Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-12-01
The Strength Of the Pines

still on it-and try to slip through to-
morrow. You see what's going to hap
pen II We keep on going this way!~
Il know that / 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
u.s. 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
dlsbeiieve me. II 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 OF, 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
meant so much. Not defeat, not even
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, thing worth while, sacrifice
atoned for and redeemed
They headed off into the thlckets.
bIindly. letting the horse choose the
way. They felt him turn to avoid
some object in his path-evidently
fallen tree-and they mounted a 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 rude
bed-and the dictates Of convention
atty had nothing whatever TO do with
1t. II one jot more warmth could have
been achieved by 1t, 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 II each Of
them took q blanket and rolled up In
IL; 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 II sifted
through. At the first gray Of dawn
Bruce opened his eyes.
His dreams had been troubled and
strange. but the reality to which be
Weakened gave him no sense Of relief.
He fought a little battle lying there
under the snow-covered limbs Of the
FIR tree. Because II WAS one In which
ne blows were exchanged, no shots
fred. and no muscles called into &C
ton, II Was no less battle, trying
and stern 1t Was a fight waged In
his own spirit, and 1t seemed to rend
him In twain.
The whole issue was clear In Ills
mind at once. The cold had deepened
In these hours OF dawn, and he was