Show ie E vey I 1 wh 0 CHAPTER XIV Continued 23 she turned up the gorge a tiny dark figure in an immense wh te wilderness the snow was crisp crunching 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 d sc thia this and its importance to her where b king bing ing s weight on the snowshoes along a twice traveled trail had packed th the e snow and where now the sun and cold had done their work there was n as a crust which her slight we she could walls walk swiftly there was to be no more floundering floun flounder derng ng she could run I 1 and run she did when she had crested the first ridge and had started down the far side it was like flying I 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 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 soon dangerously cold but always there was the trail ising Is ing 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 at last to the final ridge whence looking down into the canyon she saw the end of her trail hang ng from a bent p ne sapling was vms what she I 1 new must be his bear down the steep slope she went half sliding halt half roll ng in the bed of the ravine e 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 quivering cry bursting out upon her a sobbing throbbing scream A woman 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 fear banished all this time surprised her and clutched at her throat and paralyzed her mus cles blind panic gripped her tl TI en came the piercing scream again and with it enl 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 bodied and lithe small headed and merciless steel mus cled and chisel clawed 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 its birthright the big cat al ap feared fleetingly a score of feet lower on the steep slope it was coming on fascinated gloria sat like stone with never a thought of the rifle lying across her knees the mountain I 1 on leaped downward softly from stage to stage of the canyon side paused under the pine lifted its head bead and sent forth again its hungry cry all this time gloria sat breathless the fear fascination still held her powerless she watched the animal crouch and gather its strength and hurl its lean body up ward nard the lion fell back the ripping claws having missed the meat by some two or three feet and gloria heard the low rumbling growl again it 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 was torn under slipping paws but upward the sinuous body writhed swiftly now it would come to kings kill hing kingsl s I 1 gloria started this was mark marl s kill he had stalked it he had bad plowed 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 it king would d e and now the lion was going to take it while she watched and d d noth ng I 1 oh god help me mel I 1 she sprang to her feet she jerked up her rifle and fired at the blaa bulk crawling upward in the pine it shall not have marks mark s meat I 1 it shall not I 1 at the first shot the mountain lion dropped through crashing branches she had shot it she had driven a bulliet through its heart god had heard her that was her first wild thought but in a flash she saw that it was on its feet again and that with red mouth snarling it had swung about facing her she saw the cruel white teeth wet and glistening incoherently 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 lever and pull the trigger she was trembling so that it was all that she could do to hold the gun at all she prayed and called on mark and fired all at once never did bullets fly wider of the mark but never d d the roar of ex floding shells do better service the lion though ravenous was not yet starved starve to the degree lo 10 wh p it to the supreme desperation of attacking a human buman be ng and defying a rifle it I 1 whirled and went flashing ac across ross the snow gloria gasped stared after its wild flight a paralyzed moment and then ran to the tree where the bear hung tilled filled with horror at the thought that by jackson gregory copyright by charles aner ner a 3 sons service at any second the lean body might come flashing back upon her she began climb ng the young pine she fought wildly to get up into its branches she was handicapped bv the rifle which aich she clung to desperately she got the gun in a crotch above her head she pulled herself upward she slipped and tore the skin 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 climb ing at last she was where she could reach out and touch the swinging car cass avith with ban kings 9 s keen edged butcher knife she hacked and cut at the 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 she snatched her rifle holding it in one hand afraid to let it t sl p out of her grasp for a moment casting a last fearful look in the direction whither the lion had gone she began slipping down and in another moment with the precious burden caught up with the gun in her arms she was running back up the ridge her feet in B kings bing ing s trail the home trail I 1 she was cold to the bone her teeth chattered her body quaked yet she kept on and so in the fullness of am sky v 6 I 1 it agrest A great uplifting elation bore her along time after long frightful hellish hours she came to the last terror of the night the new day was bright on the mountain tops when she felt at first a dull sort of surprise and then a sudden stimulating gladness noting the familiar look of the ridge ahead yonder the cave would be the cave and king success and rest she straightened up a little brushing her hand across her strain ng eyes mak ing sure that she was right she heard the insistent scream behind her but now she did not heed it for in front of her stock still in the trail trall was a man it was benny suddenly all emotions were up ath ered into searing anger her thought was he ile will take the meat from mel me 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 he was stoop ng she saw that he had a small pack on his back food no doubt on the ground by him was a second pack something in a crash sack benny was struggling to lift it to his shoulders it must be very heavy gloria drew back hastily glancing about her