Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-11-09

ealing, TIE more utterly 'maiisnARr I
sprang to my feet, gripping Reski By the
shoulder.
what IL thatT' cried.
Wolves, mein Herr"
win they attack usP'
Calm yourself, mein Herr" he an.
sWered grufhy, his eyes still set on the
track before him. '"The winter is young,
and their mouths are not empty.
| The pace Of the horses had dropped to
slow trot. They advanced stifay, with
staring eyes and ears pricked forward. l
remained standing, peering across the
drivers seat at the white track that ran
dimly away between the banks of pines.
Suddenly from a snow-powdered thick
ct before us there burst a chorus Of low
snarls that grew into the short, angry
barks Of dogs disturbed With a jerk
the horses stopped trembling and sQueez7
ing themselves together with the fear
that was on them.
They have something there" cried
Reski, and there was a shudder in his
voice. Otherwise they would not be SO
bold. Take the reins, mein Herr"
He thrust them into my hands and
jumped from the seat. His pistol fash
ed, and l caught glimpse Of forms sour
rying over the snow. Then the darkness
fell again like a veil.
What have you found? l shouted.
Under the trees it is hard to see,"
came back his answer. "Perhaps-I was
mistaken. But wait"
He struck a match, and his tall, thin
figure sprang out in silhouette as he
moved slowly forward, shielding the light
with his hands.
Here are the footprints of the wolves
it was here that they gathered.
There is something by the tree.
1t is not a log-ah no but it is not
a log, though it lies SO still.
fear to apprOach-how l fear! Have
mercy! 1t is a man! 1t is Ivan, my
sOnw
We were on Marnac's traii-the trail
of the dead.
At last it was all over. Alone, for
dared not leave my hold upon the fright
ened horses, Reski carried his son to the
sleigh and laid him there beside me, with
a rug across the face. He had been killed
from behind, poor lad, with a revolver
shot in the back of his head. He had
refused to proceed, and Marnac had not
hesitated. That was plain enough. /
thanked God that we had been in time
Ito save him from the wolves.
Yet there had been but a short delay.
For when Reski had seen his dead be-
slowed upon the sleigh, he had taken
the reins and sent his horses forward. He
did not speak, nor did l offer him con-
ISOLATION. But as l watched him sitting
above me, peering ahead like some old
teak figure on a vessels bows, there was
a grim intensity about the man, a fixed
resolve that was strange to witness. So
we fed through the night, down the
interminable avenues of pines, bearing
our dead with us.
1t was one o'clock WhUn we lit upon
wayside inn. Our clamor aroused the
landlord, who directed us to where a ket-
tie simmering on the stove gave a warm
mash for the horses and hot coffee for
ourselves. He was sleepily injurious,
nor did he inquire what was the thing
beneath the rugs which we carried with
us. But he gave US news. Marnac had
left there less than two hours before He
had been greatly delayed by a collision
with tree, and some rough repairs mad
been necessary. One of his horses, too
had been slightly famed. Yet Reski |
showed no unusual interest in the tale |
we heard. He spent his time with his |
horses, grooming and soothing them. 1t
was not till they had rested three-Quar-
tiers of an hour that he called me out |
from my seat by the stove, and again we
swept away upon the chase.
1t was at dawn that we sighted him. |
He was climbing a long slope, a black |
speck in the white riband of a road |
Above him, long flakes of orange cloud |
were slowly frightening and deepening |
in color. As he topped the hill, the sun
came peering up over a moorland heaped |
with tumbled drifts. The sky flushed |
and faded to a deep cobalt blue. So day
came.
1t almost seemed as if our horses un-
ierstood. They increased their pace
without a touch of the whip Juggling at
the frozen, twisted reins. As they, too,
rose the hill, Reski shouted to them, and
they stepped briskly forward. The fresh
snow had frozen, and we travelled well.
the surface cracking as we crushed over
It. We were less than a quarter of
mile from him when he turned and no.
ticed us. We saw him spring to his feet
and lash his team, but the off-side horse /
was running stifly and his pace scarcely
increased. He leaned down, fumbling
and searching at his feet, while he held
the reins in one hand. After that he .
did not hurry, but drove steadily forward,
glancing at us now and again over his
shoulder.
ITO be coptinuedN