Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1918-06-27
In the Blizzard.

IN tnc 6iixxaro.
saltwater" Pete, the driver OF tn
stage between Kusiak and Katma, di,
not like the look of the sky as hi
ponies breasted the long uphill climl
that ended at the pass. "Gittin he
back up for Il blizzard. looks like
Doggone it. If that wouldn't Jest be IN,
luck" he murmured fretfully.
Sheba hoped there would be one. not
of course. really, truly blizzard sucl
as Macdonald had told her about, bu
the tail of make-believe one, enough
10 send her glowing with exhilaratior
into the roadhouse with the happy
sense Of an adventure achieved. The
girl was buOyed up by a sense of free
dom. For time, at least, she was es
Gaping Macdonald's driving energy. the
appeal of Gordon Elliot's warm friend
illness, and the unvoiced urging OF
Diane. Good old Peter and the kid
dies were the only ones that let hel
alone.
She looked back at the horses labor.
ing up the hill. saltwater had got
down and was urging them forward
ears of the leaders. He was worried
He would have liked to turn and run
for it. But the last roadhouse was
twenty-seven miles back. If the bliz-
card came bowling down the slope
they would have sweet time of II
reaching safety. Smiths Crossing was
on the other side of the divide. only
nine miles away. They would have to
worry through somehow.
Miss O'Neill knew that saltwater
Pete was anxious, and though she was
not yet afraid, the girl understood the
reason for 1t. The road ran through
the heart Of vast snow-field, the sur
face Of which was being swept by a
screaming wind. The air was full of
sifted white dust. and the road furrow
was rapidly filling. Soon 1t would he
oblite-ated. Sheba tramped behind the
stage-driver and in her tracks walked
Mrs. Olson, the other passenger.
Through the muff1ed scream Of the
storm saltwater shouted back to
SheDa. You wanta keep close to me-"
She nodded her head. His order
needed no explanation. The world
was narrowing to a lane whose walls
she could almost touch with her fin
gers. A pail of white wrapped them.
upon them beat a wind of singing
sleet. Nothing could be seen but the
blurred outlines of the stage and the
drivers figure.
The bitter cold searched through
Sheba's furs to her soft flesh and the
blast of powdered Ice beat upon her
race. The snow was getting deeper
as the road filed. Once or twice she
stumbled and fell. Her strength ebbed,
and the hinges of her knees gave I'M
expectedly beneath her. How long
was 1t, she asked herself, that Macdon-
ala mad said men could live in bliz-
card?
Staggering blindly forward, Sheba
pumped Into the driver. He had drawn
Up to give the horses q moments rest
before sending them plunging at the
snow again.
mo chance" he called into the
young woman's ear. "Never make
Smiths In the world, Coin try for
miners cabin up gulch little way"
The team stuck In the drifts, fought
through, and was blocked again ten
yards beyond. A dozen times the
horses gave up, answered the sting of
the whip by diving head first at the
white banks, and were stopped by
fresh snow-combs.
Pete gave up the fight. He began
the horses, while Sheba and
Mrs. Olson. clinging to each others
hands, stumbled forward to Join him.
The words he shouted across the back
of horse were almost lost In the
'oar OF the shrieking wind.
heluvatime ride
gulch," Sheba made out.
He flung Mrs. Olson astride one of
he wheelers and helped Sheba to the
back Of the right leader. saltwater
,iambered upon its mate himself.
The girl paid no attention to where
ney were going. The urge Of life
vas so faint within her that she did
lot greatly care whether she lived or
lied. Her face was blue from the cold,
Ter vitality was capped. She seemed
o herself to have turned to ice be-
ow the hips. Numb though her fin
'ers were, she must keep them fas-
ened tightly In the frozen name of the |
nimal. She recited her lesson to her
elf like child. She must stick on |
she must-she must.
Whether she lost consciousness or
OF Sheba never knew. The next she
ealized was that saltwater Pete was
ulling her from the horse. He dragged
er into cabin where Mrs. Olson Law
'ouched on the floor.
Got to stable the horses" he ex-
aimed, and left them.
After time he came back and lit a
e In the sheet-iron stove. As the cir
Ilation that meant life flooded back
to her chilled veins Sheba endured a
Ilf-hour Of excruciating pain. She
ID to clench her teeth to keep back
e groans.