The Hennessey Clipper (Hennessey, Okla.), Vol. 32, No. 36, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 9, 1921 Page: 4 of 6
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PP fr' ' v Xv I
noMDAt, rmom i, xm
Til HRRIiaiT OLIPPBB
«-
> !' !« v* .'•
The Voice
of the Pack
Be Edison Marshai.1.
(Copyright, 1SJ2U, Little, Hrown A Company}
(Continued from 1ns! issue
t i;H i ma (It* a wide detour, eotnliiK In
iibnnt thirty yards behind the constitu -
tion. Still he moved with incredible
caution. Never In his life bad be pos-
sessed a greater mastery fiver bis own
nerves. Ills heart leaped somewhat
fast in his own breast; but Ibis was
the only wasted motion. It isn't easy
to advance through such thickets with-
out ever a misstep, without the rustle
of a branch or the crack of a twig.
Certain of the wild creatures find it
easy; but men have forgotten how In
too many centuries of cities and farms.
It is hardly a human quality, and a
spectator would have found a rather
L'hastly fascination In watching the
lithe motions, the passionless face, the
bands that didn't shake at all. Ilut
there were no spectators—unless the
little band of wolves, stragglers from
the pack that had gathered on the bills
behind—watched with lighted eyes.
Han went down at full length upon
the snow and softly removed bis snow
shoes. They would be only an impedi-
ment In the close work that was sure
to follow. He slid along the snow
crust, clear to the mouth of the lean to.
The moonlight rioured through >:nd
showed fhe Interior with rather re-
markable plainness. Cranston was
sprawled, half-sitting, half-lying on a
tree-bough pallet near the rear wall.
There was not the slightest doubt of
the man's wakefulness. Dan heard
liiui stir, and once—as if at the mem-
ory of his deed of the day before—lie
cursed in a savage whisper. Although
he was facing the opening of the lean-
to. be was wholly unaware of Dan's
presence. The latter had thrust bis
bead at the side of the opening, and
H was in shadow. Cranston seemed
to be watching the great, white snow
tields that lay in front, and for a mo-
ment Dan was at loss to explain iliis
seeming vigil. Then he understood
The white field before him was | ait
of the long ridge that the three of i
tliem would pass on tlielr way to Ili«*
valleys. Cranston had evidently an
tlcipated that the grrl and the man
would attempt to march out—even if
he hadn't guessed they would try to
taUe the helpless Lennox with thcitl—
and he wished to l>e prepared for
emergencies. There might be spoi l 10
have with Dan, unarmed as he was.
And his eyes were full of strange con- 1
jectures in regard to Snowbird. I'.otli
would be exhausted now and helpless
Dan's eyes encompassed the room;
the piles of provisions heaped against
the wall, the snow shoes beside the
pallet, but most of sill be wished to
locate Cranston's rifle. Success or
failure hung on that, lie couldn't
find It at first. Then he *a the flit-
ter of Its barrel In the moonlight- —
leaning against a grub box possibly
six feet from Cranston and 10 from
himself.
His heart leaped. The best he bad
hoped for—for the sake of Snowbird,
uol himself—was that he would be
nearer to the gun than Cranston and
would be able to seize it first, lint
conditions could be greatly worse ilian
they were. If Cranston bad actually
bail the weapon in Ills- hands, the odds
of battle would have been frightfully
against Dan. It takes a certain length
of time to seize, swing, and aim a ri-
fle; and Dan felt that while he would
he unable to reach it himself, Cran-
ston could not procure it either, with-
out giving Dan an opportunity to leap
upon him. Hi all his dreams, through
the months of preparation, lie had pic-
tured it thus. It was the ttfst at last.
The gun might be loaded, and si ill—
la these days of .safety devices—un-
ready to tire; and the loss of a frac-
tion of a second might enable Cran-
ston to reach Ids knife. Thus Dan
felt justified in ignoring the gun alto-
gether and trusting—as lie bad most
desired—to a battle of hands. And be
wanted both bands free w hen lie made
his attack.
If Dan had been erect upon his feet.
