The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-03-01

TbtkN CdIlNOIlS III SthlN VI "'N
Linda, and now, as. the dawn broke,
he thought that he had found them.
He had suddenly come upon the tracks
of Bruce's horse in the snow.
If he lad encountered them farther
back, when the animal had been run
ming wildly. he might have guessed
the truth and rejoiced. No man would
attempt t ride a horse at a gallop
through that trailless stretch. But at
the point he found the tracks most OF
the horses terror had been spent. and
it was walking leisurely, sometimes
lowering its head to crop off the shrub
berry. The trail was comparatively
fresh, too; or else the f~aStfalling
snow would have already obscured IL.
He thought that his hour of triumph
was near.
But il had come none too soon. And
Slmon-out Of passion-flled eyes
looked and saw that it 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 live. He was far
from his home, he had no blankets,
and he could not find his way. Yet
he would not have turned back If he
could. The securing of the document
by which Bruce could take the great
estates from him was only a trifie now.
He believed wholly within his own
soul that the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. his
a~id-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 live
through the day. He could find their
bodies in the spring If he by any
chance escaped himself, and take the
Ross-Folger agreement from them.
But il was not enough. He wanted
also to do the work of destruction.
Even his own death-if ID were only
delayed until his vengeance was
wreaked-could not matter now. In
all the ancient strife and fury and
ceaSelesS war of the wild through
which he had come, there WAS no pas
sion to equal this. The Killer was cOn-
tent to let the wolf kill the fawn for
him. The cougar will turn from its
warm, newly slain prey. in which its
white fangs have already dipped. Mt
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. yet the fire in
his heart and the fury in his brain
shut out all thought of it.
He sprang off his horse better to
examine the tracks. and then stood,
half bent over, in the SNOW.
="
Bruce FoIger headed swiftly mp the
trail that his runaway horse had
made. 1t 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 Roadway at all except for the
fact that the wind was behind him.
The snow ever fen faster, in larger
flakes. and the track dintmed before
his eyes. Ii was a losing game. Ter
rified not only by the beast that had
stirred in the thlcket but by the ever
increasing wind as well, the animal
would not linger to be Overtaken.
Bruce had not ridden II enough to
have tanned il, and his plan was to
attempt TO shoot the creature un sight,
rather than try to catch II. They
could not go forward, anyway. as long
as the blizzard lasted. Whici. way was
east and which was west he 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. Bruce's bones
ached, his wounded arm felt numb n
strange, the frost was getting into his
lungs. There was no hope of the
storm decreasing. rather II was stead
lily growing worse. TIE tracks
grew more dim, and he began
to Ire afraid that the falling
flakes 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
fight would be easier then.
"0h, what's the use" he suddenly
said to the wind. "Why not give up
and go backf"
He halted I'm the trait and started
to turn. But at that instant a 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 a breath the canyon for
a hundred feet distant WAS partially
cleared Of the bfiniing 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 a saddled horse.
His gun leaped TO his shoulder. vet
his eagprness 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 tri-