Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-02-14
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i'm gittin' weaker an weaker.
"Come. come, Bill I" said Joe, great
| lump rising in his throat. "Cheer up,
mebby somethin' II turn up; mebby-
a'Tain't no use, Joe. We've all got
ter 90 sometime. 'Tain't no use IN
hopin' when thar h'ain't nothin' ter ex-
pect.
Joe made no reply. STOPPING down,
presently he drew little box from IN
der the bed and took out a small piece
! of dry, hard brea and laid it by the side
of B:ll.
81 saved hit fer We, Bill" he said,
turning away.
"Noono b said Bill; "h'it's better
! fer one NV us ter go an both nv us. Meb-
by, as ye say, somethin' II turn up
an"
A mufiied sound like footsteps in the
snow came from the outside, and some
thing like the sound of a human voice
mingled with the Kissing wind.
Joe listened, but the sound was not
repeated. He opened the door and look
ed ont.
4 few feet from the threshold, half
buried in the drifting snow was the
prostate figure OF a man, large
bundle of something at his side. A mo-
ment, and Joe was STOPPING over the
PROSTATE figure. tie shook him but he
did not speak. Then by a series OF he
roic efforts he dragged the unconscious
man into the dug-out. As no did 30
bundle that was strapped about the
shoulders of the unfortunate became de-
/ tached. and rolled over ON the floor, dis
PLAYING a small bag OF flower and a
chunck of bacon.
"Hits John Biggs come back" ex-
claimed Joe; ''an' he's brought enough
provisions to carry us through, thank
God but, pore feiler, he's almost done
/ fer"
He hurriedly stirred up the fire in the
/ little stove, and then turning to the I'M
/ conscious man, he brushed the snow
from his wan face.
"Bill," he said, starting with surprise,
chit amt John Biggs-h'i it's the claim
! Jumper. He's saved our lives, Bill, an
after we was goin' ter run him away"
"My God I" exclaimed Bill, struggling
feebly out OF the bed, new strength
coming to his feeble frame. "We must
save him, Joe, il he h'aint already dead.
We mustn't let him die. :,
line Two Intut SHlNciiuS WIN SHAA "NNs
weak from hunger, worked as they never
worked before. BY their combined ef-
forts, they lifed the poor frozen s1uatter
from the floor and laid him tenderly IN
their only bed.
He opened his eyes and muttered
something in an incoherent manner.
The two men bent over him and list
ened.
"H'it amt much farther" he NUT
tered. 81 heard 'em say they didn't
have nothin' to eat over thar-an Ike
Dover. hits yer dootv ter help en-
No-no-they wur goin' ter run me Oft
hit can't be much farther oh, il
could only sleep a little-h'it amt cold
now"
Joe took hold OF his hands and held
them in his own. They were frozen as
hard as icicles He looked at Bill and
uttered groan.
"He can't live, Bill" he said, chok-
ingly.
Bill bent over the bed, his face close
to that of the dying man.
"Pardner," he said, his voice husky
with emotion, 'syou've throw'd away yer
life fer us that didn't desarye nothin'
but yer hate. You've froze them pore
hands fer us onery wolves that would a
driv' We away from yer claim. oh, il We
could only live ter tell me how mean an
onery I've been ter ye-" Here Bill
broke down and wept like a child.
Presently the dying man muttered:
Hits all right see hit now-thar is
the cabin, right ahead-" And with
these words his spirit fled.
For a long time the only sound that
broke the stiffness of that desolate prai-
RE home was the sobbing OF the two men
and tue kissing OF the winter wind
Frank Leslies.