South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-05-02
(COntinucd Prom Our Iast Issue)

/ Continued From Our Last Issue)
/ Again one OF those agonizing
waits, racking TO the two men whose
I future depended largely upon the
/ happenings atop the range. Far on
/ the other side. fighting slowly up
ward. was a freight train loaded with
/ the necessary materials Of a large
sawmill
Guess it's all off. came at las,
I The general superintendent in Den
ver's on the wire. Says to back
I up everything to TOllifer. including
the plows. and give up the ghost"
Give it up" Houston stared
blankly at the telegrapher. But
that's not railroadingi"
Il know. I'll call Denver"
He turned to the key and ham
mered doggedly. Only soggy dead
ness answered The line was gone,
CHAPTER XVI
IT'D take a guy with a diving
suit to find some of them wires.
guess" the operator hazarded. as he
finally ceased his efforts and reached
I for his coat and hat and snowshoes.
I There amt no use staying here.
| You fellows are going to sleep in
/ town tonight, amt you?"
There was little else to do They
fought their way TO the rambling
/ boarding house.
Morning brought no relief. The
storm was worse, and they faced
/ drifts waist high at the doorway
Two hours later. the agent once
more at his dead key Ba'tiste turned
to- Houston.
"5et is no use here" he an
\ nounced 1--WE must get to camp
/ and assemble the men TO nelp those
I who are not fortunate. There is
| death in this storm"
Again with their waiSt-belt guide
| lines. they started forth to bend
against the storm i'm a struggle and
at last 10 reach the squat. showed in
/ assembled the. workmen in the bunk
/ house
There are greater things taan
/ this now" ne announced I'VE want
I the strong men-who will go back
/ with us 10 Tabernacle. and who will
/ be willing TO take the risk to help
/ the countryside Eet is the danger
ahead. How many Of YOU will go?''
One after another they reached for
their snowshoes. silent men VINO
/ acted rather than spoke
Guide lines were affixed. Huddled
/ clumsy figures of white. one follow
. ing the other. made the grueuing trip
F back to Tabernacle Already the re-
/
brought by storm weakened, bliz--
Yard battered men. of houses where
the roofs had crashed beneath the
weight Of snow. of lost ranchmen. of
+ bawling cattle. drifting before the
. storm-to death. II was the begin
ming of two-weeks' siege of white
inferno.
The whole world was one great.
bleak thing OF dreary white-a Dies
ert I'm which there was life only that
/ there might be death. where the bat
. tie for existence continued only as a
matter Of instinct
And over this bleak desert went
. the men of the West Country. silent.
. frost burned men. their lips cracked
from the cut OF wind, their ewes
. blood-re with inflammation. strug-
I Cling here and there with a pack OF
food upon their hacks that they
might reach some desolate home
where there were women and chill
Gren: or stopping 20 pull and tug az
I a snow-trapped steer and by main
effort. drag him into a barren SPOT
where the sweep of the gale had
kept the ground fairly clear Of snow
A two-inch crust of snow formed
over the main snowfall. permitting
small sleds 20 be pulled behind strug-
Cling men; the world beneath had
been frozen in 10 give place 10 a new
one above And with that:
It's open, It's OPEN" The shout
came from the lips of the telegraph
er. waving his arms as he ran from
the tunnel that led to the station
house It's open. I've had Raw
Inns on the wire"
"Rawlins ." Houston had ed ged
forward. There's not a chance. Get
\ Denver on the wire Then take this
message 20 every newspaper IN the
city:
Cant YOU help u.s. Please try
20 start campaign 10 force Cresline
Road 10 open the Pass Women and
1