The San Francisco call., 1904-11-27

10 the peerfng mead of the track walker.
As their eyes met the giant made
shrinking motion like a cat which
crOuches to receive the pounce Of an
other hostile feline JCse's throat closed
and step by step he retraced his path
over the trestle until safely within the
shadow of the sheds; then he broke
into frantic run, which brought him
breathless to his door.
At last there came the equinoctial
storms. For days the gray bellying
clouds had hurried up from the south,
pll1ng themselves up against the gran
lite spine of the range until they SEEM
ed ready to burst through the granite
dam and flood the world in a sea OF
vapor. The Shrek Of the wind sounded
down through the cloven peaks like the
twang Of a stretched wire. Pine trees
groaned under the strain and tossed
their tattered arms in wild desperation
at the onslaught of the tempest.
Snow fell in swirls and wild dancing
eddies ever, ever. Swiftly drifts were
piled and swiftly black rocks blown
bare. The sky was a void, the air a
binding smOther-eaTth was become a
dead, frozen mOonfie1d.
In the heart of the storm there sud
denly came hush; the clouds caught
up the myriad snOwflakes trembling
on the fall; the wind was pent in a
deadly whisper; the silence OF space
settled over the frozen world crest.
open up in there!" Jose, nodding
over his pipe, leaped to his feet at the
summons and the kick on his door
which accompanied it. Trembling, he
unbarred the door OF his cabin and put
an eye to the crack. The door was
rudely pushed into his face and three
men entered.
I'm the Sheriff from Cisco. repre-
sentin' the peace and dignity Of the
United States" announced the first OF
the intruders, "and these two gents Is
Roosian officers from Siberia"
The Sheriff nodded toward the two
figures standing stiffly in their long
green coats and top boots. They gave
a grave nod to the astounded track
walker, then stood erect again, their
faces immObile as wood.
you take us down TO Greasy Bakers
cabin where that hairy fellow lives
we're after him., The Sheriff's manner
was as terse az his command.
Awed beyond all power OF speech.
Jose mechanically reached for his cap
and knife, never taking his eye off the
two stiff figures standing there In their
long green coats.
Down the steep slope Of the canyon
the four men foundered, fighting the
clinging snow with vicious kicks and
lunges, until the gray peak OF the cabin
appeared to view. Jose. with a warn
ing finger on his lips, dropped to the
rear. The two Russians drew revolvers
and eagerly breasted the drifts with
their eyes glittering under their frosted
lashes and their teeth glinting through
the ice crystals on their boards. They
paused at the door, and then with a
loud command buried IL open, their re-
volvers held at full cock before them.
Not a sound greeted their intrusion
the cabin was empty.
In vain did the Russians kick the
dying embers on the hearth into q
glow and search the dim recesses OF
the cabin. VainIy did they stamp and
give tongue to sonorous oaths. Only
the log walls replied to their furious
imprecations. Jose ventured to thrust
his head in at the door and wave at
the excited officers. pointing meanwhile
in expressive pantomime to freshly
made tracks in the snow. which led
away from the cabin door. The Rus
SLAMS comprehended and Immediately
took to the trail like hounds on the
scent.
The tracks led off from the cabin
straight up the side OF the canyon op-
posite The jagged foot-holes were
wide apart; the mark OF hurried fist
was occasionally interspersed between
the tracks.
The storm which had been hanging
over the crest OF the mountains now
gave itself up to a new fury. Onca
again the air was filled with binding
white and the rushing wind leaped
down from the ice fields. carrying with
1T myriads Of tiny crystal teeth, which
stung like wasps.
Often driven to their knees. the four
f1oundering figures pressed I'D the
crag's side, fighting for breath. STUN
bling and rising again to press ever
higher. The mute sign posts which
they were following mounted bit bv bit
up to the very ridge of the frozen
world.
But with every flying crystal the
footprints Of the fugitive, at first lag
ged and deep, showed rounded and
smooth Of edge. and ever that sitting
cloud of white, smoothing. obliterating.
The boards of the painting Russians
SKINNED the drift as, labOring. they
followed the ever dimming tracks.
Across the frozen Bering Sea had thew
followed this very trail only to And
that Vagrant whaleship had harbored
their prey. Relentlessly they had pur-
sued 10 San Francisco; unerringIv
they had pushed the scent up to the
summit OF these strange mountains
where death lUrked. Now upon their
knees they scrambled along the same
unending trail which grew dinner
dimmer--with every feeting moment.
The Russians cursed and shook their
fists up at the binding swirl of snow
flakes Higher. higher-dirnmer and
more dim the scallOps in the drift.
A scoop IN the snow. a shallow
trough. a fingers scratch-then the
smooth. unsullied white, mounting mn
and up to meet the swirling Storm
clouds dark with rovstarx