The Adair County news., 1922-12-05

Sduul6, anu Lney uSLe1eO IOr any
sounds that might indicate that Simon
was OveItaking them. But all they
heard was the ,.1fl rustic of the leaves
ulasI RS Eip&RI9gR sa9E
it seem to you to be awfully cold?"
She waited long time before she
spoke. This was not the hour to
make quick answers. On any decision
might rest their success or failure.
Il believe can stand it-a while
longer" she answered at last.
'But l don't think we'd better try
to. It's getting cold. Every hour it's
colder, and l seem to be getting weak
er. 1t isn't real wound, Linda-but
it seems to have knocked some of my
vitality out of me, and I'm dreadfully
in need of rest. / think we'd better
try to make a camp"
"And 90 on by morning light?'
yes"
But Simon might overtake us
then"
1--WE must stay out of sight of the
trail. But somehow can't help but
hope he won't try to follow us OIL
such night as this"
He drew up the horse, and they sat
in the beat of the snow. Don't make
any mistake about that, Bruce" she
told him. Remember, that unless he
overtakes US before we come into the
protection of the courts, his whole
fight is lost. 1t doesn't alone mean
loss of the estate-fOr which he would
risk his life just as he has a dozen
times. 1t means defeat-a thing that
would come hard to Simon. Besides,
he's got a fire within him that will
keep him warm"
you mean-hatredT
Hatred. Nothing else"
But in spite of it we must make
camp. Wen get off the trail-if we're
still on it-and try to slip through to-
morrow. You see what's going to hap
pen if we keep on going this way?"
II know that 1 feel a queer dread
and hopelessness-"
"And that dread and hOpelessness
are just as much danger signals as
the sound of Simon's horse behind
US. 1t means that the cold and the
snow and the fear are getting the
better Of us. Linda, it's a race with
death. Don't misunderstood me or
disbelieve me. 1t isn't Simon alone
now. It's the cold and the snow and
the fear. The thing to do is to make
camp, keep as warm as we can In our
blankets, and push on In the morn
ing. It's two full days ride, going
fast, the best we can go-and God
knows what will happen before the
end"
"Then turn off the trail, Bruce"
the girl told him.
Il don't know that we're even on
the trail"
Turn off, anyway. AS long as we
stay tOgether-it doesn't matter"
She spoke very quietly. Then he
felt strange thing. A warmth which
even that growing, terrible cold could
not transcend swept over him. For
her arms had crept out under his
arms and encircled his great breast,
then pressed with all her gentle
strength.
No word of encouragement, no
CHEEKY expression of hope could have
the long darkness of death itself could
appall him now. All that he had Civ
en- and suffered and endured, all the
mighty effort that he had made had
In an instant been shown in its true
light, a thing worth while, a sacrifice
atoned for and redeemed.
They headed off into the thickets.
blindly, letting the horse choose the
way. They felt him turn to avoid
some object in his path-evidently a
fallen tree-and they mounted slight
ridge or rise. Then they felt the wet
touch of fir branches against their
cheeks.
Bruce stopped the horse and both
dismOunted. Both of them knew that
under the dropping limbs of the tree
they would find, at least until the
SHOWS deepened, comparative shelter
from the storm. Here, rolled in their
blankets, they might pass the remain
der of the night hours.
Bruce tied the horse, and the girl
unrolled the blankets. But she did
not lay them together to make a rude
bed-and the dictates of convention
ality had nothing whatever to do with
1t. If one jot more warmth could have
been achieved by it, these two would
| have lain side by side through the
night hours between the same blan-
kets. She knew, however, that more
warmth could be achieved if each of
them took blanket and rolled up in
it; thus they would get two thick
nesses instead of one and no openings
to admit the freezing air. When this
was done they lay side by side, econ
Omizing the last atom of warmth.
The night hours were dreary and
long. The rain beat into the limbs
above them, and sometimes it sifted
through At the first gray of dawn
Bruce opened his eyes.
His dreams had been troubled and
strange, but the reality to which he
wakened gave him no sense of relief
He fought little battle, lying there
under the snow-covered limbs of the
| f1r tree. Because it was one in which