Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1922-07-22


heart, futtering like a wounded bird,
stopped under his hand. Joe sighed
once, but he never stirred again. The
bullet had passed clean through Joe
Bostock's heart from the back. And.
as he tried to raise Joes body, Wilton
realized that the same bullet had
broken his left arm, which hung limp
from the shoulder.
He sprang to his feet, mad
wrath giving back to him his ebbing
strength. He gIared about him, but
1t was impossible to ascertain from
where the shot had come. He could
not even locate the direction within
hundred degrees, for Joe had been In
the act of turning. Nobody was in
sight, and the woods were silent.
His believing call Of fury that went
echoing through the trees ELECTED no
answer. He tore strips from his hand
kerchlef. holding it between his teeth,
and. with his left hand on his knee,
knotted them about a stick and I'm
prOyised a tourniquet The blood was
squirting down his sleeve In Jets, the
pain was intense, and IL was impos-
sible to take off the mackinaw and
hope to replace his arms In It; but
he twisted with all his force until the
diminishing flow showed that he had
compressed the artery. Thrusting the
longer end of the stick beneath his
armpit, he passed the other through
the buttonhole Of the garment, and,
STOPPING, managed to get Joes body
upon his shoulder and to hold it with
his right arm.
His impulse was to carry Joe's body
back to the camp, but he knew that 1t
would be impossible to make the dis
lance. Yet to leave It would mean
the certainty Of mutilation by bears
or timber-wolves unless he could
build calrn of stones. And OF that
he was equally incapable. He set
Joe's body down, and In the first fun
realization Of his loss and his predlca-
ment, he shouted curses to the sky.
That murder had been intended he
| did not believe; no doubt the shot had
been a bullet fired at some nearer
mark, perhaps a hare, and by one Of
| the half-breeds. He suspected that
the transit-bearer, following them up,
had fred the shot, aud seeing the IA
tally, had fed.
But the thought that this might be
/ the explanation was only a feetlag
one Joe was dead, and his body must
/ be cared for. just as II he were alive
taken back to the camp and thence
| out Of the woods There was no pos
sibillty Of leaving Joes body there,
| Yet it seemed to him that he could
not hope to reach the camp. And
now another idea came to him.
It was seven miles back to the camp.
but only FIVE to the portage over the
frozen swamp. Upon the other side
| Of the portage was trail that came
out Of the prairie southwark end
wound into the unknown north.
Along this Indians brought their win.
ter catches to the trading store Of
Mcdonald. the factor Of the Hudson's
/ Bay company.
Travelling was hard along The shore
Of the great Muskeg, but it would
| mean two miles less, and II was ust
/ possible to make the store. Melon
aid was a queer. taciturn, sometimes
venomous old man. and had ev'nced a
strong dislike o. Wilton on the ara-
sion Of their last meeting. Yet Nc
Donald would shelter him and receive
Joes body. And then there was Molly,
/ bis daughter
Wilton, having made bis choice. act
ed on II al once. with q greaf effort
nc raised Jos'a Htifenlng form upon