The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-08-13

strength as he pursued Ahead Of him
he could hear the sound OF the tobog
gan and the cautious lashing of whip
over the backs of the tired huskies.
The sounds tilled him with fierce
strength he wiped away the warm
trickle of blood that ran over his cheek
and began to run. slowly at first,
swinging in the easy wolf lope Of the
forest runner with his elbows close to
his sides.
At that pace he could nave followed
for hours. losing when the pack took a
squirt, gaining when they Jagged, an in.
sistent Nemesis just behind when the
weighted dogs lay down IN their traces.
When he heard the cracking OF the
whip growing fainter he dropped his
arms straight to his sides and ran
more swiftly. his brain Keeling with the
madness OF MS desire 10 reach the
5ledge, to drag from u the MAJ who
had struck him. to choke life from the
face that haunted that mental picture
Of his. grinnIng at him and gloating al.
why's from the shadow world. Just be
yond the pale. sweet loneliness OF the
woman who lived In It.
he did not feel the soft. sun packed
snow under the beat OF his feet he
received the lash Of low hanging bush
es without experiencing the sensa ton
Of their sting Only he knew that he
wanted air more and more air and
to get II he rnD with open mouth.
struggling ana gasping for II ana yet
not knowing that lean de Ora vols
would hare called MIN a foo, for the
manner 10 which ne sought Il
he beard more aud more family
the run Of the sledge Then be heard
II no longer Ills heart swelIed In
final bursting effort. and he plunged
on until at last his legs crumpled
under him and he pitched face down.
ward In the snow. like n thing sruug
by sudden death
1t was then. with his scratched ana
bleeding face. lying in the snow. that
reason began to return to min. After
little while he dragged himself weak.
ly to his knees, still painting from the
mad effort he had made to overtake
the sledge. From great distance be
heard family the noise OF shouting, the
voices. and he knew that the sound
came from the jewellers at the post
II was proof to him that there had
been no interruption to the carnival
and that the scene nj the edge OF the
forest had been witnessed by none. He
turned again on the trail
Where the forest broke into an open.
lighted by the stars. he found blood
In the footprints of the leading dog
Halfway across the open he saw where
the leader had swung out from the
trail ana the others of the pack had
crowded about him. to be urged %
by the lashings of the mans whip.
Other signs Of the packs growing ex.
haustion followed close
The man now travelled beside the
sledge where the trail was rough and
rode where II was smooth and hard
The deep imprints OF his heeled boots
In the soft snow showed that he ran
for only short distance at a time
hundred yards or less-and that aft
er each running spell he brought the
pack to walk. de was heavy and
lacked endurance. and this discovery
brought low cry OF exultat ton to
JAMS lips
He fell into dog trot. Mile after
mile dropped behind him. Other miles
were ahead of him. an endless wilder
ness Of miles. and through them the
pack persisted. keeping always beyond
sound and vision.
The stars began fading out OF the
skies. Jan followed more and more
slowly. There was hard breathing eft
fort now In his running that
caused him physical pain and discom
fort. His feet stumbled occasionally
In the snow His legs from thigh to
knee began to ache With the gna wing
torment that centers In the marrow
bone. and with this beginning of the
runners cramp" he was filled with a
new and poignant terror
Would the dogs beat him out? slough
Ing In his trail, bleeding at every foot,
would they still drag their burden he
yond the reach OF his vengeance3 The
fear fastened itself upon him. urging
him to greater effort, and he called
upon the last of bis strength In squirt
that carried him TO where the thick
spruce gave place to thin bush and the
bush to the barren and rocky side of a
huge ridge, up which the trail climbed
strong and well defined. For a few
PAGES he followed 1t, then slipped and
rolled back as the fatal paralysis dead
ened all power of movement In his
limbs. He lay where he fell. moaning
out his grief with wide staring eyes
turned straight up into the cold gray
Of the starless sky.
For long time he was motionless
Then he began slowly to crawl mp the
trail. Some OF the dull paralytic ache
was gone from his limbs, and as he
worked his blood began to warm them
into new strength until he stood up
and shifted like IN animal In tho wind