Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1934-12-08

4 49, sA+f7ft8 ~ Alftf1& &stE N0tAAM ira AtAfAa
back until be was out Of this. Very slow
h and gingeE1y be reached FOR the brcak-
! en edge 81 che nearest ice and felt q
/ give way under his hand He steadied
himself. trod wafer. and desperately
studied the situation The ice was
thin BE tentatively selected another
spot to test. Il gave way. BE swOre dis
sastedly. he was not yet really alarmed
then his heart stood sEiIi. The girl
turned had seen him, and was hasten
sns back.
Keep away ne shouted imperiousiy.
sect back to shore. Get back uuickl"
She did not reply. She was circling
around, not too close and very carefully,
was also plain that she grasped It.
How long can you hold out7" she
asked very cody.
It'll next Christmas"
She shot back toward the shore. Good
girl This first sensation Of genuine adj
uliration and friendship for her was
born in that minute. She was going
for help. But ne knew. as she didn't,
that she'd hardly find It. The lake Yves
q lonely spot. No one else would be
coming out 10 skate this morning. They
would al take IL for granted that the
ice would be q foot deep In snow, IS 1t
would have been but for his fore
thought.
he was getting abominably cold his
teeth were chattering. He was having
other sensations odd and unexpected
ones. He tested the Ice again. and again
1t gave way-ln big pieces now, no mat
ter how carefully he moved. Was Il pos
sible. could It be, that he wasn't going
TO get out OF this damned brittle trap2
a nice way for q man to die. And on
Christmas morning. tool Far away he
heard the sound OF church bells. Or did
hep Was he imagining things7 OF
course Il couldn't be that way. The girl
was gone q long time. Racing along
the road, probably, looking for houses
or a passing car. He kept his head.
He was trying another ledge Of Ice
when she came back and her voice
came to his ears so suddenly that he
unconsciously threw his weight on the
thin layer and went down with IL. He
came up gasping and cleared the icy
water from his eyes. he had no sdea
how long she had been gone. A Few
weeks maybe. He looked back OF him
and his heart leaped. Good grill She
hadn't wasted time bowling for help
into that frozen silence. She had mere
" pulled the nearest rail fence apart
and had brought back some Of the rails.
Very calmly and expertly she was maxi
ing q lifeline of them, getting closer, OF
course as she did so.
Keep away" he shouted. You'll be
In yourself IN q minute. Keep away, I
tell you"
mo" she said, calmly. I'm going to
stay right here and get you out. This
left side gives you the best chance,
doesn't It? Isn't the ice thicker here?"
sYes. But for Gods sake don't come
any nearer"
She did come nearer. She had to.
But 50 slowly and carefully that his
pounding heart steadied as he watched
her. She was as cool as the ice Itself,
as steady as rock.
snow" she said, quietly. "can you
get that?"
en- try, but keep back"
he had to try q dozen times. The Ice
around him cracked and broke till he
felt himself submerged In an icy sea.
But again and again she laid her line
of rails, with steady hands, and made
her suggestions in a cool and steady
voice. She was getting closer, too. had
to. Risking her life now, no doubt about
that. He became almost historical IN
his warnings.
Get to he'll out Of here" he yelled
at last "Will it help me If you're fool
enough to drown yoursef?"
She ignored him. With infinite pa
thence she laid her little wooden lifeline.
The rails weren't much good. Too mar
row. Too short. All wrong. He grew 81
wouldn't be long now before that In
fernal cramp got the better Of him.
@All right2" she asked cheerfully.
20. K. But-for-Go d's-sake go
back-to-sh
Something in his voice must have
alarmed her. She gave him q quick look |
and worked desperately. It seemed 70
him she was getting less careful than
she had been.
To them both It seemed century be-
fore he was up on the surface Of the
ice, ordering her to retreat before him,
which she did, crawling long after she
could have risen, because Of his inces-
SAINT and imprisoned entreaties Then
they we're back on the shore. David held
out q shaking, dripping hand.
Good work, city girl, he said with
clustering teeth. Il don't know another
girl anywhere that could have done
that"
But she had no time for amenities.
She did not even take the hand. She
saw that he was shaking in a violent
chill.
Get into that sleigh" she ordered.
pull the fur up around you, to your
neck. I'm going 10 drive"
he obeved her humbly. II was rather
a strange sensation, but he felt mo-
Here was girl In q thou
sand, girl IN a million. She had risked
her Life for him again end again, and
for God knows how long
She had united the horses, was back
In the seat beside him; Was handling
The reins cody and expertly. He en-
to speak but could not
Don't Try" she ordered. Keep the
robes un under your chin. I'm going to