West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1901-11-07

oonr0sou MN. They seemed To vanish
as they had appcarcd-into the air
about them.
I'D make straight rush to the next
station" said the other passenger con-
tidently TO the driver. "If we are stuck.
We are that much on the way; n we
turn back. well have TO take the grade
ANYWAY when the storms over and
neither you nor know when thatll be.
IL may be only squall just now. but
his getting rather late I'm the season.
Just pitch In and drive all you know"
The driver laid his lash on the horses.
and for n few moments the heavy vc-
hicle dashed forward I'm violent conflict
with the storm. At times the elastic
hickory framework OF its domed lcath-
er roof swayed and bent like the ribs
OF an umbrella. AZ times sc seemed as
IL II would be lifted bodily or. At
times the whole interior OF the ych, lc
was filled with thin smoke by drifts
through every Granny. But presently.
TO Masterton's great relief. the inter
minable level sccmcd TO end, aud be-
tween the whltcncd blasts he could SEQ
that the road was descending. Again
the horses were urged forward, and at
last he could feel that the vehicle be-
gan 10 add the momentum of It's de-
scent to Its conflict with the storm.
The blasts grew less violent or became
only the natural resistance OF tho mir
TO their dominant rush. with the ccs.
sation OF the snow yolleys and the
clearing OF the atmosphere the road be-
A. UI Al al,
ell downward TO n terrace on the noun
tain flank several hundred feet below.
Presently they came again upon
thicker growth OF bushes and here and
there n solitary FIR. The wind died
away; the cold seemed to be less bitter.
Masterton. In his relief. glanced smll-
ingly at his companions on the box, but
the drivers mouth was compressed as
he urged his team forward, and the
other passengers looked hardly less
anxious. They were now upon the
level terrace and the storm apparently
spending It's fury high up and behind
them. But, I'm spite OF the clearing of
the air. he could not but notice that IL
was slngularly dark. what was more
singular, the darkness seemed TO have
them as they descended. a curtain OF
profound obscurlty, darker even than
the mountain wall at their side, shut
out the horizon and the valley below.
But for the temperature Masterton
would have thought n thunderstorm
was closing In upon them. An odd feel
Ing OF uneaslncss crcpt over him.
few iltfpl gusts now came from the
obscurity. One of them was accompa-
MED by what seemed n flight of small
startled birds crossing the road ahead
OF them. A second larger and more
sustained hlght struck his astonished
eyes that they were white and each
bird an enormous fake OF snowl For
an instant the air was filled with these
disks. shreds, patches, two or three
clinging together, like the downfall
shaken from tree, striking the leath-
er roof and sides with dull thud,
spatterlng the road into which they de-
scended with large rosettes that melted
away, only 10 be followed by hundreds
more that stuck and stald In Ave
minutes the ground was white with Il,
the long road cleaning out ahead I'm
the darkness, the roof and sides OF the
wagon overlald with It as with n coat.
Ing OF plaster OF paris; the harness OF
the horses and even the reins stood out
over their steamlng backs like white
trappings. In five minutes more tho
steaming backs themselves were blan.
keted with II, the arms and legs OF the
outside passengers pinloncd TO the seats
with IL, and the arms of the driver kept
free only by incessant motion. It was
no longer showing; IL was sDowballlng;
II was an avalanche out OF the slopes OF
the sky. The exhausted horses fIoun-
dered In IT, the cloggIng wheels drag
ged In II, the vehicle at last plunged
into billow OF It and stopped.
The bewildered and half blinded pas
sengers hurried out into the road TO as
sist the driver to unshlp the wheels
and nt the steel runners I'm their axles.
But 1t was too latel BY the time the
heavy wagon was converted into
sledge 1t was deeply imbedded In wet
and clInglng snow. The narrow, long
handled shoyels borrowed from the
''prospectors' kits were powerIess be-
fore this heavy half liquid lmpediment.
At last the driver with an oath relln-
quished the attempt and, unhitching
his horses, collected the passengers and
led them forward by n narrower and
more sheltered trail toward the next
station. now scarce n mile away.
The led horses broke n path before
them. The snow fell less heavily, but 10
was nearly an hour before the strag.
Iiing procession reached the house and
the snow coated and exhausted passen-
gers huddled and steamed around
the redhot stove I'm the barroom. The
driver had vanished with his team In
the she'd Masterton's fellow passen-
ger on the box seat, after a few whIs-
pered words 20 the landlord, also dis
appeared.
II see you've got Jake Poole with
your said one Of the barroom lounRers
TO Mastcrton. Indicating the passenger
who had Just left. II reckon he's hero
on the same fool business"
Mastcrton looked his surprise and
mystlhcatlon.
Jake Poole, the deputy sheriff." re.
peatcd the other 81 reckon he's here
pretendln TO hunt for Montagu Trlxlt,
like tho San Francisco detectives that
KEN up yesterday"
Mastcrton with difficulty repressed a
start lie had heard OF Poole. but dld
aOt know him by sight II don't think
I understand" he said coolly.
II reckon you're n stranger IN these
pnrts," returned the lounger. looking
Al MastertOn curiously. "Ef you
wnrn't you'd know that about tho last
man San Franeisco or Canadn City
wanted to kctch Is Monty Trlxlt uo
knows too much. aud they know IT,
But they've got TO keep mp n show
chasc-a kind Of a cirkis ridln-up here
20 satisfy the stockholders You bet