The citizen., 1911-07-07

ever present that CORY, grizzly spec
tacle of 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.
Fer thoughts went forward to what
was before her. but his went back
ward to what was behind
After long time it seemed to them
that the fierceness of the storm was
somewhat abated The wind was GER
tainly falling; but the drifts were
steadily rising. and their progress
was more difficult every moment for
that cause. Their very souls were
numb with the awful cold. Still they
went forward. slower now, and more
slowly ever.
How far they had come, what time
it was, where they were, neither he
nor she could tell. 1t seemed to them
both that they had been hours on the
way. The woman was sure that they
must have compassed the greater part
of the journey, when her horse sud-
denly stumbled and fell. Her bron-
chos matchless endurance had at last
been exhausted by the terrible strug-
gle of their Journey He lay dying
where he fell, and nothing she could
do could get him up again. The boy
had stopped, of course. when her horse
had fallen. He had dismounted and
helped her to rise. He had assisted
her vain efforts to get her own played
out horse on its feet. The two now
stood staring at each other in dismay.
You must take my horse" said the
boy at last.
The woman nodded. With his as
sistance she climbed slowly and pain
from the boy. and started on. Her
companion caught hold Of the stirrup
leather and staggered forward by her
side The going was now infinitely
harder for the remaining horse. The
woman Immediately realized that with
this almost dead weight plunging
through the deep drifts and dragging
heavily at the stirrup leather, the
remaining bronco would soon be ex-
hausted.
She had meant to play fair with
him but 1t could not be. And so for
long time the trio plodded on in this
way, the woman nerving herself to
frightful action as best she could. She
hesitated to do 1t. She was reluc-
tant-
But no horse that ever lived could
stand such strain. She knew that 1t
would be a matter of minutes now
when the animal she rode on would
also fall, and lie when he had fallen
like his dead brother back on the
trail, and then she and the boy would
inevitably perish.
Well, it was his life or hers! The
decision was forced upon her. And
perhaps after all it was just as well
to get rid of them both and have done
with it. She reached over, and be-
fore the boy realized what was hap
pening she caught his hand. tore his
fingers from the saddle strap, and
thrust him violently backward. I'm
prepared. unsuspecting, half-dazed, he
could offer no adequate resistance. He
reeled and fell supine in a deep and
overwhelming drift. She struck the
horse heavily with the whip that hung
from the saddle bow, and the animal
plunged forward wildly. She knew
that she was safe unless he should
try to shoot her; for he was too weak
and too exhausted to catch her.
The boys senses we're quickened in
TO instant action by her conduct. Aft
er the first moment of surprise, he
knew at once that she was deliberate
ly abandoning him to die in she snow.
A hot rush of blood, in spite of the
cold, swept over him. He thrust his
hand within his coat and dragged out
weapon. He raised It and trained
It on the woman's back, and for the