Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-11-29

was from the northwest, and they
held it to their backs and made tracks
as fast as they could towards the
comforts of civilization. Morning
came and still the storm held. All
through Monday, the horses. unfed
and unwatered and unrested. held
| their way. The man in the sleigh
was so stiffened in his buffalo robe
wrappings that he could not have
cared for them if he had found a
place TO alight. Monday night came
on, and with it no sign of shelter.
Monday night passed and Tuesday
morning dawned, and still the cold
was intense. and there was no trace
of human habitatipn or possible place
of refuge. Tuesday dragged its slow
length along, but by this time, tire
some and torturing as they were, the
hours did not move slower than the
| worn-out horses. They had almost
reached the limit of their endurance
and strength, but they moved for
ward at pace compared with which
the gate of the average funeral train
would have seemed Il welcome burst
of speed. 1t could scarcely be called
motion.
1t was with feelings of the deepest
despair that MIR. Fulton saw the light
begin to fade on Tuesday afternoon.
The situation was as hopeless then as
it had been before. save from the
fact the homes of settlers were
good many miles nearer, but with his
tagged team II mile might mean
death. Rescue could not be much
longer delayed if it was worth being
accepted. In Il short time the end
would surely come. Cold and hunger
were doing their work. The frozen
fingers and the well-nigh frozen arms
could no longer guide the tottering
steps of the poor half-dead animals.
and they moved, what little they did
move. without masters hand. And
in this helpless, pitlesS condition the
miserable party of two horses and
their master were Is night again
settled over the white prairies. so
black with the abandonment of hope
that it was no longer worth while
to think of living.
IF the reader can bring himself to
imagine this case fully and complete
ly, he may be able to understand
what tumult of emotions was
aroused in MIR. Fulton's breast when
he caught-for a faint. pickering in
stant-the dimmest kind OF n CLEAN
of light through the blackness which
trimmed the horizon. 1t was. just a
CLEAN that was speedily eXtinguish-
ed. and il was too faint ana far away
to found hope upon; but it shone
again. and clearer. That light meant
warmth and food and life. with all
that life means; but it was so far
away. so dim and distant. and the
half-dead team was so near its last
strained effort that il also meant the
Saddest of all deaths-death within
sight of escape and safety.
The horses were dragged toward
that star of hope, and they dragged, !
dragged themselves forward so slow
ly and painfully that they seemed to
stand still. The hours had, been long
with monotonous despair before. but
now they were long with the agony
of fear that the way of escape would |
be barred at the last steps Of the re-
treat. But the horses were still alive.
though barely so. and barely able to
move, and they did make progress, |
though it was so slow and distress |
full. Little by little the light grew
palmer. What if it should go out?
1t had been hours since dark fell. and |
the settlers were all men of steady |
habits, who went early to bed. What |
could keep this particular light |
burning, and how soCn might it dis
appear and leave the wanderer in |
darkness to miss the window from
which il shone? ~-
(To be Continued.) 90. .s.