Show th V aft wh vur I 1 aati e n AM yr ayr h impei ay CHAPTER XIV continued 23 she turned up the gorge a tiny darls dark figure in an immense white wilderness the snow was crisp crunching underfoot sunny days had thawed clear cold nights had frozen and the crust had bad begun to form before she had gone a dozen feet she discovered this and its importance Import anca to her where kings weight on the snowshoes along a twice traveled trail had packed the snow ow and where now the sun and cold had bad done their work there was a crust which her slight weight she could walk swiftly there was to be no more floundering she could and run she did when she had crested the first ridge and had started down the far side it was wag like flying 1 the crisp air cut her glowing cheeks her blood leaped along her veins she breathed deeply a great uplifting elation bore her along love lovegod god Is love smoothed the way before her the stars ran with her the great blazing stars to which again and again she lifted her eyes despite the rags ra gs about her boots her feet were soon dangerously da cold but always there was the troll trail king had made leading her on where he be had gone before she followed where he be had made slow progress seeking game and breaking trail she went swiftly on the packed snow so she came at last to the final ridge whence looking down into tile the canyon she saw the end of her trail hanging banging 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 ravine she he landed softly in the drift here she ile rested sitting in a nest of snow and there came suddenly out of the silence a strange quivering cry bursting out upon her a sobbing throbbing scream A women cried gloria aghast A woman in an agony of terror she thought sudden terror leaped out upon her striking like a knife into her heart rear fear banished all this time surprised surprise her and clutched at tier ber throat and paralyzed her muscles mind blind panic gripped her then came the he piercing scream again and a a d with it 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 a big bare boulder stood the thing that had screamed long bodler and lithe small headed and merciless steel mus cled and chisel clawed the bl big cat irona from snarling sas laws sa s sent forth its almost I 1 human call to cut across vast still distances moving with the stealthy caution which Is TVs its birthright the big eat cat appeared fleetingly a score of feet lower on the steep slope it was coming on fascinated gloria sat like ilke stone with never a thought of the rifle lying across her knees the mountain lion leaped downward softly from stage to stage of the canyon side paused under the pine lifted its head and sent forth apin again its hungry cry all this time gloria sat eat breathless the fear still held her powerless she watched the animal crouch and gather its strength and hurl its lean body upward the lion fell back the ripping claws having baying missed the meat by some two or three feet and gloria heard the low rumbling growl again it sprang again it missed put but in the end feline craft found the way and the eat cat set its paws against the tree trunk and began to climb limbs broke under the two hundred pounds of weight the bark was torn under slipping paws but u upward p ward tile the sinuous body writhed swiftly now it would come to kings kill kings I 1 gloria started tills this was waa marks kill lie he had stalked it lie he had plowed many miles through deep snow to got it to get it for tier her as well as for him to keep heep tile the life in her now without it king would die and now the lion was going to take it while she wat elied and lid did nothing 1 oh god help met me she sprang to her feet she jerked up tip her rifle and fired at the black bulk crawling upward in the pine it shall not have marks meat I 1 it not hotl at the first shot tile the mountain lion dropped through gli crashing branches she had bad shot it slie she had driven a bull bulliet fet through its heart god tin had hoard hear tier her that was vas her first wild thought nut but in a clish she saw that it was on its foot feet again and that with red mouth month snarling it hild swung about facing tier her slip saw the cruel white teeth wet and glistening incoherently glorvi cried out again sick and shaken with terror in nn other moment she would have the lean powerful body leaping upon her slip she fired again and again taking no lime ilme for alm aim as fast as she could work the lever and pull the trigger she was trembling so that it was all that slip could do to hold hot the gun at all she prayed and called on mark and fired nil at once never did bullets fly wider of the mark but never did the roar mar of exploding shells do better service the lion though ravenous nas not yet starved to the degree to whip it to the supreme of attacking a h ann being and defying a rifle ride it and went flashing across the brime glenila gasped stared after its wild flit rit a paralyzed moment and then ran r n to the tree where the bear hung fillad with horror borror at the thought that by jackson gregory copyright ty by charles chariot sons service at any second the lean body might come flashing back upon her she began climbing the young pine she fought wildly to get up into its branches she was handicapped bythe by the rifle which she clung to desperately she got the gun in a crotch above her head bead she pulled herself upward she slipped and tore the shin of hands and arms but hastening frantically she climbed up and up she got the rifle into her hands again nearly dropped it thrust it above her jammed it into a fork of a limb and kept on climbing at last she was where she could reach out and touch the swinging carcass with kings keen edged butcher knife she hacked and cut at the frozen meat panting with every effort at last there was the thud of the falling meat below her it lay on the snow crust in wild haste baste she snatched her rifle holding it in one hand afraid to let it slip out of her grasp for it a moment casting a last fearful look in the direction whither the lion had gone she began slipping down and in another moment with tte the precious burden caught up with the gun in tier her arms she was running back bach up the ridge her feet in kings trail the home home trail I 1 she WR was cold to the bone her teeth chattered tier her body quaked yet she kept on and so in the fullness of X Z fit A great uplifting elation bore her along time after long frightful hellish hours she came to the last terror of the th night the new day was bright on the mountain tops when she felt at first a dull sort serf of surprise and then a sudden stimulating gladi gladness fess noting the familiar look of the ridge ahead yonder the cave would he be the cave and king success and rest she straightened up tip a little brushing her hand band across her straining ning eyes making sure that she was right she heard the insistent scream behind her but now she did not heed it for tn in front of her stock still in the trall trail was a man it was benny suddenly all emotions were ered cred into searing anger her thought was ile he will take the meat from met the meat I 1 have