The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1913-08-14

vas tts thought =1ic1 brought Ei- .
training tzck through the drifts I
Wassc-t wade wzs dad. Carroll .
I.-ls better. b-- The Ecc-- might have /
been c--y slightly sounded. he Es1 .
Cd through the Stow 20 where The
ran Lzy. face Downward, his face E-i- .
g-spct-z TIE ret-- Before Es-.i-
turned hin over. he san the Jagged
a5--t ard knew tzs-1 had 5=s- IL
stz--z-sc-z He s-zred tC-- a. The
EE.-s face. already pC~tered vI--
s-cu; thea giz-=5 zbo-, into tL=
--rky distances. revolver ready for
acton, every -e-vs tE-CLL.-g God
u he ever ne; TIE murderer. The1
suit- reaction cane. ard Ls t---=1 his
eyes o. TIE neck O. tE= nearest horse
ard his body sLcck Ei-L EzEs-p-
pressed s11s TIE zLCl= tC--C- Ct u
grtp-=t HIN .- that instant, broke his
.-C- w-l. ard lsf- hin weak IS & child
B-- The -oc1 did 70. last Little
y lizzie Es gained co1-c,, stood ~
again .- -Ee sEc-. and began %
,1i-E He zzs Ez-. and must Go
z mans =c-E With a. cath h. forced
himself % act. reloaded his revolver.
thrust j. hack into the holster AZ his
hip, and. with one parting glance a.
Coor SAN. plove5 across through the
1-it-s % Carroll He realized -ow his
duty. the thing he must strive 20 &C
co-Cl-sh. Wade and WzssC1 were
gone. 10 human eEort could aid them.
bit Carroll lived. and might be saved.
Ard T. ~zs for hin alone now 20 serve
Molly Tie sudden comprehension OF
al this s---g Ike the lash OF a whip.
transformed him again into z fighter.
2 soldier Ct The sort Who refuses 70
acknowledge defeat His eyes dark
e1ed. his lips pressed together IN q
straight line.
Carroll lay helpless, inert, his head
hanging down against the neck OF his
horse. The Sergeant !erked him erect
roughly beating him into conscious
ness; nor did be desist until the fel-
lows eyes opened In q duh stare.
"Iu pound the life out Of you unless
you brace up, George" he muttered.
That's rtght-get mad II you want 10.
Il will DO you no good Wait until I
get that qUirt; that will set your blood
moving. No! Wake up! Die. moth
| ing! See here, man, there's the river
Just ahead"
He picked up his glove. undid the
reins from Wassons stdened fingers,
and urged the horses forward. Carroll
| lurched drunkenly III tho saddle, yet
retained sufficient life to cling to the
! pommel, and thus the outfit plunged
| blindly forward into the storm, leav-
] ing the dead men where they lay.
/ There was nothing else to do; Ham
/ Inns heart choked him az he plowed
/ his way past, but he had no strength
70 lift those heavy bodies. Every
ounce Of power must be conserved for
the preservation Of life. Little as he
could gee through the Snow blasts
there was but one means Of passage
that along the narrow rift between the
ridges. The snow lay deep here. but
| they fOundered ahead barely able to
surmount the drifts, until suddenly
they emerged upon an open space
sheltered somewhat by the low hills
and swept clean by the wind Direct
ly beneath. down q wide cleft In the
bank, dimly visible, appeared the vel
come waters OF the Cimarron. The
stream was but partly frozen over, the
dark current flowing in odd contras
between the banks OF Ice and snC y
The Sergeant halted, examining hi
surroundings cautiously, expecting ey
cry instant 10 be fired upon by som,
unseen foe The violence Of the storm
prevented his seeing beyond a few
yards. and the whirling snow crystal
blinded him as he faced the fury 0
the wind sweeping down the valley
Nothing met his gaze; no sound reach
ed his ears; about him was desola
, ton. unbroken whiteness. APPARENT
they we're alone in all that intens
, dreariness Of snow. The solemn lone
] | liness of 1.-THE dark, silently flowin
river, the dun sky the wide, white e.
p panse Of plain, the mad violence {
4 the storm beating against him
r brought to him a feeling Of helpless
y ness. He was a mere atom, strul
q Cling alone against Natures will
o mood. Then the feeling clutched hiI
/. that he was not alone; that fTol
Z somewhere amid those barren waste
hostile eyes watched. skulking mu
/. derers sought his life. Yet there wa
y no sign OF any presence. He coul
e not stand there and die, nor perm
: Carroll to freeze In his saddle.
e Foot by foot, feeling his passag
y he advanced down the gully, fairl
- dragging his own horse after hir
d Behind. held by the stralning lario