Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1914-07-03


really, Riggs, / ought not to be
instructing you in your own business.
I'll have to say good-by anyway, now;
must be back at Newark by morn
ing"
He retired backward toward the
machine, keeping the revolver by an
effort between his frozen fingers,
which had no more sensation than
sticks Of wood, and watching Riggs
warily. He expected a hostile rush,
and the rush cameAbut 1t was not
hostile. Riggs flung himself upon him
and slid to the ground, holding his
knees.
Let me come back" he shrieked.
MY God, man, you've had all the
revenge that you can need. You've
turned my hair white by this nights
work. I'll give you everything have
my property, all my money-Tll be
your dog and follow you wherever
you go-I1l-I'll--"
Haynes thrust the wretched man
from him and entered the machine.
He felt an intense disgust arising in
him at this abjectness. This was the
STUFF of which all his enemies
seemed made! The thought that such
dogs had been able to rob and i'm
prison him, to tear him from his wife
and daughter, was intolerable at that
moment. However, seeing that Riggs
made no further attempt to rise. and
that he was liable to freeze to death
in the bitter cold, he gathered some
fallen twigs and little branches of
dead wood, and, with a strip of brick
bark from nearby tree, kindled a
fire. Then he re-entered the machine.
Once more Riggs rushed toward him
and tried to enter. Haynes thrust
his fist into his face. Riggs did not
release his hold. Haynes pressed the
pistol muzzle against the others
throat.
'I'il fire at three" he shouted.
"One-two-"
Riggs dropped to the ground with
despairing groan and, a moment
later, the monoplane was beating sky
ward.
Once started on his homeward
flight Haynes tapped his frozen
hands against his breast, rubbed
them with a little snow which he had
scooped up from the ground; and
then, when he felt the blood tingle in
them, he suddenly began to laugh.
Rocking with uncomfortable mirth, he
hardly held the monopiane against
the countering winds. The humor of
this revenge-the most self-satisfying
of all, dulled the sense of his insati-
able wrongs.
But Riggs, covering over a big fire
of wood, shivered in the desolation Of
his despair. He did not know where
he should turn. To face the solitude
Of those dreadful forests, to find a
stream and follow 1t, seemed like the
promptings of madman's brain. He
might as well have flung his enemy
out of the machine and followed him.
to find his end speedily better that
than to be condemned to die Of hun
ger and thirst and cold In this far
northern. frozen wilderness.
Presently day broke and. in the
gathering light, he counted the
matches In the box. There were six
teen of them-sixteen fires at most ii
he should choose to start on that inn
possible Journey. Why not rather
wait where he had been left until the
end should come? There, at least
there would be warmth. There he
need not fear that gripping FROST
Wrapped In his furs he could lie
down among the encircling fires and
sleep his life away.
Then he must gather wood; he
must find and stack cords of 1t sc
that the end should not find him FIRE
less. Fire was all to him now. more
than food, almost more than his life
II was his father and mother too;
he loved 1t with the intensity of &
maniac. Almost insane from terror
filled only with this thought that pos
sessed his mind, he began plungine
through the underground, gathering
sticks and twigs. Again and agai1
he staggered back, bearing each time
a huge armful of dead brush, which
he flung upon the blaze, and at last
he covered beside 1t again, mumbline
and muttering, while the suns rays
touched him with a blaze of gold.
Then shouts echoed among tht
trees. At first he did not turn hi.
head, thinking them but the fragment
OF a dream. When he was sure he
heard them he did not dare to answer
from fear they would cease. HI
orouched beside his blaze and dit
not stir nor look up until a man II
overalls broke into the circle OF tht
blaze and began tossing the sticks
aside and stamping on them. Then
realizing at last that life had beer
restored to him, Riggs fell on hi
knees before his reseuer and wep
like a child.
The other ceased his work AMI
stood staring In amazement at TIL
strange fur coated figure.
What are you doing here?.' h,
asked. subduing his tone. Why did
you light that fire on this estate?"
What estate? Where am II"
"Camford, New Jersey"