The Adair County news., 1922-12-05

burrows. Even the bears, whose furry
coats were imperviOus to any ordinary
cold, felt the beginnings of the cold
trance creeping over them. They
were remembering the security and
warmth of their last winters dens, and
they began to long for them again.
The horse walked slowly, head near
the ground. The girl made no effort
to guide him. The lightning had all
but ceased; and in an instant it had
become apparent that only by trust
ing to the animals instinct could the
trail be kept at all; almost at once
all sense of direction was lost to them.
The snow and the darkness obscured
the outline of the ridges against the
sky; the trail was wholly invisible
beneath them.
After the first hundred yards they
had no way of knowing that the horse
was actually on the trail. While ami
mails in the light Of day cannot see
nearly so far or interpret nearly so
clearly as human beings, they usually
seem to make their way much better
at night. Many a frontiersman has
been saved from death by realization
of this fact; and. bewildered by the
ridges, has pesmitted his dog to lead
him into camp. But nature has never
devised a creature that can see in the
utter darkness, and the gloom that
embodied them now seemed simply un-
fathomable. Bruce found it increas-
ingly hard to believe that the horses
eyes could make out any kind of din
pathway in the pine needles. The feel
ing grew on him and on Linda as well,
that they were lost and aimlessly wan
dering in the storm.
OF all the sensations that the wilder
ness can afford, there are few more
dreadful to the spirit than this. 1t is
never pleasant to lose ones bearings
and in the night and the cold and
miles from any friendly habitation it
is particularly hard to bear. Bruce
felt the age-old menace of the wilder
ness as never before. 1t always seemed
to be crouching, waiting to take a
man at a disadvantage and like the
gods that first make mad those whom
they would destroy, it doesn't quite
play fair. He understood now certain
wilderness tragedies Of which he had
heard; how tenderfeet-lOst among
the ridges-had broken into a wild
run that had ended nowhere except
In exhaustion and death.
Bruce himself felt a wild desire to
lash his horse into a gallOp, but he
forced it back with all his powers of
will. His calmer, saner self explained
that folly with entire clearness. 1t
would mean panic for the horse, and
then quick and certain death, either
at the foot of a precfpice or from a
blow from a lOw-hanging limb. The
horse seemed to be feeling its way.
rather than seeing.
They were strange, lonely figures
in the darkness; and for a long time
they rode almost In silence. Then
Bruce felt the girls breath as she
whispered.
Bruce" she said. Lets be brave
and look this matter in the face. Do
you think we've got a chance?
He rode a long time before he an
swered. He groped desperately for a
word that might bring her cheer, but
it was hard to find. The cold seemed
to deepen about them, the remOrseleSs
snow beat into his face.
Linda" he replied, ''it is one of
the mercies of this world for men al.
ways to think that they've got a
chance. Maybe it's only a cruelty in
our case"
Il think l ought to tell you some
thing else. / haven't the least way
of knowing whether we are on the
right trail"
81 knew that long ago. Whether
we are on any trail at ALL"
''Pve just been thinking. / don't
know how many forks it has. We
might have already got on a wrong
one. Perhaps the horse is turned
about and is heading back home-to
ward Simon's stables"
She spoke duly, and he thrust his
arm back to her. LINDA, try to bC
brave" he urged. I'VE can only take
a chance"
The horse plodded a few NOR,
steps. Brave! To think that it il
you that has to encourage. me-in
stead of my trying to keep up you
spirits. will try o,be brave, Bruce.
And IL we don't live through the
night, my last remembrance will be
Of your bravery-how you, injured
and weak from loss of blood, still re
membered to give a CHEEKY word to
me.'
I'm not badly injured" he told
her gently. "And there are certain
things that have come clear to me
lately. One of them is that except
for you-throwing your own precious
body betweenI wouldn't be here at
ALL"
The feeling that they had lost the
trail grew upon them. Once they
halted TO AdiuSf th2 AiSrl.pts On .l,e