The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-01-11
leontInues Eron last .aspe.l

49, EstatHAl- HatIHfTh
standing motoBisss In the
dreadfui gloom 81 blindness insen.
sible To the Ftowine cold, Bill
made hiniaelf ipok his situation In
tie face.
Finally his thought sized upon
an Idea SO tsnlatc, seemingly i'm;
possible OF achievement, that at
first he could mot gtyeSit credence.
HIS snowshoe tracks probably
were not vet obItterated under the
wind'biown noH Could he feel his
way along thentsDack 10 tho cabin2
The miles were many and long,
but he wouldn't have 10 creep on
hands and knees oil the way. He
cropped about at the side Of the
cabin for his nowshoes!
He found them in d minute, then
walked straighgt as he could fifty
foet out from the door. oncS more
he vent on hands and knees, grob.
ing In the cy snow, He started
to mako d great circle.
Fifteen ffet farther no felt q
break In the even surface. The
snow had been so soft and his
shoes had sunk so deep that the
POW dertd tlakeB the wind had
strewn during the night had only
half flied his tracks. He started
tn follow them down.
He would walk aheai five PAGES,
then drop down aud grope again
for the tracks Sometimes he
found them at once, often he had
10 20 on his hands and knees. and
TART 70 circle Then, finding the
trail he would tnush on for five
steps more,
OH th way was icruel! He
eunId not % avoid the singing
insh o. the spruce needles, the
crtel blows ot the branches. AL
ready the attempt began to par.
take OF 4 quality Of nightmare.
He could not Judge distance or
lime. Already Il seemed TO him
that he had 5beensupon the journey
endless hoors. He didn't know how
far he had come The only thought
he had left was always TO count
his terrible five steps, and count
fiye tnots
On and on, through the long
rours. But the fight was almost
done. Exhaustion and hunger, but
cold most OF all, were swiftly
breaking him down.
The time came at last when he
could no longer get upon his feet.
md now IKE a Ttthonus who
could not die, he crawled along the
snowsshoe tran on his hands and
knees.
y can't go on" he told himself.
Yet always his muscles made one
NOV tnet more.
Suddenly he missed the trail. EIis
hand groped IN vain over the white
crust, and he started to creep for
ward again.
But slowly the conviction grew
upon him that he was crawling In
q small eircle-the very circle he
had Just made. Some way he had
missed the snowshoe trail.
SipSf he sank down IN the
spow
XIX
When the siutheast wind struck
the home cabin, Virginia's. First
thought was for Bill.
HaroId.s first thought vas also
Of Bill He knew what the wind
could doJto]a3snow crust. His eyes
cleaned with high anticipations,
curiously interwIned with the re.
membrance 81 the dark cavern he
had entered yesterday, the gravel
laden with gold.
II only wishtI hadn't let him 20. T"
The gtrisftone was heavy and dull,
But We had to have supplies.
we could have gone o,rt on
That grizzly meat"
The afternoou that followed was
.ndiessly long and lonely. Her
heart sank Id every COMPLAINT of
the wind. ana she dreaded fhe fall
of me shadows.
All through the hours OF early
night she siept only At intervals.
She wax ned before dawn: ana
th0 icy Wintar stara were nearing