Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1906-11-10


sleighs!"
"Well, they're there. Two troikas
with three good horses apiece. Come and
see for yourself"
The policeman had spoken the truth
On the leeward side of the porch two
sleighs were waiting. The light from the
open door behind us shimmered on the
drifting. snow and flashed on the bells
about the horses necks. 1t was bitter
ly cold, and l was turning to retreat into
the hall when a man wrapped in furs
moved out of the darkness. 1t was the
keeper of the inn, his face grey-white
like the underside of a sole
Whose sleighs are these?' asked
Graden sharply.
Mine, Mr.. Engishman, mine l fol
low to save my boy"
"And the horses?'
"The best in Lemsdorf. They are
private teams, lent by those who had
pity upon my sorrow"
May we come with your"
Il would ask for nothing better, mein
Herr"
Inside of ten minutes l was ready to
start. with a borrowed cloak flung over
my thickest clothes, and huge bunch
of bread-and-meat in my hand. Quick
as | had been, Mossel and my cousin
were already dressed and in consultation.
We were to drive to the crossroads, they
told me, and then separate, the one
sleigh, with Graden, Mossel and an ex-
perienced driver, taking the road to
Bromberg, which, being the shorter, was
more likely to be the one Marnac had
chosen; the other, containing the inn
| nd g. 49,
Gnesen road. | was not particularly
pleased at the prospect of parting with
my friends, but l made no objection to
this plan. We entered our seighs, roll
ing ourselves in the rugs.
Are you armedY' Graden called
across to the innkeeper in his little seat
before me-
Yes, mein Herr. Do you go first, for
you have the better team"
The chase was up indeed
AS we passed on to the plain outside
the town, the gale that came charging
out of frozen Russia leapt upon us with
a howl of furious joy. The flakes that
rose from beneath the curved runners and
the beating hoofs fled spinning into the
night. The sky hung low and black and
starless above the white sheet of rolling
snow. The little sleigh bells grew silent
in the heavier drifts, breaking out again
where the track was harder. A hun
dred yards ahead the sparks of Gra-
denis pipe flashed as they kindled in
the wind. The fall had almost ceased.
My driver sat squarely before me, with
rein in each of his fur-gloved hands.
could not see his face, but from his pro-
jecting head and hunched shoulders l
could imagine how he looked peering
over his horses into the night, with fear
gripping at his SOUL
must admit that for myself l was in
a condition of petulant discomfort The
slightest movement seemed to give en-
trance to some new draught that chilled
my arm or ran trickling down my spine.
Now and again a flake of snow lodged in
my neck or ear and melted Jelly. Tired.
cold and hungry, Il lay amid my rugs,
cursing the folly that had led me to take
hand in a business that should have
been left to the police. | had the keenest
, desire for a quarrel, but being to all con-
versational purposes alone, that relief
was impossible.
CHAPTER XII.
Within two miles of Lemsdorf we had
left the plain for the forest The moon
was obscured, yet faint light filtered
down from above, finding reflection in
the snow, and emphasizing the black
pillars of the pines that went sliding
, by There was now no trace of our
companions save the marks of their run
ners on the track; over the woods brood
ed an utter silence, broken only by the
swish of our sleigh and the murmur OF
F the bells rising and falling in a low
monotonous melody. 1t was as if we
were passing through the waste places OF
a dying world. One of my feet begar
. to grow numb, and when l turned abou
2 that / might shelter it, the snow thai
had gathered on my collar plunged down
+ my neck, so that l shivered with cold
But on the whole l was reasonably warn
amongst my wraps, and a feeling o.
drowsness grew upon me.
/, 1t was Reskfs voice that woke me
We had halted in a dim clearing in tn,
woods. A score of yards away the sec
ond sleigh was waiting. Evidently W,
had reached the crossroads, where w,
q were to part.
9 ANY tracksY' shouted my driver.
NO" came Gradens answer. 9Th,
wind and the fresh fall have cleare,
them away. Are you all right, Robert p
Il am exceeding uncomfortable, i
that is what you want to know" l shout
ed back Indeed it was silly question
to ask me- My temper was not ,improv
O ed by distant chuckle which 1 attrib
: uted to Mossel.
n "Cheer up, Robertv' continued m.
a cousin. IF you run across him, yol
must do your best Reski will see 70,
q through, never fear; but l don't thinl
+ there is much chance of your coming Vi
d with him, for he will have taken tn
) shorter route which we follow. Anyhow