The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1935-12-13
IMPENDING
DOOM!

Of Christmas Good Will.
words: Mature stronger than the pride
O. men," was 1t. Simon Hardron would
prove it wasn't. He stared inflexibly
ahead. Naylor made a desperate effort
and they were over.
Hardron's mouth had grim mockery
as they climbed again. The road be-
fore them was clearer now; the snow
had thinned on this slope. That was
how nature went down before the ma
against it. All this sentimental old
mumbo-jumbo Of Higher Forces
He put out his hand quickly to save
himself. The car had swayed and skid
ded badly.
They had turned and dipped to a
valley. As they did SO the wind and
snow had smashed sideways at them
with a redoubled fury. It howled about
them, seemingly bent on pushing them
into the deep ditch beside the road.
And the road before them had grown
fantastic. It was full of white masses
on the move, whirling and piling, this
way and that; burying whole stretches
IN so flat a white that even hedge tops
were lost. Naylor looked back anxious
ly. Hardron sat tight-mouthed looking
ahead.
Over a slow, twisting mile Of road
and drifts Naylor forced the car on
ward; then, as they reached the
Drannys boundary, they came up to a
shallow dip that was now not a dip,
but an eddying, featureless level of
snow.
There was a deceptive CLINT of clear
road a quarter of a mile ahead, but
how it turned and twisted in between,
to butt through, driven by the hard
eyes behind him, but quite suddenly
there was a sickening lurch and drop,
the big salon heaved sideways and they
were ditched.
Even in the minute that Naylor tried
to wrestle the car clear with reversed
engine, the wind gathered about them
with an impish fury. It piled the snow
so thickly against their weather side
that it was plain that it would take
no. time at all to engulf them in a
drift.
Still Hardron was Hardron, not the
stuff to yield anything to nature or
man. His eyes had picked out a line Of
close set trees and bushes ahead.
THAT leads downhill, an avenue to
Drannys," he shouted to Naylor. It'll
shelter is to the house. Open. the door,
the SHOWS blocking it."
Naylor floundered round to the shell
tered side of the car. From waist deep
better leave me to get help"
Hardron did not answer-nobody
told him what he could do or could
not do. He stepped out, up to his
waist, took another step and went
down and down into soft, clinging,
choking nothingness. It was only Nay
lor's strong arm that caught him back.
Damned ditch" he snarled, pant
ing strangely as he stood on firm
ground again.
Eyes, sir, bitches and dips all over
the shop, no telling where" Naylor
said. "You can't do it, sir. You amt
so young-better wait in the car till
I get help"
He wanted to glare Naylor down, but
something had happened as the ground
went away from his feet something
that had given him a queer sense OF
feebleness that had brought a tinge
of doubt even to him-nature telling
him how she could break even the
power and pride of millionaires.
The iron in him seemed shaken as
he climbed back into the car huddled
the camel rug round him, piled the fur
one onto that.
"Well, don't stand gaping all day,
Naylor," he rasped. "Shut that door
and be off for help sharp!"
How strong and pitiless a world 1T
seemed without the presence OF even
a hireling chauffeur. Hardron felt
stark and small in it while the cold
grew and mastered him in spite of ex-
pensive rugs. And that something else,
that revelation of his real position in
the scheme of things, seemed to squeeze
him smaller and smaller.
First the wind drove that feeling
home. 1t stormed about the car, shak-
ing it like a dog; showing, it seemed,
a sort of scorn at the ease with which
it could trap and intimidate Million
aires. The wind gave him the que crest
sense of littleness. He who had always
felt so mighty in his harsh power OF
money: of little account in fact OF its
storming vaStneSs.
But soon there was a worse thing
than the wind-the absence of it. Dead
stiffness creeping down on him as the
snow piled deep on the weatherside,
| crept over the roof of the car anc shut
out the noise of the living world.
Sitting. slowly s%tiffening with cold
he seemed to be sinking into the 81
and swiftly and relentlessly buried
him. He was being buried alive and
frozen to death. just as any ordinary
man might be when caught out by Ma
ture. Not all his money, his power, his
ruthless will could help him. He was
Just a mere item in Nature, being wiped
out in Natures casual way.
And nature found him easy. "You
amt so young" Naylor had said. He
wasn't. Sixty-two had seemed the prime
of his powers, sitting in an office and
LAYING down the law to those who
could not or dare not resist. Blu in the
face of the eternal verities, he was
MANY never
>">-.>-