Ills course would have been an Imme-
diate leap on the shoulders of Ills ail
versary, running the risk of Cranston
reaching his hunting knife in time.
Hut the second that he would require
to get to his feet would entirely otTset
this advantage. Cranston could spring
up, too. So he did the next most dis-
arming thing.
He sprang up and strode Into the
lean-to.
"Good evening, Cranston," he said
pleasantly.
Cranston was also upon his feet the
same inslant. His instincts were en-
tirely true. He knew If he leaped for
his rifle, Dan would he upon his back
In au Instant, and he would have no
chance to use It. The rifle was now
out of the running, as they were tit
about equal distances from It, and
neither would have time to swing or
ului It
Dan's sudden appearance had been
so utterly unlooked for. that for a mo-
ment Cranston could find no answer
His eyes moved to the rlIN*, then to
his belt where hung his hunting knife,
(hat still lay on the pallet, "flood
a von lug, Falling," he replied, trying
liU hardMt to fall into that strange
'spirit or uonchalauc* with wnico
lirave men have so often met their ad-
versaries, and which Dan had now.
"I'm surprised to see you here. What
do you want?"
Dan's voice when he replied was no
more warm than the snow banks that
reinforced the lean to. "I want your
rifle—also your snow shoes and your
supplies of food. And I think I'll take
your blankets, too."
"And I suppose you mean to light
for them?" Cranston asked. His lips
drew up in a smile, hut there was n
smile In the tone of his words.
"You're right," Dan told lilni. and
be stepped nearer. "Not only for
that, Cranston. We're face to face at
last—hands to hands. I've got a knife
in my pocket, but I'm not even going
to bring It'but. It's hands to bands— j
you and I—until everything's square
between us."
"Perhaps you've forgotten that day
en the ridge?" Cranston asked. "You
haven't any woman to save you this
time."
"1 remember the day, and that's part
of the debt. The thing you did yester-
day is part of it, too. It's all to be set-
tled at last, Cranston, and 1 don't be-
lieve 1 could spare you if you weoit to
your knees before me. You've got a
ness, and she thought that the deep-
ening cold presaged dawn. Her fin-
gers were numb.
Once more she went to one of the
saplings, but she stumbled and almost
went to her face at the first blow. It
was the Instant that her gray watch-
ers had been waiting for. The wolf
that stood nearest leaped—a gray
streak out of the shadow—and every
wolf in the pack shot forward with a
yell. It was a short, expectant cry;
but It chopped off short. For with a
half-sol, and seemingly without men-
tal pro ess, she aimed her pistol and
fired.
A fa*t-leaping wolf Is one of the
; most difficult pistol targets that can be
Imagined. It bordered on the miracu-
i lous that she did not miss him alto-
gether. Her nerves were torn, their
control over her muscles largely gone.
Yet the bullet coursed down through
I the lungs, inflicting a mortal wound.
The wolf bad leaped for her throat; j
but he fell short. She staggered from i
a blow, and she heard a curious sound
In the region of her hip. Hut she
I didn't know that the fangs had gone !
home in her soft flesh. The wolf j
rolled on the ground ; and If her pistol
bad possessed the shocking power of
a rifle, he would have never got up ;
again. As it was. he shrieked once, j
then sped off In the darkness to die.
Klve or six of the nearest wolves,
Som« R"^tlej" P°*eirA/®«*r"ed t0 Be catching the smell of his blood, bayed
and sped after blm. ^
But the remainder of the great pack
—fully 15 of the gray, gaunt creatures ;
rEEP up \
having yi
at the Oj
We specialize
jpearance by
ioes repaired
HOE SHOP.
Hiality Work.
VOJ
i a
InjT g © Dou «
Zenzat is laranteed
ZenzaWis guaranteed li"1- ? satisfaction in every
case. If it does not j "Llt '>liet~ in the treatment
of Eczema and all ski " bles your money will
be refunded. One small *ir is sufficient to con-
vince. Sold and guaranty d by
-■c-t
\ 5
Holding His Wrist
bad finished be walked to the door of
the lean-to. _ _
It seemed to Dan that Cranston wills- _came stealing across the snow
"Good Evening, Cranston."
clearing out by the Are—big as a prize
ring. We'll go out there—side by side.
