The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-03-07

bees face, but he swung his weapon
and leaped forward. The az bit deep
ly at the base of the spine, and Percy
|Cuthfert felt all consciousness Of his
lower limbs leave him. Then the clerk
fell heavily upon him, clutching him
by the throat with feeble fingers. The
sharp bite Of the ak had caused Cuth-
fert to drop, the pistol, and as his
lungs. painted for release he fumbled
aimlessly for it among the blankets.
Then he remembered. He slid a hand
up the clerks belt to the sheath knife,
and they drew very close to each other
In that last clinch.
Percy Cuthfert felt his strength leave
him. The lower portion of his body
was useless. The inert weight Of
Weatherbee crushed him-crushed him
and pinned him there like bear under
trap. The cabin became filed with
a familiar odor, and he knew the bread
to be burning. Yet what did 1t mat
ter? He would never need it. And
there were all Of six cupfuls Of sugar
In the cache. II he had foreseen this
he would not have been 80 saving the
last several days. Would the wind
vane ever mOve7 1t might even be
veering now. Why not? Had he not
seen the sun today? He would go and
see. No; 1t was impossible to move.
He had not thought the clerk 30 heavy
q man.
How quickly the cabin cooled Tho
fire must be out. The cold was fore
Ing in. It must be below zero al
ready, and the ice creeping up the In
side Of the door. He could not see 1t,
but his past experience enabled hifE
to gauge its progress by the cabins
temperature. The lower hinge must
be white ere now. Would the tale Of
this ever reach the world7 How
would his friends take it, They would
read It over their coffee, most likely,
and talk It over at the clubs. He could
see them very clearly. "Poor old Cuth-
fert!' they murmured. mot such q
bad sort of chap, after ALL" He
smiled at their eulogies and passed on
In search of a Turkish bath. 1t was
the same old crowd upon the streets.
Strange they did not notice his moose
hide moccasins and tattered German
socks! He would take a cab. And
after the bath a shave would not be
bad. No; he would eat first. Steak and
potatoes and green things-how fresh
It all was! And what was that?
Squares Of honey. streaming liquid am
Der! But why did they bring so much?
Ha, ha! He could never eat it all.
Shine? Why, certainly. He put his
foot on the box. The bootblack looked
curiously up at him, and he remem-
bered his moose hide moccasins and
went away hastily.
Hank! The wind vane must be sure
ly spinning. No; mere singing in his
ears; that was ala mere singing.
The ice must have passed the latch by
now. More likely the upper hinge was
covered. Between the moss chinked
roof poles little points of frost began
to appear. How slowly they grewi
No. not so slowly. There was a new
one, and there another-two-three
four-they were coming too fast to
count. There were two growing to-
gether, and there-a third had joined
them. Why, there were no more spots!
They had run together and formed a
sheet. 7
Well, he would have company. If
Gabriel ever broke the silence Of the
north they would stand together. hand
In hand, before the great white throne.
And God would judge them, God would
Judge them!
Then Percy Cuthfert closed his eyes
and dropped off to sleep.