The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-06-12

clothes: one sank its fangs into his
right hand, and, as he freed himself
with a smashing blow. the others were
upon him sideward.
In an infant he was struggling win
his one hand against the heavy bodies
thar borei him back. shielding his
throat. thrusung the whipstock into
the red. cavernous jaws, while the an
guish from his wrenched shoulder al
most made him scream with pain.
Everything was swimming round
him. They had him down. Their bel
lowing bowls grew fainter in his ears
Mechanically he kept his right hand
at his throat. The left, torn from the
sling. Topped grotesquely in front of
him. He heard the click of the fangs
that met in it, and felt no pain He
was SwOOning.
Suddenly he heard the "snap-snap"
of a revolver. A leaping body seemed
to stop short in the air. and tumbled
on him, knocking him on his face.
Dimly he heard the discharge of the
weapon again. And then, out Of
semi-stupor, Molly's face, and her
tears upon his cheeks.
She was kneeling 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 writing and moaning in
distant corner. Wilton looked up.
Molly bowed her face upon his and
broke into hysterical weeping. 1t 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. "It
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 it 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 bandaged up his
wounds. She improvised another sling
to hold his arm.
81 shall walk into Clayton" she said.
you must lie in the shack. Help will
Nv
sooner"
I'm going on to Clayton. I'm feel
ing better. No, listen, Molly, l 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 pains less. We can go on.
We've got to go on"
Walk, WillF"
"We1l walk" said Wilton, rising
with great effort. The dying animals
had ceased TO whimDer, and stared at
him out of their glazing eyes. Outside
the snow was drifting down through
the leafless branches. but the vino
was dying away. 1t was late in the
afternoon, though no sign of the sur
came through the heavy, lowering
cloud.
wen go on" said Wilton.
And, going out Of the shack, he I'M
fastened the cord of the sleigh that
held Joe's body, and took it in his
wounded hand.
evil, it's impossible!"
at may be. But I'll try. l can't
face Kitty otherwise"
Over the new snow the journeyine
was not so difficult in their snow
shoes, but the drag Of the sleigh-rope
up the hills and across the corduroys
! proved almost impossible. Theil
! progress was enthusiastically slow. The
| night came down and shut them in
! And the nightmare of delirium cloudeG
Wilton's brain, peOpling the world
| with phantoms. He lived over agair
scenes Of the past, and always Joe
was of them. 1t was a night Of unmit
igated horror to Molly.
At every cache, at each shack, they
would stop, feeling the sheer impossi
bility of going on, and sit huddled il
their blankets under the lee, with the
| drifting snow about them.
Yet always they went on again; IN
| til at last the er-ending night lifted
! The snow ceased to fall; the dur
horizon was streaked with fire. AnC
slowly Wilton came back to full con
| seriousness.
| They had toiled up their hfghes
hill, and as they reached the summit
they saw the sweetest sight that the!
had ever seen. For far away was Clay
ton, over the plain, with it's ugl!
streets and bare, new houses, and the
gaunt station buildings, roundhouse:
and locomotive shops.
They were white as shrouded bodies
besmeared with CRIME, and Wilton wa!
caked with the blood that had oozet
from his wounds and frozen.
zone last try, Molly" he said, zane
then they can do what they like Will
me. But it's you who pulled tina
! trick GIRL of mine :"