Gunnison news-champion., 1913-09-12

isooaA Ihen the feeling clutcAo0 -
that he was not alone. sAak -
somewhere amid those bsrrsa UaDsao
hostile eyes watched, skulkinG -
aerers sought his life. Vet thers vao
be sign Of any presence. Ne Gsul1
hot stand there snd die, nor rscDik
Carroll TO freeze n his ssaAls. =
would be better to take Q chanos; -.
hsps they had become confused ~ -
OtOru.
Foot BY fOOt, feeling his paeaaOa,
he sdvsResl down the gully. 1aislV
dragging his own horse after hia-
Behind. held by the straining lariak,
lurched the others. the soldier oUay-
ing on the back of the last. swsasinG
and laughing in delirium, clutchinG q
snowtakes with his hands At tho -
of the ravine. under shelter e -
bank. Hamlin trampled back The soow,
hereing the animals close, - - -
saiR the warmth of their bodies. H~0o
they were well protected frOa ths
cruel lash Of the wind and The shoUse
of snow which blew over them snl
drifted higher and higher IN the eesa
space beyond. Working feverishlV,
the blood again cisculatinG freeav
.hro~Gh his veins. tAs sesessnt Asstk
y 1raGged blankets iron the ZACH.
ane spread them On the 0FOunl, de-
positinG Carroll upon then. Thea he
vet about vigorously rubbing the sol
tier's exposed flesh with snow. The
smart of 1t. together with the rough
ness Of handling. aroused the latter
rom lethargy. but Hamlin. ignoring
his resentment, gripped the fellow
with hands of iron, never ceasinG his
iolent ministrations until his swear
ing ended in silence. Then he wrap
ped him tightly in the blankets, and
'tood himself erect, glowing from the
exercise Carroll glared up at him
sngrily out of red-rimmed eyes.
III get you for that, you big boob"
he shouted, striving to release his
,rms from the clinging blankets. "You
Sait Ill get you,"
Hush up, George, and 20 TO
Sleep the other retorted, poking the
'hapeless body with his foot. his
thoughts already elsewhere. Don't
be a fool Ill get fire if can. and
something hot into you. Within an
hour you'll be a man again. Now see
lere-stop that! Do you hear? You
lie still right where you are, Carroll,
1ntil | come back, or Ill kick your
lbs I'M" He bent down menacinelv.
'oowling into the upturned face. "Wfl
you mind, or shall | have to hand you
one?"
Carroll shrank back like a whlpped
ihild, his lips muttering something
ndistingUishable. The sergeant. sat
isiied, turned and fiOunderod through
he drifts to the bank of the stream.
tie was alert and fearful. yet deter
mined. No matter what danger of
discovery might threaten, he must
build FIRE to save CARROTS life. The
raging storm was not over with
there was no apparent cessation of
violence in the blasts Of the lev wipd.
and the SHOW swept about him in
binding sheets. Ii would continue
II day, all another night. perhaps.
and they could never live throueh
Without food and warmth. lie real
ized the risk flliy. his gloved hand
gripping the butt of his revolver. as
he stared up and down the snow
draped bluffs. He wished he had
picked up Wasson's rife. Who was
II that had shot them up. anyhow
The very mystery added to the dread
Gould it have been Dupont? There
vas no other conception possible, yet
IT seemed like a miracle that they
could have kept 20 close on the fell
lows trail all night long through the
storm. Yet who else would open fire
at sight? Who else. indeed. would be
In this Godforsaken country? And
whoever II was. where had he gone?
How had he disappeared SO suddenly
and completely? He could not be far
away. that was . certainty. No plains
man woaid attempt to ford that icy
stream. nor desert the shelter of these
bluhs in face Of the storm. II would
be suicidal. And II Dupont ana his
Indians were close at hand. Miss Nc
Donald would be with them. He had
had no time in which to reason This
out before, but now the swift reaIiza-
! ton of the close pre.i.s., Of .h= zirf