The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1923-12-13

made. II WAS he thought. his last
effort, and he gave his full strength
TO II. Weakened as he was by the
cold and the wound, he could not have
made headwuy at all except for the
fact that the wind was behind him
The snow ever fell faster, Ia larger
fakes, and the track dimmed before
his eyes. Ii was losing game. Ter
Tifled not only BY the beast that had
stirred In the thicket bur by the ever
Increasing wind rs well. the animal
would not linEer to be oyertaken-
Bruce had not ridden II enough TO
have tanned II, and his plan was to
atfempt to shoot the creature ON sight
rather than try to catch II. They
could NOT go forward. anyway. as Ions
~ the blizzard lasted Which way Wa
east and which was west be- could Il,
longer gueaA And with the blanket,
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 Bruce's bones
ached. his wounded arm selt numb and
strange, the frost was getting into his
lungs. There was no hope Of the
storm decreasing. rather 1t was stead
lily growing worse. The tracks
grew more dim. and he began
to be afraid that the falling
fakes would obscure his own foot
prints so that he could not find
his way back to 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
light would be easier then.
'Oh. what's the user be suddenly
said to the wind. "Why not give up
and go backY'
He halted in the trail and started
to turn But at that instant ban
ner Of wind swept down into his face,
and the eddy Of snow in front Of him
was brushed from his gaze just for
the space Of breath the canyon for
q hundred feet distant was partially
cleared Of the binding streamers Of
snow. And he uttered a long gasp
when he saw. thirty yards distant and
ut the farthest reaches Of his sight,
the figure Of saddIed horse.
His gun leaped to his shoulder. yet
his eagerness did not cost him his self
control. He gazed quietly along the
sights until he saw the animals shout
der between them. His finger pressed
back against the trigger
The horse rocked down, seemingly
instantly killed. and the snow swept
In between. Bruce cried out In tn
unph. Then he broke INTO a run and
sped through the hurries toward his
dead.
But 1t came about that there was
other business for Bruce than the re-
cOyefy Of his blankets that he had
supposed would be tied TO the saddle
The snow was thick between, and he
was within twenty feet Of the animals
body before he Ellmpsed IL clearly
again. And he felt the first wave Of
wonder. the first promptings Of the
thought that the horse he had shot |
down Was not his, but one that he had |
never seen before.
But there was no time for the /
thought TO go fully home. Some one
cried out--a strange, halfsnarl Of hat
red and triumph that was almost lack
ing In all human quality--and a mans
body ieaped toward him from the
thicket before which the horse had
1allen. II vas Simon, and Bruce had
mistaken his horse for the one he had
ridden
Even in that instant crisis he did
not forget that he had as yet neg
lected to expel the empty cartridge
from the barrel Of his rife and to
throw In the other from the maya
zine. He tried to get the gun to his
shoulder, working the lever at the
same time. But Simon's leap was too
fast for him. His strong hand seized
the barrel Of the gun and snatched II
from his hands. Then the assailant
threw II back, over his shoulder, and
Il fell softly In the snow. He wait
ed. crouched.
The two men stood face to face
1t last. All things else were forgot
en- The world they had known be-
ore-a world Of sorrow and pleas
Tres. Of mountains and woods and
out and left no reali-
les except each others presence.
All about them were the snow fur
les that their eyes could not pene-
rate, and II was M II they were two
ono contestants on an otherwise I'M
Inhabited sphere who had come to
11p0 At last. The falling snow gave
~ whole picture 4 curious tone Of.
ngonllty and dimnesa-
Neo stFalGhtened. and bis face
- Iron well. Simon" he said.
ovo cona."
H mnn'D eyes burned red through
= 0ncu. S01 coufss would. Did
= tnlnk - eould escape meT
neA n.tter xAeth@ I