The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1904-11-17
wihhis heusins KATE.

, the ssrne Instant tAc sncw settled unee
| bic ksees, and he lisehea forward with
force sufficient to eriyc the trigger ircn
, the botch.
The trees sprAng upeald with viclou
. ssish. R3sF, caught lac. uader the arms
was rktd lotto the Air, and huag above III
tFsii. t~itllfg liee q n.h CO Hoe.
Tae irArpefs fses wst ttuds. Blu
gradually bewildsrmett snd ruciul smuss
nj, Mt VANISHED, sed his expression grew
grim a. The x,snt oitls ptedicsmt nt can'
home to him
The kuife lay thiuing 10 the snow ahsr,
he had dropped II, fear feet below his dang
llrg srow.tLoes. tie mealufed the dis
lsnce With his eie, and drawing up hii
lfgs, thrust them downward vigorously
hopir & to inpart dancing motion TO BIZ
b dy ths. asu'd IA time brig him to tht
ground.
The tshsme prowd ttll,less, Kick as be
seulc, he sslli ssta 7 sopslessly clear oi
bis mark The ,rGriIta aivtd only to
tighten The rooie sbtut iis chest. His
loose, hcAv5 e'aihl k p. the rtpe frcm
bltIpg into tt. d s., tut ihe draw Of 1t
lhreater,d te intr',re seli usly With hls
breathing
No ore kacw ttt ,r han 81 The In
txorab,euess Of IA. itrest. Her Ell rn laws
rccogrlz} oily the strong, he sourd Of
limb For her tlk c'ilattr, woui ded by
the luhle.'s bullet or implilontd IN the
clutches of the trap, she hss 10 helping
hard. Yet such was the trsppel's train
Ing that his sturdy in,repidity dii rot fall
| him.
I'm Ike an acorn, sure, lie sale, his feel
Ings iadrg audible vent at last. Reckon
I'll drop, toe, soon's the leaves push me
On
By lifting up Li arms be could gratp the
rope back CT his head with one hard at
time, and thus for a moment relieve the
strain on his chest. But pulling himself
up by 1t was out OF the question. He crop
ed for the knot, but 1t lay between his
shoulder .blsdes, where he could not reach
It. Then, tuekiDg his mittens under his
belt, he set to work to pick the rope apart,
fiber by fiber.
The creeping cold make the mans fingers
clumsy. Very soon he had broken bis
nails almost to the quick. There were
stains OF blood on the rope, but beyo a
slightly roughened spot, as II 1t had been
chaied, the stout htmp defied him. As
Ross perceived the futility Of bis eflorts,
be lowered his bead with what was almost
a snarl, and sought vainly to reach bis
bonds with bis strong teeth.
The treetops began to sway restlessly in
the mysterious night air. Soft undercur-
rents Of sound, like broken, distant echoes
OF voices, threaded the forest. There we're
louder noises sharp, whip like reports as
come dead tree fell, and the hollow BOOM
ing Of the ice as 1t parted from it's hold on
the bank Of the stream. Oace prowl-
ing cat screamed from the top Of the ridge
behind him.
Tho late moon rose, and Ross saw him
sell thsdowed on the snow, lks a figure
on gitbt t. IL was very cold. Tho tight
ness Of The Moose impaired the free circu-
lation O; his blood, depriying Lin Of his
natural defense agains the the frost. Al
ready his extremites began to feel numb
At intervals he beat them together briskly.
Again and again he tried some new plan
Of escape. Suddenly he thought that by
setting himself swinging he might grasp
branch and thence work bis
way along to safety, but The rope was not
long enough to allow the requisite play.
Orce he did succeed In selling slender
twg. 1t broke in his hand.
He had spent so many years with the
ofthe woods that he had learned
from them to SUI II dunbly. Hou, after
hour he had writhed and twisted In the
snare without a sound but his labored
But with the breaking Of the
little twig his endurance snapped also, and
be cried aloud for help, knowing that no
help would come.
His body above the ligature Of rope
.1robbed with intense pain from the pres j.,
'ure Of the pent-up blood. The muscles Of
lis abdomen ached urder the dragging .
train Of bis heavily clothed limbs. The /.
,itteI air set sharp teeth in hia 6ash.
Fortunately for Rots, the night grew
teadily warmer as 1t advanced. Toward
morning the promised rain came, fiet zing
where II FELL The trapper, exhausted ard
slf unconscious, hung limp In the snare.
NE drops striking on the back OF his bent
ead revived him. Painfully be lif.ed his
wollen hands and pulled down the naps Of
is fur cap. Ia his deep eyes there was
opeless resignation.
IL was stil raining after the hour Of sun
Ise. The forest was forest OF Ice.
ounds like pi.tol-shots, followed by rum.
ling crashep, filled the air, as the over
veighttd branches sIlit from the parent
TENS and fell to the sLow.crust. Every
wig was lrcsstd in sn inch.thick armour .
I cryftal; the more supple trees were
owed In graceful area. %
All at once Il So became aware Of stmc-
hing rubbing against the ends Of bis snow
noes. He opened ti, eyes sle@ly ard look
4 down. II was a full minute before the
ice tha. the wooden ffsmss we're resting
o the snow, peHttrated hin dtzed mi4c.
His involuntary start OF furptise hasten
4 the sitking of the lcc-!nfcod bifehes
. bis fet came down folidly upon the
rust, be sgaysd Ike drunken man, bu. /.
resen.iy be es.eadied hInseli sutlicien,ly to -
end over ard pick up the knife.
10 momsEt be lad kaccked The ice
rom the blade, sRd In anotbtr he was free. :"
Weakly be fell to bis kneef, ana breaking
n Bit OF the snow crust, put & between :. .
10 fevered lips. The cool ni.kle act d "
La tstrtg