Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1933-01-12
The Everlasting Whisper
CHAPTER XIV-Continued

She turned up the gorge. a tiny dark
figure In an immense white wilderness.
The snow was crisp. c%runching under
foot; sunny days had thawed, clear.
cold nights had frozen. and the crust
had begun to form. Before she had
gone a dozen feet she discovered this
and its Importance to her, where
Kings weight ON the snowshoes, along
a twicetraveled trail. had packed the
snow and where now the sun and cold
had done their work. there was a crust
which upbore her slight weight; she
could walk swiftly; there was to be
no more fioundering. She could run |.
And run she did. when she had
crested the first ridge ard had started
down the far side. 1t was like flying !
The crisp air cut her glowing cheeks,
her blood leaped along her veins; she
brenthed deeply. a great. uplifting
citation bore her along Love-God Is
love-smoothed the way before her !;
the stars ran with her, the great blaz-
Ing stars to which again and again
she lifted her eyes.
Despite the rags about her boots her
feet were con dangerously cold. but
always there was the trail King had
made. leading her on: where he had
gone before. she followed
Where he had made slow progress.
seeking game and breaking trail. she
went swiftly On the packed snow. So
she came al last to the final ridge,
whence. looking down into the canyon.
she saw the end of her trail. hanging
from a bent pine sapling was what she
knew must be his bear. Down the
steep slope she went. half sliding. half
rolling. In the bed OF the rayine she
landed softly In the drift, here she
rested. sitting in a nest of snow. And
there came suddenly out of the silence
a strange. q~uiyering cry, bursting out
upon her a sobbing. t~hrohbing scream
"A womanl" cried Gloria, aghast-
A woman In an agony of terror. she
thought Sudden terror leaped out
upon her. striking like q knife into
her heart Fear. banished all this
time. surprised her and clutched at
her throat and paraIyzed her mus
cles. Blind panic gripped her. Then
came the piercing scream again, and
with 1t enlightenment. and Gloria sank
back. seeming to melt into the snow
about her. Yonder. Just upon the next
ridge where the moonlight carved In
fine details the outline of q big bare
boulder. stood the thing that had
screamed. Long bodied and 1.-THE.
small-headed and merciIess. steeI-mus-
cled and chiselclawed. the big cat
from snarling jaws sent forth its al
most human call to cut across vast,
still distances.
Moving with the stealthy caution
which is It's birthrighf, the big cat APP
peared 1eetingly a score of feet lower
on the steep slope. 1t was coming on
Fascinated. Gloria sat like stone. with
never a thought OF the rife living
across her knees
The mountain lion leaped downward
softly from stage to stage. Of the
canyon side. paused under the pine.
lifted It's head. and sent forth again
Its hungry cry. All this time Gloria
sat breathless. the f~ear-fascination
still held her powerless- She watched
the animal crouch and gather its
strength and hnrl its lean body IN
ward The lion fell back. the ripping
claws having missed the meat bv
some two or three feet. and Gloria
heard the low %rumbling growl- Again
1t sprang. again it missed.
But in the end feline craft found
the way, and the cat set its paws
against the tree trunk, and began to
climb. Limbs broke under the two
hundred pounds of weight; the bark
torn under slipping paws. but
upward the sinuous body writhed-
Swiftly now 1t would come to Kings
kill.
King'si Gloria started; this was
Marks kill; he had stalked II. he had
many miles through deep snow.
TO get it. To get it for her as well as
for him. To keep the life In her-now.
without ii, King would die. And now
the lion was going to take it, While
she watched and did nothingi
AOh, God help mer. She sprang
to her feet. she jerked up her rife
and fired at the black bulk crawling
upward in the pine III shall not Fave
meat 1t shall notw
At the first shot the mountain lion
dropped through crashing branches
She had shot it-she had driven a
through its heart. God had
heard her. That was her first wild
But in a fash she saw that
1t was on its feet again. and that
with red mouth snarling 1t had swung
about, facing her; she saw the cruel
white teeth. wet and glistening.
fncoherent1y Gloria cried out. again
sick and shaken with terror. In an
other moment she would have the lean
powerful body leaping upon her. She
fired again and again. taking no time
for aim. as fast as she could work the
and pull the trigger; she was