The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-09-18

Gus. Each morning dragging them
selves out into the maelstrom, the,
took sticks and poked into the drift
for dogs. Each animal as found wa.
exhumed. given a fish and became
straightway reburied in the whirlinl
white that seethed down from the
mountains.
On the fifth. without warning, the
storm died and the air stilled to a
perfect silence
''These dog bad froze." said Pierre,
swearing earnestly as he harnessed.
II don like eet much. They going
play bout, I'm 'fraid." He knelt and
chewed from between their toes the
malamoot is hard pressed to let his
feet mass. and this added to the mems
| uneasiness.
AS they mounted the great divide
mountains rolled away on every hand,
barren, desolate. marble white, always
| the Wilderness. always the listening
silence that oppressed like a weight.
Myriads of creek valleys radiated be-
low In bewildering maze of twist
ing seams.
"Those are the ASS Ears, sup
pose" said Willard. gazing at two
great fangs that bit deep into the sky
line. "Is it true that no man has ever
reached themT
Eyes; the Hinjun say that's were
ball the storm come from, because,
wen the win blow troo the ass ear,
look out! Somebody going ketch ELL"
Dogs feet wear quickly after freez-
ing. for crusted snow cuts like knife
Spots of blood showed In their tracks,
growing more plentiful till every print
was crimson stain. They limped
pitifully on their raw pads. and oc-
casionally one whined. At every stop
they sank In track, licking their LAGER
ated paws. rising only at the cost
of much whipping.
On the second night, faint and
starved, they reached the hut. Dig
ging away the drifts, they crawled in !
side to find 1t half full of snow-snow
which had sifted through the crevices.
Pierre CROPPED among the shadows and
swore excitedly.
w nat up sdlu Wllldru.
Vocal effort of the simplest is ex-
when spent with hunger, and
these were the first words he had
spoken for hours.
"By gar. she's gone! Somebody
stole my grub"
Willard felt terrible sinking, and
his stomach cried for food.
10 10, . m |
zone long day drive-forty mile"
1--WE must make it tomorrow or go
hungry. eh? Well, this isn't the first
logfish ever ate.' Both men
snawed a moldy dried salmon from
heir precious store.
AS Willard removed his footgear he {
yroaned. {
"W'at's the mattaire?"
81 froze my foot two days ago
strap too tight" He ex-
libited heel. from which, in remov-
ng his inner sock, the flesh and skin
lad come away.
THAT'S all right" grinned Pierre. =
You got the beeg viii lef' yet. 1t
AXE the heducate man for STAN the
OF, you know"
Willard gritted his teeth.
They awoke to the whine of a gray a
that swept the cutting snow
4 swirling clouds and made travel a I
badness. The next day was worse. g
Two days OF hunger weigh heavy
hen the cold weakens, and they grew u
aunt and fell away In their features "a
Pm glad we've got another feed for ID
ne dogs" remarked Willard 1--WE
mt let them run hungry, even IL we "a
D." 10
81 t'tnk she's be hall right tomor'," ~
Pierre. "rhees amt snow pi
is win; bimeby all blow bout Sacre! al
] can eat nun fore ole harmy" IA
For days both men had been cold, tn
I'd the sensation of complete warmth III
ID come to seem strange and unreal. ne
bile their faces cracked where the ti'
OTIS had been.
Willard felt himself on the verge of ~
lapse. He recalled his words about
'ong men, gazing the while ut Pierre. w
lie Canadian evinced suffering only ar
iue uuSSdIu uIOup Oh eye ana
'uth: otherwise he looked strong and co
gged. iar
Willard felt his own features had 'h'
runk to mask Of loose jawed suf- GU
ing, and he set his mental sinews, pa
lttering to himself.
lie was dizzy and faint as he stretch
himself in the still morning air up
IN waking and hobbled painfully,
as his companion emerged from us
darkened shelter into the crystal liu
3 brightness re forgot his own mis- A
at sight of him. The big man reel SIN
as though struck when the dazzle wa
m the hills reached him, and he Lol
aned, shielding his sight Snow hun
ldness had found him in a night. the
lowly they plodded out of the val cril
for hunger gnawed acutely, and Dor
y left trail of blood tracks from L
dogs. Ii took the combined eff DIRE
IS Of both men to lash them to foot the
pr each pause. Thus progress was sta'
v and fraught with agony. fete
s they rose near the pass miles of W
tic wastes barred themselves. All cha
ut lowered bald domes. while velt
rywhere stretched the monotonous upo
81. nv