The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-27
By Herman Whitaker
illustrated by
L. w. Zeigler and A. Person
illustrated by

desperate case from her father and friends. If she
moved, the mems eyes moved with her, and she
chafed under their free nquislton, signing with relief
when, at last, they rose and went outside.
Ihawing clear spot in the ice which couded the
north window, she watched them carry their tools
to bluff about quarter from the house There
barring the ground they marked out the grave, then
built fire within the lines, and So at the end of
hours burning, shoveled out six inches of thawed
earth Soon snow began to fall, hiding them from
the watching woman, then the wind raised the drift
but they persevered, digging and burning until, at
noon, the grave yyawned three feet deep,
Enough, think you?" Gaspard growled.
grinning. 81 would not have him interrupt your
honeymoon"
The other laughed "on him l will take chances,
"Pish! / abide by the fortune of the cards Dame
Hazard is the only woman ever truly loved, so let
there be no more talk. Put another fire, it will
thaw foot while eat"
1t was nearly three o'clock when they came STUN
bling through the drift with the dead, up in
his blankets; and they worked deepening the grave
the wind gained and flying scud walled the grim
burial IN clrclng clouds. white pail, too, fell
thick upon the dead
But it will not hurt him." Gaspard joked with
brutal levlty. There will be enough of the fire bv
an by
"Ay, the hereto Pete agreed. "In hells torment
he will pray for single snowflake. Still, though he
is frozen stiff his look is cold hers when YOU
touched her hair"
BAH" Gaspard growled "she will thaw In
with him, Pete for it grows late an you have yet to
hit the trail of the squaw."
Yes | hit the trail an leave vou-to him; for if
ever mans eyes said that he would come back Ratch-
ford's did last night"
"On him, as said, | will take chance Black
Gaspard mouthed it bravely enough, but uneasiness
lurked in his grin; and presently he paused in his
shovelng, and listened with strained attention Pete
too ceased his testing for he also had heard voice
Hurry, Ethel" 1t again, and, blanketed
and beaten by the storm, the sound seemed to issue
from the grave at their feet Supersttous after the
manner of their kind the two rascals stood staring
fearfully at one another in the fading light.
81 like it not! Black Gaspard muttered in his
beard; ait was the voice of Ratchford"
$50 he always called her." Pete muttered, vet
being the harder villain of the two, he began SHOW
cling again. Heartened by his example, Black Gas
pard fell to- and the pair worked furiousy till the
grave filled and mounded. Them just as they
shouldered their tools, the voice sounded again.
with Pete following hard on his heels; but sighting it,
both stopped dead in their tracks-huge gray colossal
figure, bearing woman in its arms, appeared for
moment then vanished in the mirk.
"Ratchford!" Gaspard hoarsely whispered. "Ratch-
ford, come for his own
If terror had not blinded them, the breeds would
simply walked behind the house and there deposited
its burden in sleigh. They might, too. have heard
Sellers say "Shes tainted Jeanne you will have to
drive; Hit em up, and keep them moving for our
friends coming"
"They cannot follow" the girl answered. ''See
the drift already fills tracks,
real northeastern" he commented, looking back.
Lucky we have the wind behind u.s.
All day the wind had been picking the garnered
SHOWS from hundred thousand miles of prairie and
now earth, air and sky vast white smother
At times the furious wind would switch round dealing
them foul buffet, and then, while they still gasped
it would roar on and bury them under mad white
wave. Emerging from such one Ethel Ratchford,