The Lamar register., 1922-07-05

mad nred the shot. and seeing the IA
tallty. had fled.
But the thought that this might be
tn. explanation was only a heeting
one. Joe was dead. and his body must
be cared for. just as II he were alive
taken back 10 the camp and thence
out Of the woods There was no pos
slbillry Of leaving Joe's body there.
Yet IL seemed TO him that h- could
not hope to reach the camp. And
now smother idea came 10 him.
II was seven miles back 70 the camp.
but only i've 10 the portage over the
frozen swamp. Upon the other side
Of the portage was trail that came
out OF the prairie southwark and
wound into the unknown north
Along this Indians brought their win.
ter catches TO the trading store Of
Bay company.
Travelling was hard along the shore
Of the great Muskeg but 1t would
mean two miles less. and II was just
possible TO make the store. AcDon-
aid WAS a queer. taciturn. sometime.
venomous old man, and had evinced q
strong dislike of Wilton on the occa
sion Of their last meeting. Yet Me-
Donald would shelter him and receive
Joe's body. And then there was Molly
his daughter
Wilton having made his choice. act
ed On IL at once. With great effort
he raised Joe's stiffenlng form upon
his shoulder: and doggedly he began
his awful journey. his right arm grasp
ing the dead man. his helpless left
hugg1ng The tournlquet-stick againsr
his side.
He stumbled over th~ rough ground
until he reached the cleared roac
through the trees. Here the going wa,
easier. bur the burden numbed his
right hand and shoulder. the thrObbins
pain In his left seemed to beai time tt
his footsteps. and the ache of nh,
cramping muscles increased the agony
of his wound and began TO spread
down his body
wind sprang up, driving gusts OF
whirling snow into his eyes A deadl,
was 'fNcDiuh pNfi anu
presently. turning his head to shield
his eyes from the beating blasts. he
saw a trickle OF crimson OH the road
behind him.
The tourniquet had loosened. He
was bleeding his life away. The blood
wa. gushing down his fingers. VII
ton set Joe's body down and succeeded
In tightening the compress. And II
was only after an almost superhuman
struggle that he could get Joe over
his shoulder. He knew that IL he wa.
forced TO set the body down again he
could never lift IT.
With knees bent. tripping over the
roots Of the trees, and reeling
through 4 swimming world. he. stag
gered VD and On and on. And neither
his anger nor the thought Of Kitty
could have kept his resolution through
that nightmare Of pain. IL was ali Joe
nov. the memory Of Joe. his love for
remains should not be torn by the tim
ber-wOlyes
Joe had befri-nded him years be-
fore. when he had drifted. penniless
Into Winnipeg Joe's faith had been
his own. and the secret of the Missati-
bi theirs.
=" the miles reeled OF behind him,
while the wind Increased and the snow
fell thicker along the way AT last the
trees opened, and IN. bleak shore of
Big Musk-g lay before him. n desert
Of lee and snow. with the blufY- oppo-
site. and beyond them the trees once
more
Al once the fierce swirl OF the gale
caught hiu. whistling ike sirens. Dor.
ing lnt" his face Ike whlte-hot
probes. The Ice that fringed his
lsshes blinded him and pulled them
from the llds when he tried to open
his eyes. He r@eled on. clutching Joe's
body. and heard his avn voice 20
from him Ia shouts of despair. They
relied across the SNOW. and the echoes
came Ia faint. mimicklng answer from
the distant clifrs.