The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-04-05
lies were the only ones that let her

dies were the only ones that let her
alone
She looked back at the horses labor
ing up the hill. saltwater had got
down and was urging them forward
his long whip cracking about the
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. Ii the Dliz-
card came bowling down the slope
they would have sweet time of it
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 it. The road ran through
the heart of vast snow-feld, the sur
face of which was being swept by
screaming wind. The air was full OF
sifted white dust, and the road furrow
was rapidly filling. Soon it would be
obliterated. Sheba tramped behind the
stage-driver and in her tracks walked
Mrs. Olson, the other passenger.
Through the mufiled scream of the
storm saltwater shouted back to
Sheba. "You wanta keep close to me-"
She nodded her head. His order
needed no explanation. The world
was narrowing to lane whose walls
she could almost touch with her fin
gers. A pail of white wrapped them.
Upon them beat a wind of stinglng
sleet. Nothing could be seen but the
blurred outlines of the stage ana the
drivers figure.
The bitter cold searched through
Sheba's furs to her soft flesh and the
blast of powdered ice beat upon her
face. The snow was getting deeper
as the road filed. Once or twice she
stumbled and fell. Her strength ebDed'
and the hinges of her knees gave I'M
Eexpectedly beneath her. How long
was it, she asked herself, that Macdon-
aid had said men could live in Dilz-
zard?
StUSSeIluS 1Oi wal
bumped into the driver. He had drawn
up to give the horses moments rest
before sending them plunging at the
snow again.
mo chance" he called into the
young womans ear. "Never make
Smiths in the world. Coin try fol
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
unhitching the horses, while Sheba anc
Mrs. Olson, clinging to each others
hands, stumbled forward to join him
The words he shouted across the back
of a horse were almost lost in the
roar of the shrieking wind.
81. heluvatime ride
gulch," Sheba made out.
He flung Mrs. Olson astride one OF
the wheelers and helped Sheba to the
back of the right leader. Swiftwatel
clambered upon its mate himself.
The girl paid no attention to where
they were going. The urge OF life
was so faint within her that she die
not greatly care whether she lived OF
died. Her face was blue from tho cold
her vitality was Slapped. She seemed
to herself to have turned to ice be
low the hips. Numb though her fin
gers were, she must keep them fas
tened tightly in the frozen name of the
animal. She recited her lesson to her
self like child. She must stick OF
she must-she must.
Whether she lost consciousness OF
not Sheba never knew. The next sh'
realized was that saltwater Pete wa!
pulling her from the horse. He dragged
her into a cabin where Mrs. Olson la!
crouched on the floor.
"Got to stable the horses" he ex
planned, and left them.
After time he came back and lit ,
fire in the sheet-iron stove. AS the cir
| culatiOn that meant life flooded bacl
into her chilled veins Sheba endured ,
half-hour of excruciating pain. Sh,
had to clench her teeth to keep bacl
the groans.
The cabin was empty Of furniture
EXCEPT for q homemade table, rougl
stools, and the frame of bed. TIL
last occupant had left little firewOot
beside the stove, enough to last per
haps for twenty-four hours. Sheb,
did not need to be told that if the bliz
card lasted long enough, they woul'
starve to death. In the handbag lef
in the stage were box Of candy an,
an Irish plum pudding. She ha,
brought the latter from the old coun
try with her and was taking it and tn
chocolates to the Hustled children. Blu
just now the stage was as far iron
them rs Drogheda.
Like many rough frOntiersmer
saltwater Pete was diamond in tn
raw. So far as could be he made
hopeless and impossible situation com
Portable. His judgment told him tina
they were caught in trap from whic
there was no escape, but for the SAX