Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-12-01

MN Vim Implying cl4riiS-- S--Doe-
eoverts, over great rocks, down into
rocky canyons in seasrh Of Bruce and
Linda, and now, as the dawn broke.
he thought that be had found them
He had suddenly come upon the tracks
Of Bruce's horse In the snow.
II he had encountered them farther
back. when the animal had been run
ming wildly. he might have guessed
the truth and rejoiced- No man would
attempt to ride a horse at a gaiIop
through that tralfless stretch But at
the point he found the tracks most Of
IL was walking leisureiy, sometimes
lowering its head TO crop Of the shrub
berry. The Trail was comparatively
fresh. too; or else the fast-faliing--
snow would have already obscured IL
He thought that his hour Of triumph
was near.
But il had come none TOO soon- AID
Simon-out Of passi0n-fHed eyes
looked and saw that II would likely
bring death with It
He realized his position fully. The
storm was steadily developing into
one Of those terrible mountain biz
yards In which, without shelter. no
human being might I've. He was far
from his home. he had 10 blankets,
and he could not End MS way. YET
he would not have turned back If be
could The securing Of the document
by which Bruce could take the great
estates from him was only a trifse nov.
He believed wholly within his own
soul that the wilderness-withoul his
nid-would do his work Of hatred for
him: and that By no conceivable cir
cumstances could Bruce and Linda
find shelter from the blizzard and I've
through the day. He could find their
bodies In the spring II he by any
chance escaped himself. and take the
Ross-Folger agreement from them
But II was not enough. He wanted
also TO do the work Of destruction
Even his own de41h-if It we're only
delayed until his vengeance was
wrea ked-couId not matter now. In
all tie ancient strife and fury and
ceaseless war Of the Wild through
which he had come. there was no pas
sion 70 equal this The Killer was con-
tent 10 let the wolf kill the fawn for
him The cougar viii turn from its
warm. newly slain prey. in which It's
white fangs have already dipped ar
the sight Of some great danger in the
thickets. But Simon could not turn
Death lowered its wings upon him as
well as upon his enemy, yer the fire in
his heart and the fury in his brain
shut ont eli thought Of IT,
He sprang Of his horse better to
examine the tracks. and then stood.
half bent over, in the snow
Bruce Folger headed swiftly Up the
trail that his runaway horse had
made. Il vas. he thought. his last
effort and he gave his full strength
10 II. Weakened rs he was By the
cold and the wonni be could not have
made Roadway ri all except for the
fact that the wind was behind him
The SHOW ever fell faster, in larger
fakes. and the track dimmed before
his eyes Il was a losing game Ter
rifed not only By the beast that had
increasing wind as well the animal
would not linzer 10 be oyerTakeH
Bruce had not ridden II enough 10
have tanned IL. and his plan was to
attempt 10 shoot the creature On sight.
rather than Try to catch H. They
could not go forward anyway, as long
as the blizzard lasted Which way was
ea 81 and which was west be could no
longer guess And with the blankets
they might make some sort Of shelter
and keep life in their bodies until the
snow ceased and they could find their
way.
The cold was deepening. the storm
was increasing In fury. Bruee's bones
ached. his wounded arm felt numb and
strange, the frost was getting into his
lungs There was no hope Of the
storm decreasing. rather il was stead
lily growing worse The tracks
grew more dim. and he began
TO be afraid that the falling
fakes would obscure his OWE foot
prints SO that he could not find
his way back 10 Linda And he knew.
beyond all other knowledge, that he
wanted her with him when the shad-
ows dropped down for good and all
He wanted her arms about him; the
fight would be easier then
~Oh. what's the user he suddenly
said 10 the wind -Why not give up
and 90 backY~
He halted IN the trail and started
TO turn But AZ that instant a ban
uer Of wind swept down into his face.
and the eddy OF snow in front q him
was brushed from his gaze Just for
the space Of a breath the canyon for
s hundred feet distant Was partially
cleared Of the binding streamers %
snow. And he uttered 3 long gasp
Ehen he saw. thirty yards distant and
AZ the farthesf reaches u his sight.
me fgure Of 4 sadiied horse.
H. grr Iaarai 10 his shoulder Frf