The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-04-23

draft. They flung up their 6imsy tent
only to have it 6attened by the force
Of the gale. that cut like we'll honed
steel. Frozen spots leaped out white
on their faces. while their hands stiff.
ened ere they could fasten the guy
strings.
Finally. having dashed the tent bot.
tom to the protruding willow tops, by
grace Of heavy lifting they strained
their tapping shelter up sufficiently to
crawl within.
by gar! She's blow hup YER
queeck" yelled Pierre as he set the
ten pound sheet iron stove. its pipe
swaying drunkenly with the heaving
tent.
GOOD ting she hit US in the brush"
He spoke as calmly as though danger
was distant. and a moment later the
little box was roaring with its oil soak
ed kindlings.
Twill this stove burn green willow
tops?" cried Willard.
"Sure! She's good stove. She'll burn
hicicles eef you get i'm start one times.
See i'm get red?"
They rubbed the stitf spots from
their cheeks: then. Selling the ak, VIII
lard crawled forth into the storm and
dug at the base Of the gnarled bushes.
Occasionally shrub assumed the pro-
portions Of a mans wrist, but rarely.
Gathering an armful. he bore them in
side, and. twisting the tips into withes.
he fed the fire. The frozen twigs siz-
zled and snapped. threatening to fail
utterly. but with much blowing he sus-
tanned a blaze sufficient to melt a pot
Of snow. Boiling was out Of the ques-
ton, but the tea leaves became soaked
and the bacon cauterized.
Pierre freed and fed the dogs. Each
gulped Its dried salmon and, curling
In the lee Of the tent, was quickly
drifted over. Next he cut blocks from
the solid bottom snow and built bar
ricade to windward. Then he accumu-
lated a NOW of willow tops without
the tent fly. All the time the wind
blew down the valley like the breath
Of giant bellows.
Supper" shouted Willard, and as
Pierre crawled into the candlelight he
found him squatted. fur bundled. over
the stove, which settled steadily into
the snow. melting its way downward
toward q f1rmer foundation.
The heat was insufficient to thaw
the frozen sweat In his clothes: hiS
eyes were oieary and wet from SMOKE,
and bis nose needed continuous blow
Ing. but be spoke pleasantly, fact
which Pierre noted With approval.
"We'll need habeas corpus for this
stove IL you don't get something to
hold her up. and might state. II it'a
worthy Of mention. that your nose II
frozen again."
Pierre brought an armful Of stones
from the creek edge. distributing them
beneath the stove on bed Of twisted
willows: then. swallowing their scan
y. half cooked food. they crawled,
Shivertng. into the deerskin sleeping
bags that animal heat might dry their
clammy garments. .....
Four days the wind reared and the
lcs filings poured over their shelter
while they huddled beneath. When
one travels on rations delay Is danger
Gus. Each morning. dragging them
selves out into the maelstrom. they
took sticks and poked into the drifts
for dogs. Each animal as found waf
exhumed. given 6sh and became
straightway returied In the whirlina
white that seethed down from the
mountains.
On the 9th. without warning. thu
storm died and the air stilled to
perfect silence.
'These dog bad froze." said Pierre
swearing earnestly as be harnessed
II don like Get much. They going
play bout. I'm 'fraid." He knelt and
chewed from between their toes thu
ice pellets that had accumulated. 4
malamoot Is hard pressed to let hi!
feet mass. and this added to the men'l
uneasiness.
As they mounted the great divide
mountains rolled away on every hand
barren. desolate. marble white. alwayt
the whiteness. always the listening
silence that oppressed like a weight
Myriads Of creek valleys radiated be
low IN a bewildering maze Of twist
ing seams.
Those are the ASS Ears, sup
pose," said Willard. gazing at tw'
great fangs that bit deep into the SKI
line. lis it true that no man has eve
reached themY'
"Yes: the Hinjun say that's w'er'
hall the storm come from. because
wen the win blow troo the ass ear
look out! Somebody going ketch ELL
Dogs feet wear quickly after freez
ing, for crusted snow cuts like q knife
Spots Of blooC showed In their tracks
growing more plentiful till every prin'
was crimson stain. They Iimpet
pitifull4 on their raw pads. and &C
casionally one wh1ned. At every stoK
they sank in track. licking their LAGER
ated paws. rising only at the cos,
Of much whipping.
On the second night, faint and
starved. they reached the hut. Dig
gtng away the drifts. they crawled In
side to find 1t half full Of snow-snov
which had sifted through the crevices
Pierre CROPPED among the shadows and
swore excitedly.
"What's up7" said Willard.
Vocal effort OF the simplest u ex
hausting when spent with hunger, and
these were the 6rst words he had
spoken for hours.
by gar. she's gone! Somebody
stole my grubl'
Willard felt terrible sinking. and
bis stomach cried for food,
How far Is it to the Crooked Rive,
Roadhouse?'
sAHN - -