The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1913-09-18

to hnA . way back again. Even In the
gray light Of dawn be could see moth
ing distinctly a dozen yards distant
And WATSON had the compass. This
vas the thought which brought him
tramping back through the drifts-
Wasson! Wade was dead. Carroll
little better. but the scout might have
been only sligntly wounded. He wad-
I'd through the snow to where the
man lay. face downward, his face stfll
gripping the rein. Before Hamlin
turned him over. he saw the jagged
wound and knew death had been in
stantaneous. He stared down at the
white face. already powdered with
snow: thea giared about into the
murky distances. revolver ready for
action. every nerve throbbing. God!
II he ever net the murderer! Then
sWift reaction came. and he buried his
eyes On the neck Of the nearest horss.
aA4 his body shook with half-sup-
Dessssd 'sohs. The whole horror Of 1t
gflpped him In that instant, broke his
iron viii. and left him weak ~ . child.
Bat the mood did not last Little
By little he gained control. stood up
again In the snow. and began 70
think He vas . man. and must DO
Q MANY work. With an oath he forced
himself to act; reloaded his revolver.
thrust It back into the holster at his
hip. and. with one parting glance at
poor Sam. plowed across through the
drifts to Carroll. He realized now his
duty. the thing he must strive to &C.
oomplish. Wade and Wasson were
gone: no human effort could aid them.
but Carroll lived. and might be saved.
And 1t was for him alone now to serve
Molly. The sudden comprehension Of
all this stung like the lash of a whip.
transformed him again into a fighter.
q soldier Of the sort who refuses to
acknowledge defeat. His eyes dark
ened. his lips pressed together in =
straight line.
Carroll lay helpless. inert. his head
hanging down against the neck of his
horse. The Sergeant jerked him erect.
roughly beating him into conscious.
ness: nor did he desist until the fel-
lows eyes opened in a dull stare.
I'll pound the life out of you unless
you brace up, George he muttered.
That's right-get mad II you want to-
1t 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 Wasson's stiffened fingers,
and urged the horses forward. Carroll
lurched drunkenly In the 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 as he plowed
his way past, but he had no strength
to lift those heavy bodies. Every
ounce Of power must be conserved for
the preservation of life. Little as he
could see through the snow blasts
thsre was but one means of passage,
thGt along the narrow rift between the
ridges. The snow lay deep here, but
they noundered ahead. barely able to
sufmount the drifts. until suddenly
they emerged upon an open space,
sheltered somewhat by the low hills
ana swept clean BY the wind. Direct
ly beneath. down a wide cleft in the
leak. dimly visible. appeared the wei
ceme waters of the Cimarron. The
stream was but partly frozen over. the
dark current flowing in odd contrast
bstween the banks of ice and snow.
The Sergeant halted. examining his
surroundings cautiously. expecting ey.
cry instant to be fired upon by some
unseen foe. The violence of the storm
prevented his seeing beyond a few
yards. and the whirling snow CRYSTALS
blinded him as he faced the fury of
the wind sweeping down the valley.
Nothing met his gaze: no sound reach
ed his ears; about him was desola,
ton. unbroken whiteness. Apparently
they were alone in all that intense
dreariness of snow. The solemn lone
!iness of 1.-THE dark. silently flowing
river. the dun sky. the wide, white ex.
panse Of plain. the mad violence of
the storm beating against him
brought to him a feeling of HELPLESS
ness. He was mere atom, strug
Cling alone against Natures wild
mood Then the feeling clutched him
that he was not alone; that from
somewhere amid those barren wastes
hostile eyes watched, skulking mur
derers sought his life. Yet there was
no sign OF any presence. He could
not stand there and die. nor permit
Carroll to freeze in his saddle,
Foot by foot. feeling his passage.
he advanced down the gully. fairly
dragging his own horse after him
Behind. held by the straining lariat.
lurched the others, the soldier SWAY
ing on the back of the last, swearing
and laughing in delirium, clutchtng at
snowfiakes with his hands. At the end
OF the ravine. under shelter of the
bank Hamlin trampled back the snow.
herding the animals close, SO as to
gain the warmth of fhoir hod{,. t1a