Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1913-03-20

babe. Desperately the others dashed
him into his saddle. binding blanket
about him, and went grimly stageer-
ing on, his limp figure rocking above
them. Hour succeeded hour in cease
less struggle; no one knew where they
were. only the leader staggered on.
his eyes upon the compass. WATSON
and Hamlin took their turns tramping
trail, the snow often to their knees.
They had stopped speaking, stopped
thinking even. ALI their movements
became automatic, instructive, the re-
suit of iron discipline. They realized
the only nope-attainment of the CHM
AKRON bluffs. There was no shelter
there in the open, to either man or
horse; the sole choice left was to
struggle on, OF lie down and die. The
last was likely to be the end of it.,
but while drop of blood ran red and
warm in their veins they would keep
their feet and fight.
Carroll's horse stumbled and rolled.
catching the numbed trooper under
his weight. The jerk on the lariat
flung Wade out of the saddle, dangling
head downward. With stiffened fin.
gers, scarcely comprehending what
they were about, the Sergeant and
WATSON 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. 1t
was corpse they gripped, already
stiff with cold, the eyes wide-open and
staring. Carroll, bruised and limping,
came to their help. groaning with
pain, and the three mel, together man
aged to lift the dead weight to the
horses back, and to bind it 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 scream of lost souls, the three
men looked into each others faces.
Il reckon Jim died without ever
KNOWN it," said the scout, breaking
again the film of ice over his eyes, and
thrashing his arms. 81 alters heard
tell 1t was an easy way o. goin'. Looks
to me he was better off than we are
just now. Hurt much. Carroll?"
"Crunched my leg mighty bad;
can't bear no weight on it. Twas
darn near froze stiff before; thet's
why couldn't get out o. the way
quick"
Sure; we'll, yell have ter ride, then
Well take the blanket off Jim; he
won't need it no more. Brick an
kin hoof it yet awhile-hey, Brick ?"
Hamlin lifted his head from the
shelter of his horses name.
II reckon I 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 biz
yards generally last, SAM"
"Blow themselves out in about three
days."
Three days? God! We can never
live 1t 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
jured limb, and then sought the face
of WATSON.
What the hell can we do?"
"(yN IN. thot,o oil ne 80 An
we drop. lad. Come, Brick my boy"
and the scout gripped the sergeants
shoulder, you're not the kind to lie
down. We've been in worse boxes
than this and pulled out It's up to
you and me to make good. Let's
crunch some bareback and 20 on.
afore the whole three Of us freeze
stiff"
The Sergeant thrust out his hand.
That isn't what's taken the nerve
out of me. Sam" he said soberly. cts
thinking Of the girl out in all this
with those devils"
Likely as not she amt" returned
the other, tramping the snow under
his feet. "I've been thinkin' bout tibet
hours the start o. us. didn't they?"
Hamlin nodded.
well, then, they couldn't a ben far
from the Cimarron when the storm
come. They'd be safe enough under
the bluffs; have wood fer a fire, and
lay thar mighty comfortable. That's
whar them bucks are, all right Why,
damn it, 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 nenats