Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-08-28

CarrolIp horse stumbled and rolled.
catching the numbed trooper undSr
his weight. The jerk on the larist
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
the frightened horse struggle to his
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. II
was a corpse they gripped, already
stiff with cold. the eyes wideopen abd
staring. Carroll. bruised and limping.
came to their help, groanins with
pain. and the three men together man
aged TO lift the dead weight to the
horses back. and to bind II safely
with the turn Of rope. Then, breath.
less from exhaustion. crouching be
hind the animals. punched helplessly
together. the howl OF the wind like
the screari OF lost souls, the three
men looked into each others faces
II reckon Jim died without ever
KNOWN It," said the scout. breaking
again the film OF ice over his eyes. and
thrashing his arms. Il alters heard
tell 1t was an easy way O. goin'. Looks
TO me he was better of than we are
just now. Hurt much. Carroll7"
"Crunched my leg mighty bad:
cant bear no weight on It, Twas
darn near froze stiff before; thet's
why couldn't get out O. the way
quick"
Sure; well. ye1. have ter ride. then.
Wen take the blanket of Jim; he
won't need II no more. Brick an I
kin hoof 1t yet awhile-hey. 'Brick'7"
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? 0Oi! We can never
live II 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
lured limb. and then sought the face
OF Wasson
What the hell can we dc?"
go on; thets all Of It, 20 on TIL
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 ard pulled out It's up to
you and me to make good Let's
crunch some hard-tack and 10 on.
afore the whole three OF us freeze
stiff"
The Sergeant thrust ouy his hand.
That isn't what's taken the nerve
out OF me. SAM" ne said soberly. TITS
thinking Of the girl out in all this
with those devils"
Likely as not che 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 they7"
Hamlin nodded.
Well then, they couldn't ben far
from the Cimarron when the storm
come. They'd be safe enough under
the bluffs; have wood fer fire, and
lay thar mighty comfortable. That's
whar them bucks are, all riyht. WHY.
damn II, 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 rnerciless 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
l the smother. Above, about, the cease
} less wind howled, Its icy breath chill.
, ing to the bone. Carroll clambered
, stii'ly into his saddle. crying and
swearing from weakness and pain.
The others. stumbling about In the
! deep snow, which had drifted around
: them during the brief halt, stripped
> the blanket from Wade's dead BODY.
= and tucked 1t in about Carroll az beat
= they could.
=, Now keep kicking and thrashins
: about, George ordered the Sergean,
sternly For Gods sake, don't eo
to sleep. or you'll be where Jim IN
I. Wen haul YOU out OF this, old man,
; Sam, you take the rear, and hit Car
n roll whack ever few minutes; III
= break trail Forward! now"
(To ne CONTINUED)
q Delcacy on the Bench