And bands to hands we'll settle all
these debts we have between us—with
no rules of lighting and no mercy In
the end I"
'I'lley measured each other with their
eyes. Once more Cranston's gaze stole
to his rifle, but lunging out, Dan
kicked it three feet farther into the
shadows of the lean-to. Dan saw the
dark face drawn with passion, the
hands clenching, the shoulder muscles
growing into hard knots. And Cran-
ston looked and knew that merciless
vengeance—that age old sill and
Cbi'islless creed by which lie lived—
had followed blm down and was
clutching liiui at last.
lie saw il in the position of the sial-
wari form before lilni, the clear level
eyes that Hie moon light made bright
as steel, the hard lines, the slim, pow-
erful hands. 11c could read it in the
tones of the voice—tones that be him-
self could not Imitate or pretend. The
hour had come for the setting of old
debts.
lie tried to curse Ids adversary asn
weakling and a degenerate, but the ob-
scene words lie sought for would not
come to Ills lips. Ilere was his fate,
and because the darkness always lades
be ore the light, anil the courage of
wickedness always oreaks before the
courage of righteousness, Cranston was
afraid to look it ill I lie face. The fear
of defeat, of death, of heaven knows
wl ut reinorsclessnoss with which this
grave giaul would administer justice
was upon liiui, and his heart seemed
to freeze In his breast. Cravenly lie
leaped for bis knife on the blankets
be'ow lilni.
Dan was upon hint before be ever
reached It. 11c sprang as a cougar
splngs, Incredibly fast and with shat-
tering power. Both went down, anil
for a long time they writhed and strug-
gled In each other's arms. The pine
houghs rustled strangely.
'the dark, gaunt hand reached in
va n for the knife Some resistless
power seemed to be holding Ids wrist
and was bending its bone as an Indian
bends a bow. 1'aln lashed through liini.
And thin this dark-hearted man, who
had never known the meaning of mer-
cy. opened his lips to scream that this
terrible enemy he merciful lo him.
Hut the words wouldn't come A
ghastly weight had come at his throat,
and bis tortured lungs sobbed for
breath. Then, for a long time, there
wa a curious poannmg, lashing sound
in the evergreen houghs. It seemed
merciless and endless,
Hut Dan got up at last. In a strange,
heavy silence, and swiftly went to
woil,. lie took the rifle and filled II
with cartridges from Cranston's belt.
Then he put the remaining two boxes
of shells Into bis shirt pocket. The
supplies of food—the sack of nutri-
tious jerked venison like dried bark,
the little package of cheese, the boxes
of ha rd tack and one of the small
- of prepared flour—he tied, Willi
i sM le kettle. Into his heavy blali-
uil flung them with the rifle upon
tiis back. Finally he took the pair of
snov. shoes from the floor. He worked
coldly, swiftly, all the time munching
at a olece of leii "d venison. When he
pered faintly, from his unconscious-
ness, as he passed; but the victor did
not turr. to look. The snow shoes
crunched away into the darkness. On
the hill behind a half dozen wolves—
stragglers from the pack—frisked and
leaped about in a curious way. A
strange smell bad reached them on the
wind, and when the loud, fearful sleps
were out of hearing, it might pay them
to creep down, one by one, and Investi-
gate Its cause.
The gray circle about the fire was
growing Impatient. Snowbird waited to
the last instant before she admitted
this fact. But It is possible only so
long to deny the truth of a thing that
all the senses verify, and that moment
for her was past.
She noticed that when she went to
her hands and knees, laboriously to
cut a piece of the drier wood from the
rain-soaked, rotted snag that was her
principal supply of fuel, every wolf
w ould leap forward, only to draw back
when she stood straight again. She
worked desperately to keep the lire
hurtling bright. She dared not neglect
It for h moment. Except for the single
pistol ball that she could afford to ex-
pend on the wolves—of the three she
had—the fire was her last defense.
