The Lamar register., 1922-08-02

again, leaping at him, tearing at his
clothes; one sank Its fangs into his
right hand. and, as he freed himself
with a smashing blow. the others were
upon him sideward.
Ia an instant he was struggling with
his one hand against the heavy bodies
that bore him back, shielding his
throat. thrusting the whipstock into
the red, cavernous jaws, while the an
guish from his wrsnchsd shoulder a.
most made him scream with pain.
Everything was swimming round
him. They had him down Their bel,
lowing howls 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 1t, and felt no pain He
was swooning.
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.
Dimly he heard the discharge OF the
weapon again. And then, out Of a
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 d strip
torn from her petticoat Upon the
floor lay three of the dogs, dead. Two
more were writhing and moaning In .
distant corner. Wilton looked up.
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. "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 1t seemed to
him good to lie there. with Molly at
his side. ill he grew stronger. or
"Mollyl Remember Kitty - and
Joel"
WoIuF oCCatu " hCA
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.
II shall walk into Clayton" she said.
"You must lie In the shack. Help will
come by noon tomorrow. perhaps
sooner"
'T'm going on to Clayton. Fm feel
ing better. No. listen. Molly I didn't
tell you. but my arm was swollen from
the bandages. They had tightened and
stopped the circulation. I'm better
without them. I'm feeling stronger
and the pains less. We can 60 on.
We've got to go on"
walk. winT"
-well 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 leafiess branches. but the wind
was dying away. 1t was late In ths
afternoon. though no sign Of the sun
came through the heavy. iowsrins
cloud.
Wen go o." said wilton
And, going out Of the shach, be IN
fastened the cord Of the slsigh that
held Joss body. and took n in his
wounded hand.
-WIl. IT'S impossfblei"
Tt may be. But IN tTy. I can't
face Kitty otherwise"
Over de new snow ths Jsurnsyfng
was not % dif1cuit In thsr snow
shoss. but the drug Of he sieigh-rops
up the hills and across the coeduroys
proved almost impossible. Their
progress was innnitesimally slow. The
night came down and shut them In
And the Nightmare oc dslirium cl0uded
wilton's brain. psoplng The world
with phantoma he lived over again
scenes of the past, and always Joe
was of them. II 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 in