Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-07-13
PRoLOGUE-Continued.
The Storm Without

The Storm Without.
The woman's 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
steadying grasp of the boy, better pre-
pared than she for 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 on!
The door of that shelter was closed
to them forever by the dead or dying
tenant. She realized however, that
their chances of escaping freezing to
death in this mad endeayor were so
small as to be practically 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 way.
Speech was well nigh impossible.
The boy staggered on past the win
dow, and she followed until the lee
of the house was reached. Between
a great drift and the wall, in a little
open space the horses were tied.
The boy was a natural horseman.
He had picked out the best two bron-
cos in the camp. If any animals could
take them to safety, these could Not
yet chilled by the fierce cold, they
united the shivering, reluctant. terri
fed horses from the wooden pins driv-
en- into the chinks between the log
walls of 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 and on either
hand
Except where the storm was broken
by houses. drifts had not yet 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
were thickly clad in wool and fur, the
pressure of the storm drove their gar
ments against their bodies, and soon
filled them with icy cold. There was
no help for it, no relief from it. They
their backs to it and keep on, trust
ing to the endurance of their horses.
The woman judged that it had been
about one in the morning when they
had started The Overland Limited
ran through the station at three. No
horses that lived could have made
that Is miles in two hours under those
conditions. 1t was more than prob
able, however that the limited would
be greatly delayed by the storm, and
lf 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.
If their horses did not give out, If
they were not turned adrift on foot
in the storm and snow, and left to plod
on until they fell and slept, and froze
and died, they would perhaps get
away
More experienced than the boy, al
these possibilities were present to her
She did not pray, she could ask moth
ing of God; but she went wariIy an6
carefully, helping the horse where she
could.
As for her companion. he did no.
give these matters very much consid
Grafton. He kept going toward the
south to the railroad station because
that was the only thing to be done.
Another, however, rode with him, i
not with her. Before his eyes was