Hut it was a losing fight. The raiu-
soaked wood smoked without flame,
the comparatively dry core with which
Dan had started the tire had burned
down, and the green wood, backed with
such heart-breaking difficulty from the
saplings that Dan bad cut, needed the
most tireless attention to burn at all.
Her nervous vitality was flowing
from her in n frightful stream. Too
long she bad toiled without food In
the constant presence of da«:er, and
she was very near indeed to utter ex
haustion. Hut at the same time she
knew she must not faint. That was
one thing slie could not do—lo fall uu
to- 1
ward her. White fangs had gone
home; and a new madness was in the
air.
• •*•••••
Straining into the silence, a perfect-
ly straight line between Cranston's
camp and Snowbird's. Dan Failing
catne mushing across the snow. Ills
sense of direction hud never been
obliged to stand such a test as this
before. Snowbird's fire was a single
dot on a vast plateau ; yet be bad gone
straight toward it
He was risking everything for the
sake of speed. He gave no heed to the
fallen timber that might have torn the
web of his snow shoes to shreds. Be-
cause he shut out all thought of it. he
had no feeling of fatigue. The tight
with Cranston bad been a frightful
strain on muscle and nerve; hut he
scarcely remembered It now. Il>
whole purpose was to return to Snow-
bird before the wolves lost the last or
their cowardice.
The jerked venison that he had
munched had brought him back much
of his strength. He was wholly uncon-
scious of Ids heavy pack. Never d i?
he glide so swiftly, so softly, with
such unerring step; and it was noth-
ing more or less than a perfect expres-
sion of the iron-clad control that his
steel nerves had over his muscles.
Then, through the silence, he heard
the shout of the pacK as the wolf had
leaped at Snowbird. He knew what it
meant. The wolves were attacking
then, and a great flood of block, hating
bitterness poured over him at the
thought lie had been too late. It bad
all been In vain, and before the thought
could fully go home, he heard the dim.
far-oft' crack of a pistol.
Was that the first of the three shots,
the one she might expend on the
wolves, or bad the first two already
been spent and was she taking the last
gateway of escape? I'erhaps even now
j conscious before the last of her three Lennox was lying still on the sled, and
j cartridges was expended in the right
j way.
Again she went forth to the sapling,
and this time It seemed to her that if
she simply tossed the ax through the
air, she could fell one of the gray
, crowd Itut when she stooped to pick
j It up—she didn't finish the thought.
She turned lo coax the fire. And then
1 she leaned sobbing over the sled.
"What's the use?" she cried. "He
won't come back. What's the use of
! fighting any more?"
t "Thole's always use of fighting." her
i father told her. lie seemed to speak
j with difficulty, and Ids face looked
| strange and white. The cold and the
exposure were having their effect on
' his weakened system, and unconseious-
\ ness was a near shadow indeed. "Hut,
dearest—if I could only make you do
what I wain you to—"
"What?"
"You're able to climb a tree, and If
you'd take these coats, you wouldn't
• freeze by morn lug. If you'd only have
the strength—"
"And see you torn to pieces!"
"I'm old, dear—and very tired—and
| I'd crawl aw ay into the shadows, w here
l you couldn't see. There's no use mine
ing words, Snowbird. You're a brave
plrl—always have been since a little
thing, as God Is my Judge—and you
know we must face the truth. Better
one of us die than both. And I prom-
ise—I'll never feel their fangs. And I
won't take your pistol with me either."
Her thought flashed to the clasp
hunting knife that he carried in Ids
pocket. Hut her eyes lighted, and she
hent and kissed him. And the wolves
leaped forward even at tills.
"We'll stay It out," she told blm.
We'll fight It to the last—just as Dun
would want us to do. Besides—it
would only mean the same fate for
me In n little while. I couldn't cling
up there forever- and Dan won't come
back."
She was wholly unable to gain on
the Are Only by dint of the most
heart-breaking toll was she able to se-
cure any dry fuel for It at all. Kvery
length of wood she cut had to he
scraped of hark, and half the time the
tire was only a sickly column of white
smoke. It became Increasingly diffi-
cult to swing the ax. The trail was
almost at Its end.
