The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1913-08-21

10 una way Dack again. EVEN III the |
gray light OF dawn he could see moth
ing distinctly a dozen yards distant |
And WATSON had the compass. This |
was the thought which brought him !
tramping back through the drifts
WATSON! Wade was dead. Carroll
little better, but the scout might have
been only slightly wounded. He wad.
ed through the snow to where the
man lay. face downward, his face still
gripping the rein. Before Hamlin
turned him over, he saw the jagged
wound and knew death had been in
Simultaneous. He stared down at the
white face, already powdered with
snow; then glared about into the
murky distances, revolver ready for
action, every nerve throbbing. God!
If he ever met the murderer! Then
swift reaction came, and he buried his
eyes on the neck of the nearest horse,
and his body shook with half-sup.
pressed sobs. The whole horror of it
gripped him in that instant, broke his
iron will, and left him weak as a child.
But the mood did not last. Little
by little he gained control, stood up
again in the snow, and began to
think. He was man, and must do
a mans work With an oath he forced
himself to act; reloaded his revolver.
thrust 1t 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.
complish. Wade and WATSON 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 whip.
transformed him again into fighter,
soldier of the sort who refuses to
| acknowledge defeat. His eyes dark
ened. his lips pressed together in q
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 fell
lows eyes opened in dull stare.
"lll pound the life out of you unless
you brace up, George" he muttered.
That's right-get mad if you want to.
It will do you no good. Wait until
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
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 a 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 contrast
between the banks of ice and snow
The Sergeant halted, examining his
surroundings cautiously, expecting ev
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 q
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 were alone in all that intens,
!, dreariness of snow. The solemn lone
illness of 1.-THE dark, silently flown,
river, the dun sky, the wide, white ex
, panse of plain, the mad violence o
! the storm beating against him
r brought to him feeling OF helpless
v ness. He was a mere atom, strue
p Cling alone against Natures will
o mood. Then the feeling clutched hin
J. that he was not alone; that fror
f somewhere amid those barren waste
:. hostile eyes watched, skulking mu,
!. derers sought his life. Yet there wa
v no sign of any presence. He coul
e not stand there and die, nor perml
/: Carroll to freeze in his saddle.
G Foot by foot. feeling his passage
Y he advanced down the gully, fairl
- dragging his own horse after hin
n Behind, held by the straining laria
lurched the others, the soldier swa,
r. ing on the back of the last, swearin
e and laughing in delirium, clutcl.ing a
J. snowtlakes with his hands At the en-
r Of the ravine, under shelter of tn
n bank, Hamlin trampled back the SNOW
L herding the animals close, so as t
S gain the warmth of their bodies Her