Eastern Colorado times., 1913-07-11

their feet and tight.
Carroll's horse stumbled and rolled,
catching the numbed trooper under
his weight. The jerk on the lariat
flung Wade out of the saddle. dangling
head downward. With stiffened fin-
gers, scarcely comprehending what
they were about. the Sergeant and
Wasson came to the rescue, helped
feet. and. totally blinded by the fury
of the storm which now beat fairly in
their eyes. grasped the dangling
body, swaying back and forth as the
startled animal plunged in terror. 1t
was q corpse they gripped, already
stiff with cold. the eyes wide-open and
staring. Carroll, bruised and limping.
came to their help, groaning with
pain, and the three men together man
aged to lift the dead weight to the
horses back. and to bind it safely
with the turn Of a rope. Then, breath.
less from exhaustion, crouching be-
hind the animals, punched helplessly
together. the howl of the wind like
the scream OF lost souls, the three
men looked into each others faces.
Il reckon Jim died without ever
KNOWN It," said the scout, breaking
again the film of ice over his eyes. and
thrashing his arms. II alters heard
tell it was an easy way O. goin'. Looks
to- me he was better of than we are
just now. Hurt much. Carroll?"
"Crunched my leg mighty bad;
can't bear no weight on It, Twas
darn near froze stiff before; thet's
why couldn't get out O. the way
quick"
Sure; well. ye'll have ter ride, then.
Well take the blanket of Jim; he
won't need it no more. Brick an l
kin hoof it yet awhile-hey. Brick? ?"
Hamlin lifted his head from the
shelter of his horses name.
Il reckon can make my feet
move." he asserted doubtfully. "but
they don't feel as though there was
any life left in them" He stamped
on the snow. How long do these bliz-
yards generally last, Sam?"
BLOW themselves out in about three
days"
Three days? God! We can never
live 1t out here"
His eyes ranged over the dim out
line of Wade stretched across the
saddle. powdered with snow, rested an
instant upon Carroll, who had sunk
back upon the ground. nursing his in
jured limb, and then sought the face
of Wasson.
What the hell can we do?"
Go on; thet's all Of it.; go on till
we drop, lad. Come. Brick my boy"
and the scout gripped the Sergeant's
shoulder, you're not the kind to lie
down. We've been In worse boxes
than this and pulled out. It's up to
you and me to make good. Let's
crunch some hard-tack and go on,
afore the whole three of us freeze
stiff"
The Sergeant thrust out his hand.
That isn't what's taken the nerve
out Of me. Sam," he said soberly. "It's
thinking Of the girl out in all this
with those DEVILS"
Likely as not she amt" returned
the other. tramping the snow under
his feet 1--WE been thinkin' bout thet
too. Thet outfit must hev had six
hours the start O. us. didn't they"
Hamlin nodded.
We'll. then. they couldn't a ben far
from the Cimarron when the storm
come. They'd be safe enough under
the bluffs; have wood fer a fire, and
lay thar mighty comfortable. That's
whar them bucks are, all right. Why,
damn 1t, man. we've got to get
through. 'Tain't Just our fool lives
that's at stake. Brace up!"
How far have we Gomez"
"A good ten miles. an the compass
has KEEP us straight"
They drew in closer together. and
munched hard cracker apiece, occa.
sionally exchanging a muttered word
or two. thrashing their limbs about
to keep up circulation, and dampening
their lips with snow. They were but
dim. spectral shapes in the darkness,
the air filled with crystal pellets.
swept about by merciless wind. the
horses standing tails to the storm and
heads dropping. In spite of the light
refraction Of the snow the eyes could
scarcely see two yards away through
the smother. Above, about, the cease
less wind howled, its Icy breath chill
ing to the bone. Carroll clambered
stifly into his saddle, crying and
swearing from weakness aud pain.
The others, stumbling about in the
deep snow, which had drifted around
them during the brief halt, stripped
the blanket from Wade'a dood hod,,