companion. but Little Jacques had
gone.
Throwing The bolt OF his Mannlicher
to clear II Of frost and ease the action,
Steele kept on up the ridge For min
utes now, he had not heard the voice
OF the hound. when again the resonant
bass doomed through the silence
above him. The dog had turned. The
thing was headed back. Eoosing his
skinning-knife In Its sheath, the man
cooked his rife and waited, kneellng
on shoe his eyes boring into the
blackness.
Near him. and below. was an open
ing in the timber. Again. the hound
bayed-closer now. The beast was
taking his back tracks. Then Steele
saw H.
Bounding from the cover Of the
scrub on the edge Of the opening, a
dark shape stopped, and reared up
right. as If listening the Mann
lIcher spat
The beast leaped back into the
black wall Of spruce. Again. the rife
famed into the murk
Still crouched on a knee, the man
listened, rife rigid. Sights useless.
he had fred by instinct There had
been no thud Of bullet in flesh. Could
he have missedl
Slipping two shells into the maya
zine. he circled In the timber, lifting
his shoes to avoid the click. Blind
now. for the moon was masked. ne
listened for heavy breathing in the
scrub he faced-then the hound
plunged past and be knew he had
missed.
Following the dog Steele turned
down the ridge. but in an hour was
distanced. So he stopped In a cedar
swamp, cut wood with his belt ak.
and scoopIng out the snow with his
shoe, lighted fire.
In the cover OF the thick cedar the
hot fire soon warmed him and with
back against q trunk he dozed, only
to waken with a start as a hand
touched his shoulder. He bIlnked into
the faces of David and Michel
Fooled as agalni" groaned the dis
heartened Steele.
@At daylight we take De trail and
zee heem soon. De dog weel tree
heem.
Heaping up the fire the three men
iozed until daylight, then took the
trail OF the beast and his pursuer (.
through the snow.
Somewhere ahead, Steele felt that
he pursuit was over Somewhere, Z
niles away, the beast had tired In the :
lack hours and turned at bay to bat
lie in the snow with his reIentlers
'oe; or else In terror OF the voice OF :
he thunder which he could not shake !,
rom his heels. had freed :
Up over ridges and into creek bot =
oms Travelled the anxious men, stop
ing to listen for the voice Of the dog.
Tut the cold silence Of sunrise gripped
be forest ~
At last the tracks led into heavy 81
tand Of young spruce. The men sep g
rated, and cautiously made their way 10
trough the close growth. q
Suddenly the blood OF Steele chilled y
3 he heard the voice OF Michel. "By IN
arr Poor Of Pete I. %
Forcing his way through the sap e
ngs, he found the Iroquois bending ca
YER q bIo0d-smeared shape, stIn In OF
cath. The hide OF the dog hung in 10
rips from the slashes OF terrible pc
avs, while Q torn throat marked the IN
cath snap Of the fangs OF the Win ny
go. ns
GRO BE cOETIEUwp.D to-
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