Graham guardian., 1922-08-01
SYNOPSIS

| SYNOPSIS
CHAPTER I.-Looking over Big Mus
\ keg. q seemingly impassable swamp II
| the path of the Missatibi railroad, Jo
| Bostock, builder OF the line, and Wiitol
| Carruthers. chief of engineers. are con
sidering the di. .culties, rife shot In
| stantly kills Bostock and breaks Car
| ruthers arm. handicapped as he Is. Car
ruthers determines 20 carry the body u
station OF the Hudson's Bay company
where one Mcdonald is the factor.
CHAPTER u.-McDonald's daughter
Molly, sees Carruthers struggling In th'
muskeg and dIags him from the swamp
with his burden. Unaccountably, he
rather objects 70 her saving Carruthers
CHAPTER III.-weakened by his woun'
and exertions, Carruthers liz disturbed y!
the appearance of Tom Bowyer. Boetocki
business rival and personal enemy. Bow
yer Insults Molly. and Carruthers strike!
him. After Bowyer leaves, Carrutherl
declares his love for Molly. She prom
ses TO be his wife.
Suddenly he heard the "snap-snap'
Of revolver. A leaping body seemed
to stop short in the air, and tumbled
on him, knocking him on his face
piinIy he heard the discharge Of the
weapon again. And then, out OF a
seml-stupor, Molly's face, and her
tenrs upon his cheeks.
She was kneeIing beside him upon
the floor Of the stable. stanching the
blood from his wounds with a strip
torn from her petticoat. Upon the
floor lay three Of the dogs, dead. Two
more were writhing and moaning In a
distant corner. Wilton looked mp.
Molly bowed her face upon his and
broke into hysterical weeping. II was
the first sign of weakness he had ever
seen In her. He held her In his right
arm. He saw that his blood had
stained her hands. her clothing.
Molly" he said weakly, Molly"
She wept in utter hopelessness. "1t
Is useless, Will," she sobbed. let us
die here. We can't go on. They have
torn you. Your arm is broken again.
Oh, the snow--the snow"
She seemed to have completely
broken down. She crouched beside
him, her whole body shaken by her
sobs. And In his apathy II seemed to
him good TO lie there. with Molly at
his side, till he grew stronger, Or
Molly Remember Kitty and
Joel"
His words seemed to galvanize her
back to courage. She got up. Her
face grew suddenly composed. With
streaming eyes she bundaged up his
wounds. She improvised another sling
to hold his arm.
Il shall walk into Clayton" she said.
You must lie In the shack. Help VIII
come by noon tomorrow, perhaps
sooner"
''Im going on to Clayton. I'm feel
ing better. No, listen, Molly! didn't
tell you, but my arm was swollen from
the bandages. They had frightened and
stopped the circulation. I'm better
without them I'm feeling stronger
and the palms less. We can go on.
We've got TO go on"
walk. WHIP"
"We'll walk" said Wilton, rising
with great effort. The dying animals
had ceased TO whimper, and stared at
him out of their glazing eyes. Outside
the snow was drifting down through
the ieafiess branches, but the wind
was dying away. II was late in the
afternoon, though no sign OF the sun
came through the heavy, lowering
cloud.
"Well go on" said Wilton.
And, going out Of the shack, he un-
fastened the cord Of the sleigh that
held JOe's body, and took II In his
wounded hand.
"Will, it's impossiblel"
at may be. But I'll try, I can't
face Kitty otherwise"
Over the new snow the journeying
was not so difficult In their snow
shoes. but the drag OF the sleigh-rope
up the hills and across the c0rduroys
proved almost impossible. Their
progress was infinltesimally slow. The
night came down and shut them In.
And the nightmare of delirium clouded
Wilton's brain, peopllng the world
with phantoms. He lived over again
scenes OF the past, and always Joe
was OF them. 1t was night Of unmit-
igated horror to Molly.
At every cache, Mt each shack. they
would stop, feeling the sheer impossi-
bility of going on, and sit huddled in
their blankets under the lee, with the
drifting snow about them.
Yet always they went on again: ur-
III at last the never ending night lifted.
The snow ceased to fall; the dun
horizon was streaked with fire. And
slowly Wilton came back TO full con-
sciousness.
They had taflad I'm their hiphaaf