The Red Cloud chief., 1907-12-13

hse''N' -
thrust forward from his shoulders,
tore Intellectually at the iron arm which
was squeezing his life out. while for
endless minutes the other leaned his
weight AGAINST him, his idle hand be-
hind his back, his LEGS bracel like
stone columns MS he watched his vic
inns struggles abatc.
strive fought and W%rpnchcd while
his breath caught in his throat with
horrid. strkeuing sounds, but = ,1ually
eyes rolled farther and farther back
Cd. they stared out of his ~bilckcncd
visIgc, straight up toward the ceiling.
toward the hole through which Glen.
lister pCcred. Ills struggles lcsscncd,
his chin saggcd. and his tongue pro
truded. then he sat loose and still. The
politician flung him out into the room
SO that he fell Imply upon his face.
then stood watching him. Finally. Nc
NImara passed out Of the watchers
vi ion, returning with n water bucket.
With his foot he rollcl the unconscious
wretch upon his back. then drenChed
him. Replacing the pail, he seated
himself. lit Il cigar and watched the
return Of life into his victim. He
made no move, even to drag him from
the pool in which he lay.
Strive grOancd and Shuldered, twist
ed TO his side, and ut last sat up weak
~. In his eyes there was now n great
terror. while in place Of his drunken
,A.,., ,r,, 44y. Zoo. ,,I T,f.ta,. II
jcct fear Of the great bulk that sat and
smoked and stared ut him so Gahily.
He felt uncertainty of his throat and
groancd again.
why did you do that" he wills
percd, but the other made no sign. lie
tried - rise, hut his knees relaxed.
He staggered and fell. 1t las, he
gained rs foot ami made fer thr door.
Then. when lis hand YVES on the knob.
Mcnamara spoke through his teeth.
without removing his c'gr.
Don't cve' talk about her again.
She Is going - marry me-
When lie was alone. he looked Curl.
ou7ly up az the ceiling over u; head.
'Thc rats "rc thick IN this shack" he
muScd. "S'2ms to me | heard Il whole
swarm Of them"
\ few moments later Il figure crept
through the hoe In tho roo u trr
house mex door and thence down into
the street. \ block ahead was the
SLOW moving form of Attorney strive.
Had IL stranger met them both he
would not have known which Of the
two had felt at his throat the clutch of
n stranger, for each was drawn and
haggard and swaycd as lie went.
GleniStcr unconsciouSly turned to.
ward his cabin. but ut leavins the
lighted streets the thought of its dark.
ness ana silence made him shudier.
Not now! He could not bear that still.
ness and the company of his thoughts.
lie dared not be alone. DcXtry would
be downtown undoubtedly. AMI he. too.
u get into the light AMI turmoil.
He licked his lips and found that they
were cracked and dry.
At rare intervals during the past
years he had staggered In from n long
march where for hours he had waged a
bitter war with cold and hunger. his
limbs clumsy with fatigue. his gar
ments wet and stiff, his mind slack and
sullen. At such extreme seasons he
had felt Il consuming thirst, n thirst
which burned and scorched until his
very bones cried u feverishly-not
a thirst for water or a thirst which
eaten snow could quench, but a saw
e yearning Of his whole exhausted
system for some stlmulant, for some
coursing fiery fluid that would burn
and strange, n thirst for whisky, for
brandy! Remembering these occasion
al ferocious desires, he had become
charitable to such unfortunatcs as were
too weak to withstand similar tempta.
tons.
Now with a shock he caught himself
In the grip of n thirst as insistent as
though the cold bore down and the
WEAKNESS o[ endless heavy miles wrap
ped him about. 1t was no foolish wish
to drown his thoughts or to Danish
the grief that preyed upon him, but
only thirst, thirst-a crying, trembling,
physical lust to quench the fires that
burned inside. He remembered that
II had been more than Il year since
he had tasted whisky. Now the fever
of the past few hours had parched his
every tissue.
As he clbowed in through the crowd
at the Northern those next him made
room at the bar, for they recognized
the hunger that peers thus from mems
faces. Their manner recalled Clients
ter to his senses, and he wrenched
himself away, This was not some soil
tary, snow banked r%oadhouse. He
would not stand and soak himself
shoulder to shoulder with s~tevedores
and nnnShnrnnnnn Thic nrnS nomn