The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-02-09
The Strength of the Pines

stu on it-and try to slip through to-
morrow. You see what's going to hap
pen IL we keep on going this wayr
II know that feel queer dread
and hopelessness--"
"And that dread and hopelessness
are just as much danger signals as
the sound Of Simon's horse behind
us. 1t means that the cold and the
snow and the fear are getting the
better of us. Linda, It's race with
death. Don't misunderstood me or
disbelieve me. 1t isn't Simon alone
now. It's the cold and the snow and
the fear. The thing to do Is to make
camp, keep as warm as we can In our
blankets, and push on In the morn
Ing. It's two full days ride, going
fast, the best we can go-and God
knows what will happen before the
end"
"Then turn off the trail. Bruce"
the girl told him.
Il don't know that we're even on
the trail"
"Turn Of, anyway. AS long as we
stay tosether-it doesn't matter"
She spoke very quietly. Then he
felt strange thing. A warmth which
even that growing. terrible cold could
not transcend swept over him. For
her arms had crept out under his
arms and encircled his great breast,
then pressed with all her gentle
strength.
No word of encouragement, no
CHEEKY expression Of hope could have
meant so much. Not defeat, not even
the long darkness of death itself could
appall him now. All that he had CIV
en- and suffered and endured. all the
mighty effort that he had made had
In an instant been shown In Its true
light, thing worth while, sacrifice
atoned for and redeemed.
They headed off into the thickets,
blindly, letting the horse choose the
way. They felt him turn to avoid
some object in his path-evidently a
fallen tree-and they mounted slight
ridge or rise. Then they felt the wet
touch of fir branches against their
cheeks.
Bruce stopped the horse and both
dismounted. Both Of them knew that
under the dropping limbs Of the tree
they would find, at least until the
SHOWS deepened, comparative shelter
from the storm. Here. rolled In their
blankets, they might pass the remain.
| der of the night hours.
Bruce tied the horse, and the girl
unrolled the blankets. But she did
not lay them together to make rude
bed-and the dictates Of convention
ality had nothing whatever to do with
| 1t. II one jot more warmth could have
been achieved by 1t, these two would
have lain side by side through the
night hours between the same blan-
kets. She knew, however, that more
warmth could be achieved II each OF
them took blanket and rolled up In
It; thus they would get two thick.
nesses instead of one and no openings
to admit the freezing air. When this
was done they lay side by side, econ
| OmiZine the last atom of warmth.
The night hours were dreary and
long. The rain beat into the limbs
above them, and sometimes 1t sifted
through. At the first gray Of dawr
Bruce opened his eyes.
His dreams had been troubled ant
strange, but the reality to which he
wakened gave him no sense of relief
He fought little battle, lying there
under the snow-covered limbs. of thu
fir tree. Because 1t was one in which
no blows were exchanged, no shot:
fred, and no muscles called into &C
tion, It was no less battle, tryins
and stern. It was a fight waged II
his own spirit, and II seemed to reno
him In twain.
The whole issue was clear In hi
mind at once. The cold had deepenet
In these hours Of dawn, and he wal