The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-10-11

IA wild gaze. He did not know US
lie was still fighting the blizzard
Keep a-going, keep a-going." he
painted.
!. Keep that bucket a-going." said
the halfbreed. We've got to thaw
him out"
Then for this. man began night
of agony, such US few have endured.
We lifted him onto chair and put
one of those clay-cold feet into the
water. AT the contact he screamed,
and | could see ice crystalize on the
edge of the bucket. had forgotten
my hatred Of the man. only thought
of those frozen hands and feet. and
how to get life into them once more.
Our struggle began.
In a terrible spasm of agony Lo-
casio threw US off. We grasped him.
lie fought like demon. He was ours
ing us, praying us to leave him alone.
raving, shrieking. Grimly we held on.
yet, all three. it was as much as we
could do to keep him down.
1t was hard, but keep him down
we did; though his cries of anguish
deafened US through that awful night.
and our muscles knOtted as we
gripped. Hour after hour we held
him, plunging now hand, now a
foot In the ice water, and holding
it there. How long he Fought How
strong he was! But the time came
when he could fight no more. He was
like a child in our hands.
There, at last 1t was done. We
wrapped the tender flesh in pieces OF
blanket. We laid him moaning on the
bed.
Next morning he was still uncon-
scious. He suffered intense pain, so
that Jim or the halfbreed had to be
ever by him. |, for my part, refused
to go near. Indeed, watched with
growing hatred his recovery. wished
be had died.
AT last he opened his eyes, and fee
bly, he asked where he was. After the
halfbreed had told him, he lay silent
awhile.
''Ive had close CALL" he groaned.
Then he went on triumphantly II
guess the Wild hasn't got the bulge
on me yet. can give it another
round"
He began to pick up rapidly, and
there in that narrow cabin sat with
in a few feet Of him, and beheld
him grow strong again. suppose
my face must have showed my bitter
hate. l thought of Berna. Fear and
lOathing cOnvulsed me, and at times
great rage burned in me so that /
was like to kill him.
Seems to me everything's healing
up but that hand" said the half
breed. 81 guess it's too far gone.
Gangrene's setting in. Say, Locasto.
looks like you'll have to lose it."
Horror crowded into Locasto's eyes.
Lose my hand-dOnt tell me that
Kill me at oncel l don't want to be
MANNED"
He gazed at the discolored flesh.
Already the stencil Of him was max
ing US sick, but this hand with its
putrid tissues was disgusting to q
degree.
Locasto lay staring at it. Then he
sighed, and thrust its loathsomeness
into our faces.
"COme on" he growled. Hurry up
and get the cursed thing off,"
The halfbreed nicked the flesh down
to the bone, then with ragged jack
knife he began to saw. | could net
bear to look. 1t made me deathly
sick. heard the grit, grit Of the
jagged blade. will remember the
sound to my dying day. How long 1t
seemed to take! No man could stand
such torture. A groan burst from Lo-
casto's lips. He fell back on the bed.
He tainted.
Quickly the halfbreed finished his
work. The hand dropped on the
floor. He pulled down the flaps Of
skin and sewed them together.
Flows that for homemade sur
gery?" he chuckled. He took the sew
cred hand upon shovel and, going
to the door. he threw it far out into
the darkness.