brought for mark she grew rigid tn in her tracks she jerked up her rifle in front of her her tired eyes hardened then she noted that benny had not seen her lie ite was stooping she saw that he had a small pact pack on his back food fond no doubt on the ground by him was n second pack something in a crash sack benny was struggling to lift it to ills his sli milders it must be very heavy gloria drew hack bilek hastily glancing about tier her found the only hiding biding place offered and slipped behind the big rock presently benny came on she heard him from a distance lie ile was talking to himself excitedly jabbering broken fragments of sentences twice breaking enking br into his hideous dry cackle of laughter she shivered his aurer ancas sounded mad and mad they were ne lie was talking falling about gold and he be chuckled chuc klc TIP rie mentioned names brodies and jarrolds and and another name and he chuckled again gloria peered cautiously from the shelter of a rork rock up TIP was very near her now struggling with the lie smaller pack and his HOP and the heavy bundle tn in ills his sack she that he ha was vaa going to pass without seeing her but just ns as he passed of her liffring hid lif fling in place something prompted benny to jerk up tip his hh hend bend TIP he saw raw her and stopped suddenly she saw his eyes and she knew on the instant that if the man were not stark mad nt at least he was not entirely sane she lifted her rifle cold nil all over if he came another step nearer she would shoot its mine penny benny shrieked afif at her mine aline I 1 tell you youl ile he broke into a run passing her leaving the trail floundering down the ridge the shortest way ills rifle encumbered cumb cum hered ered him she saw it fall into the snow while benny clutching his gun ny ily sock sark tn in hoth both arms stumbled on lie fell hp he rose shrieking curses she watched fascinated the pack on his hack slipped around in front of him benny tore at it and cursed it and hurled buried it from him still hugging his gold eold he was gone far down the steea att eo I 1 slope gloria shuddered and stepped back into her own trail she could hear benny cursing faintly like an echo came another cry across the ridges the cry of 0 a starving cit cat 0 0 0 mark king awakened to a sensation of piercing cold he moved a little to draw his blankets closer about him and as an awaking impression found that his strength even though slowly was surely returning to him he turned his head lifting it a trifle already he had bad thought of gloria and now he sought her he could not see her anywhere no doubt she lay in the shadowy dark beyond the dying fire he lay back staring up into the gloom above him it was thinning day was coming or had come already A day with sunshine I 1 they could go out on the crust by the time that he was able to be about gloria was not in the cave ile he sank back sure of that then she had gone down again for wood lie he frowned and lay staring upward again gloria bringing wood while he be lay here like a log tie he grew nervously restive at the thought it wits was unthinkable that she should do work like that always he saw her as he had first seen her a frag fragile 11 e I 1 looking oo 00 id n girl gir a girl w with ith sweet little hands bands as soft as rose petals ile he must fight to get his strength back to get on his feet again to save her from such toll as was no womans comans work ork in the world certainly never the work for a girl like gloria lie ile heard beard a sound at the caves mouth gloria was coming back ile he found no words with which to greet tier her but lay iny very still waiting for her to come in she set tier her gun down at first he wondered wonder eil at that poor little gloria lie thought taking tier her rifle with her when she went down for wood frightened and yet I 1 strong trong hearted enough to go in spite of fear she came on not to him hut but to the smoldering coals she had turned toward him but no doubt thought him still asleep he watched her still knowing that presently she would come awaiting her coming and again he was perplexed he did not understand why gloria walked like that ile he had never seen her walk so before she had always been so light of foot so graceful so I 1 like a fairy creature scarcely touching ng t the he ground now her feet dragged she groped uncertainly she was like one gone suddenly dizzy she dropped down by the coals her face tn her hands handa the light was bad he could baldly see her now ile he heard beard a sigh that ended in a sob she rose oh ob so wearily lie ile saw her sway as she walked she was throwing wood on the fire it caught a flame flared out other flames followed with their merry crackling and leaping lights and now he saw glorias face it was drawn and haggard it had bad been washed with tears her eyes looked enormous and unnaturally bright lie he saw her hair it was in wild disarray a tumble 0 of i disorder he saw that she had sacks wr wrapped a plied about her lagging feet that her clothes were torn that her sleeves were ragged that her arms were covered with long scratches chesl 1 his first thought making his body tense with anger was that he had not come in time to save her from brodies Brod les hands what was gloria doing struggling w with ith something on her back something which was tied across her shoulders she got it free it fell close to the fire played over by the light of the flames ile he craned his neck and saw it was a gre great t chunk of aits nits bear meat he be could see bits of the tilde hide still on it I 1 tie lie could not understand not yet all that he could do was stare at tier her and wonder tind grope confusedly for the explanation it was clear that something was wrong with gloria she dropped down by the fire alre she slumped forward she lay her face upon her crossed arms ile he could see the frail body shaking shak trig he could hear her ber sudden wild sobbing the truth came upon him at last dawning slowly slowly 1101 gloria orla I 1 it was a gasp of more than amazement consternation was tn in ills his leipart mortal gloria she lifted her head and sat up he saw her great wide open eyes and the tears gushing from them she fought to control herself a sob in her throat I 1 she rose and came toward him in strange wildly uncertain steps mv iry god 11 lie fie cried hoarsely you went for my bearl you did it she tried to smile at him and into ills own eyes there broke a sudden gul gush b of pars you wonderful wonderful wonderful glorial gloria 1 he cried out jhc thc there e Is no girl in all the world could have done that there Is no girl like you her hand was questing his he caught it and gripped it with all the strength tn in him he hurt her and at last with the pain her smile broke through gloria alark HIn rk I 1 can you yoo not so soon but some day forgive met me slie she found only a faint whisper with which to answer him her eyes ees were as hun hungry ry as ills his can you forgive mark alark and now when their eyes clung together as their hands wore were already clinging each was marvelling mar velling that the other could forgive and love oria who had bad erred so ITHE unda |