The Snowflake herald., 1918-05-10
rated impulses.

into his arms. Now she drew away
from him shyly. The conventions In
which she had been brought up assert
ed themselves. An absurd little fear
obtruded itself into her happiness. Had
she rushed into his arms like love-
sick girl, taking it for granted that he
cared for her?
"You-came to look for us?" she
asked, with the little shy stiffness of
embarrassment.
"FOr yOu-yeS."
He could not take his eyes from her.
1t seemed to him that bird was sing
ing in his heart the gladness he could
not express. He had for many hours
pushed from his mind pictures of her
lying white and rigid on the snow. In
stead she stood beside him, her deli
cate beauty vivid as the flush Of a
flame.
"Did they telephone that we were
lost?"
"Yes. I was troubled when the
storm grew. could not sleep. So l
called up the roadhouse by long dis
tance. They had not heard from the
stage. Later 1 called again. When 1
could stand it no longer, / started"
"Not on foot?"
'No, with Hollis dog team. He is
back there. His leg is broken. A
snow-slide crushed him this morning
where we camped."
Bring him to the cabin. will tell
the others you are coming"
"Have you had any food?" he asked.
A tired smile lit up the shadows of
WEAKNESS under her soft, dark eyes.
Boiled oats, plum pudding and chocO-
lates," she told him.
"We have plenty Of food on the Sled
I'll bring it at once"
She nodded, and turned to go to the
cabin. He watched for a moment the
lit in her walk. An expression from
his reading jumped to his mind. Me-
lodious feet Some poet had said that,
hadn't he? Surely it must have been
Sheba Of whom he was thinking, this
girl so virginia. of body and of mind,
free and light-footed as a caribou on
the hills.
Gordon returned to the sled and
drove the team up the draw to the
cabin. The three who had been ma.
rooned came to meet their rescuer.
"You must "a come right through
the storm lickitty split" Sw1ftwater
said.
"You're right we did. This side pard-
ner of mine was bent on wrestling with
blizzard" Holt answered dryly.
"Sorry you broke your laig, Gid"
''Then there's two of us sorry, Swift
water. It's one of the best laigs I've
got"
SheDa turned to the old miner i'm
pulsively. eff you could be knowing
what / am thinking of you, Mr.. Holt
how full our hearts are of the graft
tude-" She stopped, tears in her
voice.
"Sho! No need of that, miss. lie
dragged me along" His thumb jerked
toward the man who was driving. 'Tve
seen better dog punchers than Elliot,
but he's got the world beat at rOutin'
old-timers out IF bed and persuadin'
them to kick in with him and buck a
blizzard. Me, O. course, I'm an old fool
for comm"
The dark eyes of the girl were like
stars in a frosty night. "Then you're
the kind of a fool / love, Mr.. Holt. I
think it was just fine of you, and I'll
never forget it as long as live"
Mrs. Olson had cooked too long in
lumber and mining camps not to know
something about bone setting. Under
her direction Gordon made splints and
helped her bandage the broken leg.
Sheba cooked an appetizing breakfast.
The aroma of coffee and the smell of
frying bacon stimulated appetites that
needed no tempting.
Holt, propped up by blankets, ate
with the others. For a good many
years he had taken his luck as it came
with philosophic endurance. Now he
wasted no time in mourning what
could not be helped. He was lucky
the ice slide had not hit him in the
head. A broken leg would mend.
While they ate, the party went into
committee of the whole to decide what
was best to be done. Gordon noticed
that in all the tentative suggestions
made by Holt and saltwater the
comfort Of Sheba was the first thing
in mind.
The girl, too, noticed 1t and smil-
ingly protested, her soft hand lying
for the moment on the gnarled one of
the old miner.
"It doesn't matter about me- We
have to think of what will be best for
Mr.. Holt, of how to get him to the
proper care. My comfort can wait"
The plan at last decided upon was
that Gordon should make a dash for
Smiths Crossing on snowshoes, where
he was to arrange for relief party to
come out for the injured man and Mrs.
Olson. He was to return at once with
out waiting for the rescuers. Next
morning he and Sheba would start
with Hollis dog team for Kusiak.
Macdonald had taught Sheba how to