Evening journal., 1922-05-02
Continued From Our Last Issue,

Continued From Our Last Issue)
Again one of those agonizini
waits. racking to the two mel
whose future depended largely upoi
the happenings atop the range. Fa
on the other side, fighting slowl!
upward. was freight train loaded
with the necessary materials OF Z
large sawmill.
Guess it's all off," came at last
''The general superintendent II
Denver's on the wire. Says 20 bacl
up everything to Tollifer including
the plows. and give up the ghost"
GIVE it up?" Houston stared
blanket at the telegrapher "Bui
that's not railroading!"
Il know. I'll call Denver"
He turned to the key and ham
mered doggedly. Only soggy dead
ness answered. The line was gone!
CHAPTER XVI
IT'D take a guy with a diving
suit to find some Of them wires, ]
guess" the operator hazarded, as
he finally ceased his efforts and
reached for his coat and hat and
snowshoes. There amt no use stay
ing here. You fellows are going TO
sleep in town tonight, ain't you?"
There was little else to do They
fought their way to the rambling
boarding house.
Morning brought no relief. The
storm was worse and they faced
drifts waist high at the doorway.
Two hours later, the agent once
more at his dead key. Ba'tiste turn
ed TO Houston.
nounced. we must get to camp
and assemble the ment TO help those ,
who are not fortunate. There is
death in this storm"
Again with their waist-belt guide
lines. they started forth. TO bend |
against the storm in a struggle and |
at last to reach the squat, showed
in buildings of camp. There, Ba'tiste
assembled the worlSmen in the bunk
house.
There are greater things than
this now" he announced. I'VE want
the strong men-who will go back |
with us to Tabernacle. and who will
be willing to take the risk to help
the countryside. Eet is the danger
ahead. How many Of you will go?'
One after another they reached
for their snowshoes. silent men who
acted, rather than spoke.
Guide lines were affixed. Huddled, |
clumsy figures of white, one fol- |
lowing the other made the gruelling |
trip back to Tabernacle. Already the /
reports were beginning to come in, /
brought by storm weakened bliz- .
battered men. Of houses where I
the roofs had crashed beneath the 1
weight OF snow. OF lost ranchmen. .
CT bawjing cattle. drifting before
the storm-to death. II was the .
beginning of two-weeks' siege OF
a white inferno
The whole world was one great,
bleak thing OF dreary whlte--a
desert in which there was life only
hat there might be death, where
he battle for existence continued
,nly as a matter OF instinct.
And. over this bleak desert went
he men OF the West Country. silent.
rost-burned men. their lips cracked
rom the cut OF wind. their eyes
'iood-red with Inflammation. strug-
ing here and there with a pack OF
ood upon their backs that they I
light reach some desolate home \
There there were women and chill
ren: or stopping to pull and tug !
. fs.ar cfn nv ~
lain effort, drag him into a barren
Dot where the sweep OF the gale
ad kept the ground fairly clear OF !
iow
A two-inch crust OF snow formed -
rer the main snowfall, permitting =
nall sleds to be pulled behind
ruggling men; the world beneath "
Id been frozen in, to give place to i"
new one above. And with that; -
IT'S open It's open!" The shout a.
ime from the lips of the tele- ~ -
-apher. waving his arms as he ran II
ON the tunnel that led to the sta
onhouse. ITS openl I've had
.awlins on the wirel" W
"Rawlins?' Houston had edged CT
orward There's not a chance. Get =
'enver on the wire. Then take this
Message to every newspaper in the
ity:
Can't you help us? Please try
o start campaign to force Crestline
Road 10 open the Pass. Women and
children are starving here. We have
been cut off from the rest Of the 4
world for two weeks. We need food |;
-and coal. Road will not be open 4
for four or five weeks more under &
ordinary circumstances. This will l
mean death to many OF us here, the
wiping out Of a great timber and r
country. and a blot on :
he history OF Colorado. Help us i
md we will not forget it, I
The Citizens Of the West Coun-
ry." /
Sounds good" The telegrapher a
vas busily putting it on the wire. +
Then a wait Of hours. Then the wire d
ilattered forth a message. He
\
Its from the papers in Denver!" l.