The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-21
BY X. d. Strong.

HE sohbing of the wind as it swept
through the dismal pines and the
sharp crunchiug of the ice on the
boughs as the blast tossed them to and fro
were the only sounds that broke upon the
ears of the weary man as he stumbled on
and on through the gloomy forest. faint
with hunger. chilled to the Bone by the
bitter cold that had settled down upon
the Northand, and bleeding from a
ghastly wound in his side from which
the crimson blood trickied in a steady
stream, freezing even as it flowed.
Far he had wandered in the woods, iii
search of human habitation, and as he
realized that his strength was almost
gone and no help near, a moan burst
from his whtened lips Early in the
afternoon, while sitting on a deer run
way, in TIC hope of securing juicy
steak for his Christmas dinner, he had
heard the report OF a rife. and at the
same instant his side had been pierced
by the missile fired by an unseen marks
man.
Fighting for Life.
Fearfully wounded though he was,
Jack Thornton was not the man to give
up without a fight for his life. Raised
in the north woods, and as much at
home in the pines on the darkest night
as he was in the daytime in the little
clearing in which stood his log cabin,
he had more than once battled for exist
ence with the elements and the denizens
OF the forest, and now although his very
life blood stained the snow into which
he had thrown himself when struck, he
refused to give up.
With an effort he arose to his feet.
The exertion was fraught with pain most
qc
for support as he gathered his feet under
him preparatory to trying to make his
way out Of the timber in an endeavor
TO find, perchance, the home of a settler. |
he failed to notice that mis- compass had
slipped from his pocket and had fallen
IN the snow, where it sank from sight
beneath the red-tinged covering of the
earth.
Reels Like Drunken Man.
For moment he staggered like a
drunken man after releasing his hold
upon the tree upon which he supported
himself, and with a muttered curse he
stopped and picked up his rifle, intending
to use It as a crutch.
But as he grapsed the weapon he real
lied that Its weight was more than he
could carry, and in a second the gun
went crashing back to the ground to join
tina compass, that faithful companion
which every man in the woods carries
and values as he does his life.
For an hour or more Thornton stag
gered along. now cursing the day he was
born and then uttering prayers such as
only man from whom all hope had fled
can utter.
The pain in his side, through which
the bullet had torn its way, leaving
great hole in it's wake, was growing
more intense at every step; fast ebbed
the strength of the stricken man, and
more than once he threw himself down
IN the snow, intenSing to lie there until
death should come.
Ihese paroXysms Of despair grew more
and more frequent. and at last the
woodsman, crying like baby, fell head
long to the ground, his hands tearing at
the snow in his agony. How long he lay
there he did not know or care-time had
no meaning for him.
Suffers Fearful Torment.
All that he knew was that he was SUI
fering the torments of the damned that
MS brain was in whirl, and that a
thousand devils We're tearing at his
vltals as if to get at his heart, through
which the blood seemed to run icy cold.
through the pines came the sobbing
OF the wind, like the last vail of a. soul
doomed to everlasting damnation. and
as the wailing fell upon the ears of
thornton he cringed and seemed to
shrink in size
10 his fevered brain the sobbine of
the wind was the wailing of a woman.
and as it rose and fell with the violence
VI tne "lho herce rage grew upon him
ana ms teeth CRASHED at his lips until
beard. '0
Curse. you!" he shouted, irving to,
shake his fists at the forms nc tina oincd
ne saw about him; Course you; you have
come back to mock me and to jeer at
my agony, have YOU? Curse you, I won't
ole--l won't 1ic--I went de- I IL you.
Begone!"
The Stamp Of Death.
Gradually . mist came before H., Unv,
and his face grew white and MT. II
seemed as If death had placed its a,lmp
upon the figure lying so silent and still.
The blood trick!ing from his ,td, dyed
red the snow ard formed a crust about
the body. Il faint breathing alone
showed that life still fingered.
Through the forest an owl csne ny
ing. almost over the man lying in the
frozen particles, and as the sisnt broke
upon the eyes of the uncanny bird it ut
tered note of alarm and swiftly turned
lis course, leaving Thornton alone,
from afar, in the direction of the place
where Thornton had been shot. came a
faint sound, sound so terrible that the
wounded man half awoke from the stunor
1ato "h!ch he had fallen. Partially rails
ing his head. he drew deep breath and
listened.
Surely 1t could not be the wind sweep
1ng through the pines that caused the
noise that had aroused him. Again came
the scand-a wild, weird cry, so demon