Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1917-08-02


mountains, on a long ride. Though
never so swift-borne. the man, looking
neither to the right nor to the left
moving evenly and statuelike against
the sky. part of the wiry beast under
him, presents the very picture of In.
difference to the world around him
The great. swift wind spreading over
the desert emptied ON IL snow-laden
puts that whirled and wrapped cloud
of flakes about horse and rider In the
symbol of shroud. De Spain gave
no heed 10 these skirmshing eddles
but he knew what was behind them
and for the wind. he only wished II
might keep the snow In the air till be
caught sight of Nan
The even reach OF the horse brought
him 10 the point where Nan had
changed 10 the stage wagon. Without
break in her long stride, Lady Jane
took the hint of her Swerving rider.
put her nose into the wind, and headed
north De Spain, xlive To the difficult
ties Of his venture. set his hat lower
aud bent forward to follow the wagon
along the sand. With the first of the
White tiurries passed. he found himself
III Il snowless pocket as ii were. OF the
advancing storm. He hoped for moth
ing from the prospect ahead: but ey-
cry moment Of respite from the blind.
ill., Whirl was gain. and with his ewes
close on the trail ths had carried Nan
into danger lie urged the Lady on.
When the snow again closed down
about him he calcelated from the
roushneSs Of the county that he
should be within ii mile OF the road
that Nan was trying to reach. from the
gap TO Sleepy Cat But the broken
ground straight ahead would prevent
her from driving directly To il. He
knew she must hold to the right and
her curving track now becoming diff
cult To trail confirmed his conclusion
A fresh drive of the wind buffeted
him H. he turned directly north. Only
At intervals could he See any trace Of
the wagon wheels The driving snow
compelled him more than once TO dis.
mount and search Tor the trail. EacA
time he lost II the effort 10 regain it
was more prolonged. At times he was
compelled to ride the desert in wide
circles to find the tracks. and this COST
time when minutes might mean life.
But as long as he could he chung TO
the struggle TO track her exactly. He
saw almost where the storm had struck
the two wayfarers. Neither. he knew,
vas inSensible to its dangers. What
him was that man like Duke
Morgan should be out in il. He found
Q spot where they had halted and. with
n start that checked the beating OF his
heart, his eyes fell on her footprint
not yet obiterated, beside the wagon
track.
The sight of il was an electric shock
Throwing himself from his horse. he
knelt over it in the storm. oblivious for
an instant Of everything but that this
iracery meant her presence, where he
now bent, hardly hulf an hour before.
tie swung. after a moments keen scru-
Iiny, into his saddle, with fresh re-
solve. Pressed by the rising fury of
the wind, the wayfarers had become
from this point, De Spain saw too
plainly, hardly more than fugitives.
Good ground to the left. where their
hope Of safety lay. had been over
looked. Their tracks wandered on the
open desert like those who, losing cour-
age, lose their course in the confusion
and fear Of the impending peril.
And with this increasing uncertainty
Ia their direction vanished De SPANS
last hopes Of tracking them. The wind
swept the desert now as a hurricane
sweeps the open sea, snatching the
FALLEN snow from the face Of the earth
as the sea-gale, fiattenlng the face Of
The waters, rips the foam from the
frantic waves TO drive 1t In wild, scud-
ding fragments across them.
De Spain urging his horse forward.
unbuckled his rife holster threw away
the scabbard, and holding the weapon
up In one hand, fired shot after shot
al measured intervals to attract the
attention Of the two he sought. He ex-
hausted his rife ammunition without
any answer. The wind drove
with a roar against which even a rife
report could hardly carry, and the
snow swept down the sinks in a mad
blast. Flakes torn by the fury Of the
gale were stiffened by the bitter wind
into powdered Ice that stung horse aud
rider. Casting away the useless car
bine' and pressing his horse to the
limit Of her strength and endurance,
the unyielding pursuer rode In great.
coillng circles Into the storm, to cut
In, II possible, ahead Of its victims,
hiring shot upon shot from his revolver.