Evening star., 1928-11-04

FORM OF
got time; they forgot all but the home
they were rearing for themselves. His
strength had increased. His day last
ed now from dawn till dusk, and. in
the hours given him, his labor told
enormously on. the result. The same
he realized, was true of Eleanor. She
went about her tasks with an ease
that spoke for itself
The problem of caring for the horses
was beginning to trouble them. But
one day the animals we're missing
Some time later they made out with
the field glass in one of the deeper
valleys. They know what's coming,
observed Eleanor. "It shows the times
short"
One day she cast bit of creased
soaked paper into the fire. She noticed
the translucent effect of the light SHIN
ing through 1t. Here's the window
we couldn't figure how to make" she
said 'Or, at least, it's start. i've
got it.! Wen take that letter paper In
my grip, paste it down on some cloth
there's some cheesecloth In my trunk
But on second thought, how will we
paste them on?" she cried. Flour
paste won't hold, and there's moth
ing else"
He looked thoughtfully about the
camp Where did we see those hoofs
with the skeleton of two dead deer?'
he asked.
up behind those rocks"
That's 1t. There's our clue. Well
boil them down.
He picked up the ak and disappeared
you've forgotten your rifle" she
called.
He slapped the big automatic at his
side and laughed. This is enough
The deer are dead"
HUMMING to herself Eleanor rear
ranged the sheets of paper on the
square of muslin. A great contentment
had come over her of late. Just now,
however, she was feeling nervous. There
was nothing to account for it--save that
Fred had left his rife. She picked up
the weapon gingerly. Once she had fired
it, and. because of her failure to hold
1t tight to her shoulder it had famed
her for days. She believed she would
know how to use it now. Why not?
she could make a very good score with
her little 90. She must try it later,
when this rush work was over.
Then, from the direction in which
Fred had gone came sharp, echoing
report, like the crack of great whip.
1t was the voice of the automatic. AS
she started to her feet it came twice
more in rapid succession. Then silence,
save for the sound of her own footsteps
as she sped along the path he had
taken. Yes, there was one other sound.
a cS~o haf hVOyYnINt
heart into her throat and her hand
down to the lever of the rifle. Her
nervousness had left her. To her own
surprise she had become cold as the
steel weapon she gripped in her hand.
Nothing could surprise her or frighten
her any more.
When she rounded the clump of rocks
around which the path led. 1t was with
no sense of aStonishment that she saw
Fred upon the ground while above tow
cred the monStrous form Of a grizzly.
She stopped short. The range was
perhaps a hundred feet and there was
every prospect that the red-mouthed
monster with the deep, piggiSh little
eyes would decrease 1t. But at the
instant of his start she flred-at the
great throat because she was afraid she
would miss the head. It was a fair
concession to her limited skill, but she
could see no evidence that the absurdly
small pellet had struck or in any way
checked the mountain Of rage that was
coming toward her. She aimed sue
cesSively at the broad chest, at the red
mouth, at the thick throat and sud-
denly she knew she had used four cart
ridges. There was one to go on. She
waited 1t was blank despair now
that, and hatred of what was about to
destroy them. But, at least she could
draw the beast away from Fred. She
turned and ran. Her ears told her when
she had reached her limit. She dodg-
ed behind a tree and turned. In her
very face she caught hot. foul breath,
an overpowering animal odor.
It was as If the rife had been a spear
in her hand. Something took her
muscles and controlled them. Like a
flash. holding tight with both hands, she
thrust with the muzZle. For a fraction
of a second it found its way into the
open mouth between the rows of gleam-
ing teeth. and in that fraction of a
second she pulled the trigger. Struck
by a mighty paw, the rifle flew from
her hand. Then she ran, desperately.
There was the sound OF running foot
steps All her heart cried out. Fred,
with the pistol in his hand. great cut
across his face, MS SIllTI tOIH IIOH
shoulder to waist. and such look on
his face as she had never seen. came
toward her. The look vanished when he
saw her unhurt.
"I-think he's dead" she said. "Oh
Fred, are you hurt?"
mot much"
Together they stood and watched the
still body. Then Fred approached and
went up to it. why" he shouted. you
blew the top of his head on. How IN
thunder"
''I stuck the rife In his mouth" she
said solemnly. ut was the only way
could hit him" And then his arm
shot out to catch her as she fell She
had quietly tainted. He picked her up
and carried her to the camp.
But she revived as he entered the
tent with her. 1.-The idea," she cried,
struggling out of his arms. Here I am
fainting, with you hurt. Are you much
hurt. dear?"
Nothing at all You be quiet for a
bit. I'll look after myself"
But she was so indignant at this that
he did not insist and submitted to first
aid and disinfectants for the Scratch on
his face.
IT came on him suddenly" he ex-
planned. Ran right into his arms. ]