found the only hiding place offered and slipped behind the b g rock presently benny came on she heard him from a distance he was talking to himself excitedly jabbering broken fragments of sentences twice breaking into his hideous dry cackle of laughter she shivered his utter ances sounded mad and mad they were he ile was talk ing about gold and he chuckled he mentioned name names brodies and jarrolds and Gr attens and another name and he chuckled again gloria peered cautiously from the shelter of a rock he was very near her now struggling with the smaller pack and his rifle and the heavy bundle in his sack she thought that he was going to pass without seeing her but just as he passed abreast of her eidins place something prompted benny t to jerk up his head he saw her and stopped suddenly she saw his eyes and she knew on the instant that if it the man were not stark mad at least he was not entirely sane she lifted her rifle cold all over if he came an other step nearer she would shoot it its s mine I 1 benny shrieked at her mine I 1 tell you youl I 1 he ile broke into a run passing her leaving the trail floundering down the ridge the shortest way his rifle en cumbered him she saw it fall into the snow while benny clutching his gun ny sack in both arms stumbled on he fell he rose shrieking curses she watched fascinated the pack on his back sl aped around in front of him benny tore at it and cursed it and hurled it from him still hugging his sold told he was gone far down the steep I 1 1 slope gloria shuddered and stepped back into her own trail bhe could hear bear benny cursing faintly like an echo came another cry across the ridges the cry of a starving cat a mark hin ieng awakened to a sensa tion of p e cold he moved a little to draw his blankets closer about him and as an awaking impress on found that his strength even though slowly was surely returning to him he turned his head lifting it a trifle already he had 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 tl inning day was coming or had come alre already ady A day with sun sunshine they could go out on the crust by the time that he was able to be about gloria was vms not in the cave he sank back sure of that then she had gone down again for wood he Ile frowned and lay staring upward again gloria bringing 9 v wood while he lay here ike a log t he grew nervously restive at the thought it was unthinkable that she should do work like that always he saw her as he had first seen her a friggle looking g rl A a girl with sweet little hands as soft as rose petals hei ile must fight to get his strength back to get on h s feet again to save her from such toil as was no woman s work in the world certainly never the work for a girl I 1 ke gloria he heard a sound at the caves cave a mouth gloria was coming back he ile found no words with which to greet her but lay very still waiting for her to come in she set her gun down at first he wondered at that poor little gloria he thought taking her rifle with her when she went down for wood fright ened cried and yet strong hearted enough to go in spite of fear she came on not to him but to the smoldering coals she had turned toward him but no doubt thought him still asleep HP ht watched her still knowing that pres antly she would come awaiting her coming and again he was perplexed he did not understand why gloria walked like that he ile had never seen her walk so before she had always been so light of foot so graceful so like illie a fairy creature scarcely touch ing the ground now her feet dragged she groped uncertainly she was like one gone suddenly dizry she dropped down by the coals her face in her hands bands the light was wig bad he could hardly see her now he heard a sigh that ended in a sob shi rose oh so wearily he saw her sway as she walked she was throw ing wood on the fire it caught a flame flared out other flames fol lowed with their merry crackling and leaping lights and now he saw glorias face it was drawn and hag gard it had bad been washed with tears her eyes looked enormous and un naturally bright he ile saw her hair it was in wild disarray a tumble of disorder he saw that she had sacks wrapped about her lagging feet that her clothes were torn that her sleeves were ragged that her arms were cov ered with long scratches his first thought making his body tense with anger was that he had not come in time to save her from brodies brodie s hands what was gloria doing struggling with something on her b back bick ick something which was tied across her shoulders she got it free it fell e close lo 10 S e to the fire played over by the light of the flames he craned his neck and saw it was a great chunk of bear meat he could see bits of the hide still on it I 1 he could not understand not yet all that he could do was stare at her and wonder and grope confusedly for the explanation it was clear that something was wrong with gloria she dropped down by the fire she slumped forward she lay her face upon her crossed arms he could see the frail body shaking he could hear her sudden wild sobbing the truth came upon him at last dawning slowly slowly gloria glorial 1 it was a gasp of more mor e than amazement consternation was in his heart gloria I 1 I 1 she lifted her head and sat up he ile saw her great wide open eyes and the tears gushing from them she fought to control herself a sob in her throat she rose and came toward him in strange wildly uncertain steps my god goda he cried hoarsely you went for my bear I 1 you did it she tried to smile at him and into his own eyes there broke a sudden gush of tears you wonderful wonderful wonder ful gloria he cried out there 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 in him he hurt her and at last with the pain her smile broke through gloria mark can yon not so soon but some day forgive me met she found only a faint whisper with which to answer him her eyes were as hungry as his can you forgive mark and now when their eyes clung to gether as their hands were alread already Y cl nging each was marvelling mar velling that the other could forgive and love one on who had erred so 1 |