Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-12-12

was really a kind hearted fellow,
ventured to ask what be was going to
do.
''I'm going to ran that Internal
thief off the claim" replied Cart
wright, whose rage had been succeed
ed by brutal GOODNESS that spoke his
intent of doing exactly what he said.
Look here, Bill" exclaimed the
bartender, don't be fool. Why,
you know it won't do you no good to
90 and ralse a row there now.
Besides, you amt agoing TO throw
that mans wife and kids out in the
snow. are you?"
"What dye 'spose | keer fur his
wife and kids?" snarled Cartwright.
Do you 'spose that jes' because mans
got family he can start out Robin
folks? I've stood things like a -
saint long enough, and now-once for
all-Tm going to settle himl"
And leaping through his veins with
every drop of blood was pitiless pur-
pose, rooted deep in his heart and re-
fecting there each evil passion, each
distorted wrong, each shattered hope
and nurtured enimity, like fantoms
on pool.
1t was long journey and he start
ed at an easy gait. 1t was a clear,
cold afternoon, the air i'll its absolute
dryness and rarefieG purity was like a
telescope, and cut the stern old range
clear as cameo against the sky.
When he got well out Of the camp,
Cartwright put on the snow-shoes and
forged rapidly along tue ascent of the
Mosquito mountains. At4 O'Clock ne
was less than mile from the pass,
wheE an annoying accident occurred ;
lis rifle slipped out of his hand and
tumbled into an ice crevasse at the
side of the road. 1t took him over an
hour to rescue it with an improvised
lariat, and by that time the event. G
had set in. AS it was impossible to
safely traverse the treacherous road
way in the dusk, nothing remained to
do but wait for the moon. 1t rose
early, and IN a few hours hung full
and bright above the mountains.
Cartwright drew his coat closer and
hurried on.
Mosquito Pass, toward which he
pushed, is not pass at all in the com
mon understanding of the word, but
a shallow furrow across the forest of
the range at its dizziest point. Wrap
ped in everlasting snow, exposed to
the tempestuous winds, and and flank
elk by an awful chasm of ice, it is
death to attempt it in winter, save at
the stillest times. OF such was that
night; yet as Cartwright crept across
he clutched the black rocks with his
fingers and dare not stand erect for
fear the furloas blast would tear hina
bodily from the ground. Slowly he
era wled, the only living thing in tie
stupendous solitude among the clouds,
and with darkness blacker than the
skies above, deeper, and deadlier than
the gorge below, around about his
heart.
At last he was over, and, resting a
moment, hurried on There was a
partially level stretch for some dis
lance and then the descent began. An
hour more and he stood on the zigzag
trail half a mile down the slope dl-
rectly below him he saw the lights of
cabin window, and paused, with a
murderous CLEAN IN his eyes, to look
at the locks OF his Winchester.
The moon by this time was riding
high and turned the snow-field above,
below, and all around him to a glis-
tening, ghostly white. The sky had
none of the dome-like look of lower
attitudes, but stretched on an on in
the dark blue ether to fathomless
forever and in this immensely of space
the Chri stmas stars hung like a mil
ion lamps. The distant peaks stood
In cluster of jet-like shadows and
the black outline of the range was
bordered with silver thread.
AS Cartwright gazcd, with something
perhaps of subtle magic of the scene
creeping in upon him, he gave a sud
den start and threw wild look at the
icy field above. 1t seemed to him that
cast black shadow about q quarter of
O mile up had moved in some mysteri
Gus way and was much nearer 10 hIm
than it appeared before. He paled a
little through his bronze and stood
like a statue, looking that way.
Five minutes passed ten-and then
heavensl what witchery of the night
was that2 The whole vast field of ice
and snow, with its myriads of glitter
ing points and world of shadows, with
its stones and bushes and all its con
formatians, moved steadily, slowly,
silently toward him for a space-then
stopped againl There was sense that
the earth was giving way, and the
Birnam Woods that came TO Dunsin-
and were not more terrifying than
this snow shifting Of all things stable
but it was no riddle to the mountain
eer.
He knew that snow slide, one of
those frozen avalanchos that start in
the loosening of a lump of ice, silently
gathering strength by the tapping of
one layer over another until they
crash down, the embodiment of death
aud strength, tossing rocks like peb
bles and swapping thick pines like
reeds-he knew that one of these was
trembling upon the verge of its very
spring.
Cartwright's wandering eyes fell
upon the cabin and in the briefest in
Sidnl-lH Tie HuuuEtuLu part vi buS
time it takes to write these words-he
realized that 1t lay III the path of the
m anster and was doomed; and in an
incongruity of spirit that was half
grotesque fierce indignation stirred
within him against this messenger of
death that came in the dead of night
and made no sign.
AS for himself, he had only TO step
aside and let the avalanche go by, but
the fate of the cabin clsshed with his
rough notion of fairness, it assailed
his lifelong doctrines of chance: his
brutal courage was reused against it
because it came Sd unaware.
How nearly akin it was to his own
GRAND he never thought; he was
sensible alone of an Impulse to thwart
the disaster without heroic motives,
he suddenly did what a hero would
do.
To think was to act. 1t is said that
a pebble will turn an avalance. A
sportsman knows that breeze will
defect bullet. Near by was the
trunk of an old pine tree. He sprung
to it like lightning. and pried it for
ward with his rifle. AT the last
wrench the stock broke off short, aud