The after midnight hours drew one
Itf mm across Ui« fac* of lh« wilder-
she was standing before the ruin of
tier fire, praying that her soul might
have wings. He shouted with all the
power of his lungs across the snow.
Rut Snowbird only heard the soft
glide of the wolves In the snow. The
wind was blowing toward Dan; and
while he had heard the loud chorus of
the pack, one of the most far-carrying
cries, and the penetrating crack of a
pistol, she couldn't hear his answering
shout. In fact, the wilderness seemed
proternaturally still. All was breath-
less, heavy with suspense, and she
stood, just as Dan had thought, be-
tween the ruin of her fire and the sled,
and she looked with straight eyes to
the oncoming wolves.
"Hurry, Snowbird," Lennox was
whispering. "Give me the pistol—for
that last work. We have only a mo-
ment more."
He looked very calm and brave, half
raised as he was on the sled, and per-
haps a half-smile lingered at his beard-
ed lips. And the bravest thing of all
was that to spare her, he was willing
to take the little weapon trom her
hand to use It in Us last service. She
trietl to smile at him, then crept over
to Ids side.
— The strain was over. They knew
what they had to face. She put the
pistol in bis steady hand.
Ills hand lowered to his side and lie
sat waiting. The moments passed. The
wolves seemed to be waiting, too, lor
the last flickering tongue of the little
tire to die away. The last of her fuel
was Ignited and burning out; they
were crouched and ready to spring If
she should venture forth after more.
The darkness closed down deeper, and
at Inst only a column of smoke re-
mained.
It was nothing to be afraid of. The
great, gray leader of the pack, a wolf
that weighed nearly 1IX) pounds, be-
gan slowly and deliberately to set Ills
muscles for the spring. It was the
same as when the great hull elk conies
to bay at the base of the cliffs; usual-
ly some one wolf, often the great pack
lender, wishing to remind Ids followers
of his might, or else some full-grown
male proud In his strength, will attack
alone, Because this was the noblest
game that the pack had ever faced,
the leader chose (o make the first leap
himself. It was true that these two
bad neither such horns nor razor-
edged hoofs ns the elk, yet they hud
O'd that chiliad bis heart when lie
tried to look at them. But one w
lying almost prone, and the fire v
out. Besides, the madness of star
tion. intensified ten times by their t'
rlble realization of the wound at I
hip, was upon the pack as never '
fore. The muscles bunched at '
lean flanks.
Hut as Snowbird and her fa
gazed at him in fascinated horror .
great wolf suddenly smashed down ir
the snow. She was aware of its curt
ous, utter collapse actually before the
sound of the rifle shot that occasioned
it had penetrated her consciousness.
It was a perfect shot at long range;
and for a long instant her tortured ,
faculties refused to accept the truth. ^
Then the rifle spoke again, and a sec- ■)
ond wolf—a large male that crouched
on the other side of the sled—fell kick-
ing in the snow. The pack hail leaped
forward at the first death; but tlie.v
halted at the second. And then ter-
ror came to them when the third wolf
suddenly opened its savage lips 'J
screamed in the deafti agony. get.
Up to this time, except for the re-
port of the rifle, the attack had been
made in niter silence. The reason was
Just tJj-.it both breath and nervous
force are needed to shout; and Dnn
Failing could afford to waste neither
; of these vital forces. He had dropped
to his knee, and was firing again find
again, his gray eyes looking clear and
straight along the barrel, his fingers
without jerk or tremor pressing again
and again at the trigger, his hands
holding the rifle ns In a vise. Every
nerve and muscle were completely in
i his command. The distance was far
J yet he shot with deadly, amazing acV
j curacy. The wolves were within a few t
1 feet of the girl, and a fraction's waver \
| in the gun barrel might have sped Ids '
i bullet toward her.
"It's Dan Failing," Lennox shouted
1 as file fourth wolf died.
i Then Snowbird snatched her pistol
I from her father's hand and opened fire.
) The two shells were no longer needed
to flee herself and her father from the
! agony of fangs. She took careful aim,
and although a pistol is never as
j curate or as powerful as a rifle.
| killed one wolf and wounded anot'.
