Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-01

o.
ward In the snow. Ike a thing stuag
| by sudden death.
It was then, with his scratched and
bleeding face, lying in the snow, that
reason began TO return to him. After
a little while he dragged himself weak
| ly to his knees, still painting from the
| mad effort he had made to overtake
| the sledge. From a great distance he
heard family the noise OF shouting. the
| whispering echo of half a hundred
voices, and he knew that the sound
| came from the jewellers at the post
| 1t was proof to him that there had
been no interruption to the carnival
] and that the scene at 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 and the others of the pack had
| crowded about him. TO be urged on
| 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 be ran
for only a short distance at a time
a hundred yards or less-and that aft
er each running spell he brought the
pack TO a walk. He was heavy and
! lacked endurance. and this discovery
brought a low cry of exultaton to
Jams lips
He fell into a 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 et
fort now in his running-etfort 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 gnawing
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 vengeance? The
= fear fastened itself upon him. urging
him 10 greater effort. and he called
upon the last of his strength in q 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 q few
, PAGES be followed il. then slipped and
rolled back as the fatal paralysis dead.
ened all power OF movement in his
. limbs. he lay where he fell, meaning
out his grief with wide staring eyes
. turned straight up into the cold gray
2 OF the stariess sky.
! For long time he was motionless
( Then he began slowly to crawl MP the
trail. Some Of the dull paralvtic ache
: was gone from his limbs, and as he
, worked his blood began 10 warm them
into new strength until he stood NJ
and shifted like an animal in the wind
l that was coming over the ridge from
= the south.
E There was something in that wind
l. ! that thrilled him. IL stung his uostriIs
. TO a quick sensing OF the nearness
5 OF something that was human He
D smelled smoke. IN it there was the
2 pungent odOr OF green balsam mixed
2 with a faint perfume OF pitch pine
D and because the odor OF pitch grew
e stronger as he assembled he knew that
. it was a small fire that was making
: the smoke. with none OF the fierce, dry
: woods TO burn up the smell. 1t was
E tire hidden among the rocks. a tiny
IRE. over which the fleeing missioner
J was cooking his breakfast
? Jan almost moaned aloud in his glad
j. ness, and the old mad strength return
D ed TO his body. Near the summit Of
E the ridge be picked up a club IL wa.
! a short, thick club with the heavy enc
!. knotfed and twisted
{ Cautiously he lifted his face over tn,
3 rocks and looked out upon a plateaI
e still deep in snow swept bare by III.
winters winds and covered with rock
y and bushes His face was so whit.
that at little distance It might hav,
a been taken for snow hare Ii wen
q whittier when a few yards away he sa '
the FIRE. the man and the dogs.
l. The man was close TO the little blaze