The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1913-08-07

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flung Wade out of the saddle, dangling
head downward. with stiffened fin
gers, scarcely comprehending what
they we're 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 corpse they gripped, already
stin with cold, the eyes wide-open and
staring. Carroll bruised and limping,
came to their help, groaning with
pain, and the three men together man
aged to lift the dead weight to the
horses back, and to bind it safely
with the turn Of a 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 it 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 1t. Twas
darn near froze stiff before; thets
why l couldn't get out O. the way
quick"
Sure; well, ye1l have ter ride, then
Wen 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
Il reckon l 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? God! We can never
live it 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 Wasson.
What the hell can we do?"
Go on; thet's all of it; go on till
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 and pulled out. It's up to
you and me to make good. Let's
crunch some hard-tack and 20 on
afore the whole three of us freeze
sGff."
The Sergeant thrust out his hand
That isn't what's taken the nerve
out Of me, Sam" he said soberly Its
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 thet
too. Thet outfit must hev had six
hours the start O. US. didn't they?"
Hamlin nodded
We'll, 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 a 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 merciless 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
the smother. Above, about, the cease.
less wind howled, its icy breath chill.
ing to the bone. Carroll clambered
stifiy 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 as best
they could.
Nov keep kicking and thrashinP