The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-04-06
c0pX2U4T GY D0O2 MEAD ANp C0M0ANr

ing tears. Ills chin was quiverlng
with the mighty emotions that swelled
his heart 10 bursting and his scorched
and blackened hands chung, trembling,
to Siletz' skirt.
See, little one, / come at last to
your Sod above the sea- Take my
hard that we may go together, and
pray"
But the girl raised a calm face to
the u~nspeakable heavens-a face in
which all struggle had been stilled,
where there was neither hope nor fear,
only great content.
NO" she said, Il cannot pray for
l have no soul. have lost it as the
price of love"
The man could not speak and she
answered the look in his face.
eve will go together. You have had
no God. | have forsworn mine. We
will go to hell-it is the right law
the sure and just wage Of SIM" She
was falling into the stately Bible Ian
guage, taking Oh the simple dignity Of
the Preachers way and manner, but
we will 90 together. | give my soul
to you"
Biting his ashen lips Sandry rose on
his knee and gathered her into his
arms. He held her to him with all the
yearning OF his breaking heart and
buried his face in her throat.
The dull rumbling again broke
through the bowling of the storm of
fire that was fast surging it's way to
the cup among the peaks.
Behold the Hog Back running out
from the jumbled peaks, a blade be-
tween the surges far below. Behold a
great black horse, carrying a double
burden, staggering blindly.
See a mammoth mongrel who tugs
at the rein tied to his collar and
strains to follow the dim trail which
calls only to the heavy muzzle hugging
the earth.
And listen! A woman's golden voice,
shrill with exquisite agony.
Help! Help! My God! Oh, my
God! I'm choking! | can't breathe!
Save me! Save me, Hampden! You
great brute, can't you do something?"
In her wildness she turned and struck
the man behind her and she never
knew that her beautiful hand was red
with the blood of his wound.
AS Hampden looked into her face,
distorted like a maniac's, his hard
eyes softened. He knew how slim the
odds that they would beat the flames
to the foot of the trail. Also he knew
in that moment that they would never
make it.
YES" he said, swiftly, there is
somethin' ! can do" He slid off the
horse. With heavy hands ne seized
che skirt OIL the woman's gown and
ripped ii from her, tearing 1t into
strips which he wound about her and
fastened securely to the saddle horn.
When you come to tn Hog Back
shut yer eyes an don't look down.
He'll take you all right. Now-Good-
bye"
He stepped back, then caught her
III III lOI Oue lctlluS bbCOIu.
Poppy girl" he SAID hoarsely, kiss
me-just once. I'm done for, but |
love you. My God! How / love you!"
But Poppy Ordway shook his hand
loose and shrieked to the horse, which
started forward with renewed heart
under the lighter load.
Out upon the two-foot blade of the
Hog Back crept Coosnah, his long
body fiattened to the rock, his pale
eyes contracted to pin-points.
Black Bolt stopped at the awful
point where the spine left the noun
tain, trembling in every limb, and
snorted with fear. Far below in the
sea OF smoke long red streaners
licked up toward them and blazing
torches lighted them like s~earchlights.
But the dog pulled ahead on the long
reins. as he was hidden to do. He
was going home. faithful. wistful n.y.
brid that he was.
And the horse was Of that fine
mettle which does its best in the face
of danger. Therefore he shook him
self slightly, gathered his feet and
stepped out carefully on the narrow
path. Almost fainting, the woman in
the saddle shut her Eyes and chung to
the saddle horn, every nerve in her
body stretched to the utmost and her
breath held hard.
Once she swayed, opened her ayes
unconsciously. and saw the pine tops
far below where q cross-gust of wind
blew the smoke aside.
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