Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1902-07-03

IiSly DIT Ills COiIl1aAlOlS Oh Tie DOA, Out
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, in spite of the clearing Of
the air, he could not but notice that it
was singularly dark. What was more
singular, the darkness seemed to have
risen from below and to flow in upon
them as they descended. A curtain of
profound obscurity, 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 thunderstorm
was closing in upon them. An odd feel
ing of Uneasiness crept over him.
A few ftful gusts now came from the
obscurity. One of them was .accompa-
MED by what seemed fight of small
startled birds crossing the road ahead
Of them. A second larger and more
sustained flight struck his astonished
eyes that they were white and each
bird an enormous flake Of snow! For
an instant the air was filed with these
disks, shreds, patches, two or three
clinging together, like the downfall
shaken from tree, striking the leath-
er roof and sides with a dull thud,
scattering the road into which they de-
scended with large rosettes that melted
away, only to be followed by hundreds
more that stuck and staid In five
minutes the ground was white with it,
the long road cleaning out ahead in
the darkness, the roof and sides Of the
wagon overlaid with it as with coat
ing Of plaster Of paris; the harness of
the horses and even the reins stood out
over their steaming backs like white
trappings. In five minutes more the
steaming backs themselves were blan-
keted with it, the arms and legs Of the
outside passengers pinioned to the seats
with it, and the arms Of the driver kept
free only by incessant motion. It was
no longer showing; it was snowballing;
it was an avalanche out Of the slopes Of
the sky. The exhausted horses foun-
dered in it, the clogging wheels drag
ged in it, 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 unship the wheels
and fit the steel runners in their axles.
But it was too late! By the time the
heavy wagon was converted into a
sledge it was deeply imbedded in wet
and clinging snow. The narrow, long
handled shovels borrowed from the
"prospectors' kits were powerIess be-
fore this heavy half liquid impeachment
At last the driver with an oath relin-
quished the attempt and, unhitching
his horses, collected the passengers and
led them forward by narrower and
more sheltered trail toward the next
station, now scarce mile away.
The led horses broke path before
them. The snow fell less heavily, but it
was nearly an hour before the strag-
Cling procession reached the house and
the snow coated and exhausted passen-
gers huddled and steamed around
the redhot stove in the barroom. The
driver had vanished with his team in
the shed. MYSTERIOUS fellow passen-
ger on the box seat, after a few whis-
pered words to the landlord, also dis
appeared.
81 see you've got Jake Poole with
you?' said one of the barroom loungers
to Masterton, indicating the passenger
who had just left. II reckon he's here
on the same fool business
Masterton looked his surprise and
mystifcation.
''Jake Poole, the deputy sheriff. re-
peated the other. Il reckon he's here
pretendin to hunt for Montagu Trixit,
like the San Francisco detectives that
KEN up yesterday
Masterton with difficulty repressed
start. He had heard Of Poole, but did
not know him by sight. 81 don't think
I understand" he said coolly.
Il reckon you're stranger in these
parts" returned the lounger, looking
at Masterton curiously. EFF you
warn't, you'd know that about the last
man San Francisco OR Canada City
wanted to ketch is Monty Trixit. He
knows too much, and they know it.
But they've got to keep up a show
chase-a kind of a cirkis ridin-up here
to satisfy The stockholders. You bet
that Jake Poole hez got his orders
they might kill him to shut his mouth
EFF they got an excuse-and he made a
fght-but he amt no such fool. No,
sir! Why, the sickest man you ever
saw was that director that come up
here with detective when he found
that Monty hadn't left the state.'
''Then he is hiding about here?' said
Masterton, with assumed calmness.
The man paused, lowered his voice
and said: Il wouldn't swear he wasn't
mile from whar we're talkin now.
Why, they do allow that he's taken a
drink at this very bar since the news
came and that there's boss kept han
dy in the stable already saddled just to
tempt him eff he was inclined to scoot."
''That's only a bluff to start him 60