Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-29
CHAPTER II.
The Storm Without

SdAPl H.
The Storm Without
THE womans first thought when she stepped
outside the door was that at all hazards
they must go back. The wind almost swept
her away; only the steadylng grasp of the
boy, better prepared than she tor the attack
of the storm, enabled her to keep her feet.
Yet the presence of that CHASTITY thing on the
floor, which was affecting even her iron nerve,
prevented their return. Whatever happened,
they must go onl The door of that shelter
was closed to them forever by the dead or
diving tenant. She realized, however, that
their chances of escaping freezing to death in
this mad endeavor were so small as to be prac-
ticallv none. Well, fate had forced her into
this position. She would follow the path she
had chosen, whatever might be at the end OF
the
Speech was we'll nigh impossible. The boy
staggered on past the window, and she fol-
lowed until the lee of the house was reached.
Between a great drift and the wall, in little
open space, the horses were tied. The boy was
horseman He had picked out the two best
broncos in the camp. If any animals could
take them to safety, they could. Not yet
chilled by the fierce cold they united the shiv-
ering, reluctant, terrified horses from the pms
driven into the house to which they had been
hitched, mounted them and threading their
way round the drift started southwark on
their awful ride. They left death behind them
and, 10! death doomed before
Except where the storm was broken by
houses. drifts had not vet formed. The wind
was too terrific; it swept the level prairie
clean. But away from the shelter of the house
they got the full force of it. Although they
thickly clad in wool and fur. the pressure
of the storm drove their garments against their
bodies, and soon filled them with icy cold.
There was no help for it, relief from it;
they had to bear it. They could only bend
their backs to it and keep on, trusting to the
wind was at their backs. There no fear
that they would lose their way, or that the
horses would go astray so long as 1T blew stead
ly from the north No horse, left to itself,
would ever have attempted to face that storm;
SO long as the storm held, if the horses had
to go at all they would go south before it. So
for untold periods they plodded on
THE woman Judged that it had been about
one in the morning when they had started.
The Overland Limited through the sta
ton at three. No horses that lived could have
made that fifteen miles in two hours under those
conditions. 1t was more than probable, how
ever that the Limited would be greatly de-
laved by the storm, and If they kept going
steadily they would be likely to catch it. At
any rate, when they reached the station, they
would find food, fire, and shelter. She was
experienced enough to know that as the storm
blew itself out and the wind gradually fell, the
drifts would pile up behind them as we'll as
before them, and the cold would come; SO
that they would be safe from pursuit for day
two certainly. She hoped to reach the sta
horses did not give out, If they were not turned
adrift on foot in the storm and snow and LETT
to plod on until they fell, and slept and froze,
and died, they would perhaps get away. More
experienced than the boy, all these possibilities
were present to her. She did not pray, she
could ask nothing of God; but she went warily
and carefully, helping her horse where she could.
As for her companion, he did not give these
matters much consideration. He kept
going toward the south to the railroad station
because that the only thing to be done.
He was even mserablv satisfied because he
taking the woman away from life of such
sordd wretchedness that it had awakened his
pity.
The two horses kept close together for COM
panionship Indeed, the woman took
that this should be. Her body touched his
from time to time as they rode. He could see
her by turning his head slightly to one side.
Another, however, rode with him, if not
with her. Before his eyes was ever present
that CORY, grizzly spectacle of a human form,
the red blood yelling from its breast redder
still from the white snow with which he was
surrounded. That awful figure beckoned him
on He was younger finer, better, than she.
He was more fool than knave; she was all
knave. Her thoughts went forward to what
before her; but his went backward to
what was behind.
They rode in silence The noise of the tenn
pest made conversation practically impossible.