The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1904-04-01

which looked questloningly back NJ
him. their heads dropping. their
breath freezing upon their coats In
spiculao OF white
watt" cried Franklin. Il know
this holel I've been here before. The
teams come here for shelter"
"Oh. it's the White Woman breaks
why. surel" criod Sam In return.
Yes. that's whero Il ls. We're less
than half a mile from the house Wait.
now. and let me think. I've got TO
figure this out a while"
ITS on there" said Sam. pointing
across the coulee; but We can't get
there"
Yes, we can. old man: yes. wa
cam" insisted Franklin. "I1l tell you.
Let me think. Good God! why can't
| think? Hes-see here. you 90 down
the bottom OF this gully 10 the mouth
OF the coulee. and then we turn 20 the
lcft-no, It's 10 the right-and YOU
bear up along the side of the draw
Ill you get to the ridge. and then the
house Is right In front OF you. Listen
nowl The winds northwest. and tho
house Is west OF the head OF the cou-
lee so tie mouth is east Of as. and
that brings the wind on the left cheek
az tho mouth OF the coulee, aud IL
comes moro and more on the right
cheek as we turn up the ridge: and
it's on the front half OF the rlght
cheek when We face the house. I'm
sure that's right-walt. I'll mark Il
out here in the snow. Godi how cold
II IS! II must be right Come on;
come! We must try Il. anyway"
We may hit the house. Cap" said
Sam calmly. but II we miss Il we'll
go God knows where! Anyhow. I'm
with you, an II we don't turn up. we
cant help Il. an we done our best"
Come" cried Franklin once more.
Let's get 10 the mouth OF the coulee.
| know this place perfectly"
And so. advancing and calling and
waiting while Sam fought the stub
born horses with lash and rein out
OF the shelter which they coveted.
Franklin led out OF the fat coulee,
into the wider draw. and edged up
and up to tho right. agonizedly re-
peatins 10 himself over and over
again. the instructions he had laid
down, and which the dizzy whirl OF
the snow mingled ever confusedly in
his mind. At last they had the full
gale again in their faces as they
reached the level Of tho prairies. and
cast loose for what they thought was
west. fearfully. tremblingly. the voy-
age a quarter OF n mile. the danger
infinitely great; for beyond lay only
the cruel plains and the bitter storm
this double norther OF Yoeful
Chrstmastide.
Once again Providence aided them.
by agency OF brute instinct. One OF
the horses threw up It's head and
noighed. and then both pressed for
ward eagerly. The low moan OF
penned cattle came down the wind.
They crashed into a fence OF lath.
They passed its end--a broken. rat
Ting end, that trailed and swept back
and sorth in tho wind.
ITS the chicken corral" cried
Sam. IAN it's down! They've been
burnin'-"
Go on! Go on-hurryi" shouted
Franklin. bending down HIS head so
that the gale might not quite rob him
of his breath. and Sam urged on the
now willing horses.
They came 10 the sod barn, and
here they left tho team that had saw.
cd them, not pauslng to take them
from the harness. They crept 10 the
low and white-banled wall In which
showed two windows, glazed with
frost. They could see the chimney
plainly. but Il carried no smell OF
smoke. Tho stairway leading down
20 the door OF the dugout was miss
ing. the excavation which held 10 was
driftod full OF snow. and the snow
bore no track OF human foot. All was
white and silent. Il might have been
vault far in tho frozen northern
sea.
ITO 10 continued 1