The Benson signal., 1917-11-10


stage road.
So much snow had fallen that in
spite of the blizzard, driving with an
unrelenting fury, the drifts were deep
ening, packing, and making all effort
increasingly difficult. 1t was well-nigh
impossible to head the horses lnto the
storm, and De Spain looked with ever
more anxious eyes at Nan. After half
an hours superhuman struggle to re-
gain a trail that should restore their
bearings, they halted, and De Spain,
riding up to the wagon, spoke to Nor
gan, who was driving: GLOW long is
this going to last?"
Gall day and all night" Nan leaned
closely over to hear the curt question
and answer. Neither man spoke again
for moment.
"We'll have to have help" said De
Spain after a pause.
"Help" echoed Morgan scornfully.
where's help coming from?"
De Spain's answer was not hurried.
zone Of us must go after it." Nan
looked at him intently.
Duke set his hard jaw against the
hurtling stream of ice that showered
on the forlorn party. 'Tll go for it."
he snapped.
"No," returned De Spain. "Better
for me to go.'
"Go together" said Nan.
De Spain shook his head. Duke
Morgan, too, said that only one should
go; the other must stay. De Spain,
the two men, told why he should go
himself. "It's not claiming you are not
entitled to say who should go, Duke"
he said evenly. "Nor that our men,
anywhere you reach, wouldn't give you
the same attention they would me.
And it isn't saying that you're not the
better man for the jOb-you've trav-
eled the sinks longer than have. But
between you and me, Duke, it's twenty
eight years against fifty. I ought to
hold out while the longer, that's all.
Let's work farther to the east"
Quartering against the mad hurri-
cane, they drove and rode on until the
team could hardly be urged to further
effort against the infuriated elements
DE Spain riding at intervals as far
to the right and the left as he dared
in vain quest of a landmark. When
| he halted beside the wagon for the
last time he was a mass Of snow and
ice; horse and rider were frozen to
each other. He got down to the
ground with visible effort, and in the
singing wind told Duke his plan and
purpose.
He had chosen on the open desert q
hollow falling somewhat abruptly
from the north, and beneath it's shcul-
der, while Morgan loosened the horses,
he scooped and kicked away mass Of
snow. The wagon had been drawn
just above the point of refuge, and the
two men, with the aid Of the wind,
dumped it over sidewise, making Of
the body windbreak over the hollow,
a sort of roof, around which the snow,
driven by the gale, would heap itself
in hard waves. Within this shelter the
men slowed Nan. The horses were
driven down behind it, and from one
of them De Spain took the collar, the
| tugs and the whiff1etrees. He stuck
hitching strap in his pocket, and while
Morgan steadied the Lady's head, DE
Spain buckled the collar on her,
doubled the tugs around the whiffie-
tree, and fastened the roll at her side
| in fr6nt of the saddle.
Nan came out and stood beside him
as he worked. When he had finished
she put her hand on his sleeve. He
held her close, Duke listening, to tell
her what he meant to try to do. Each
knew it we'll might be the last moment
together. zone thing and another
have kept us from marriage vows,
Man," said De Spain, beckoning at
length to Morgan to step closer that
he might clearly hear. Nothing must
keep us longer. Will you marry Ene"
She looked up into his eyes. "I've
promised you would. I will promise
every time you ask me. I never could
have but one answer to that, Henry
it must always be yes!'
'"Then take me, Henry" he said
slowly, "here and now for your welded
husband. Will you do this, Nan?"
Still looking into his eyes, she an
swered without surprise or fear: "Hen-
ry, do take you"
"And I, Henry, take you, Nan, here
and now for my welded wife, for bet
ter for worse, for richer for poorer.
from this day forward, until death us
do part"
They sealed their pact with silent
embrace. De Spain turned to Duke.
'You are the witness Of this marriage,
Duke. You will see, if an accident
happens, that anything, everything [
have-some personal property-my ia
theirs old ranch north of Medicine
Bend-some little money in bank at
Sleepy Cat-goes to my wife, Nan Nor
gan de Spain. Will you see to it?"