Frenzied in their savagery, three
! four of the remaining wolves leal
; at the body of one of the wound*
j hut the others scattered in all dii
j tions. Still Dan fired with tin same
I believable accuracy, and siii: i
i wolves died in the snow. T!ie :
J and the man were screaming now
the frenzied Joy of deliverance. 'I
wolves scurried frantically among i
i trees; and some of them unknowing
ran full in the face of their enemy,
FNGAEDIA is "without a rival"
ordinary or deep-seated Cough-
ed Colds, difficult breathing, and
V the relief of Whooping Cough,
ie winderful results following its
l_ -ie will astonish you and make you
iTV; s life long friend. Your money
If if you have ever used its
<Jf* ■Jiiiil. Danger lurks where there is
' 'ou.rii or Cold. Conquer it quickly
li LUNGABDIA. Safe for all
is, <10 c-fs and $120 per bottle,
iiiufactured hv Lungardia Co..
lias, Texas.
For Sale By
A. DINKLER, The Druggist
9
vtr
le''
ju
It
HIDES AND FURS
ie pay the highest
CASH PRICE
v,D.R BREWER
N
K:\st Side of South .Main Street
Don t Forget
*
a i
|ie old reliable produce firm,
, when you market your
Poultry, Cream
and Eggs
jt.set the pace in prices,
'always paying the very
highest market
prices
Phone N j• 99
I- !.r •;>
OCATED
r. Stadia Owings
Dentist
IGC'S
ndi
be shot down \\ifhonr mercy. A
few indeed were those tliut escape*
to collect on u distant ridge, and, p
hups, to he haunted in dream by
death flint came out of the shadows
blast the pack.
Again the pack song would he <
spairlng and strange in the wini
nights—that age old chant of Kami
and Kear and ilie long war of exis
eiice with only Death and Darkness ii
the end. And becatise it Is the voice ™
of the wilderness itself, the tender-
foot that ramps in the evergreen for-
est will listen, and Ills talk will die a
his lips, and lie will have the begin-
nings of knowledge. And perhaps lie
will wonder if God has given him thp
thews and filter to meet the wildernes
breast to breast as Dan had met it; i
to remain and to tiirlit and to conque..
And thereby his metal will be tested in ,
the eyes of the Red Gods.
Snowbird stood waiting in the snow
arms stretched to her forester a
catne running through tlie wood
his arms were w ider yet, and slit
softly Into them.
(Continued to last page)
(Clipper}—— '
K SPORT Of IjUNE STAR
SCHOOL DISTRICT NO.
neither .'il
OFFICES IN FIRST NATIONAL
BANK BUILDING
nlon
INCFISHER.OKLA.
ei
DR. B. I TOWNSEKD
IYSICIAN AND SURiiEoN
•e in Building formerly nccupmd
V Wagnor on Ea t Oklalieng Ave
Telephone 122
DR. A DIXON
^SICIAN AND SURGEON
at ('ulluni Hdg., South Main St.
nee 3rd door south on Mnin 8t.
fiee phone ."3; Residence
alls answered day and night
I'UptH
erai:
La ven
Lueile
Dwnin
nor tnrdv th
RY OLIVE ELLIOTT, IV C
The Chiropractor
,iee"seil liy Btfto of Oklahoma
Hennessey, Okla.
Main Street Phone No. 5
('line
< 'line
i 'line
Loia (line
Raymond ('line
Pupils neither absent nor taid*
the month of January:
Frank Burner
Lftven Cline
Luiile ('line
Raymond Cline
Kuniee Burner
Dwnin Cline
Loin (#line
Stephen States
HI2HKCC1 GALLUP, Teac
RMON, CROWE & CROWE
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Enid, Oklahoma
.'I Oklahoma State Bank Bnil iine
Phoie 406
JOHN DUFFY
iL ESTATE. FARM U'\N3
AND INSURANCK
tt • B illiUnr
Mnun*u y Oil*.
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The Hennessey Clipper (Hennessey, Okla.), Vol. 32, No. 36, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 9, 1921, newspaper, February 9, 1921; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc102130/m1/4/: accessed June 16, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.