The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-06-07
Chapter %
Mad Chance

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WHEN she scrambled back,
w Eileen saw that one of the
horses was lying. badly injured.
Bill knelt by it. The other was
led, limping, to a tree and tied,
while Ike swore steady stream
at everything. Caroline was Sob
bing Historically, leaning against
a boulder. Martin and Lolly and
Lewis were scrambling free of
the sleigh. Martin Strengthened
himself, limping and wincing. He
shouted "Ike-Bill-Quick! The
Perrines are pinned underneath. !"
And then they were all, except
the oblivious Caroline, working
to right the wrecked sleigh un-
der Martins direction.
When they dragged it free.
Roly stood up, staggered, with a
streak of blood on his forehead.
Robin did not move. She lay
twisted, apparently unconscious,
but keeping up regular rhyth-
mic moaning that rose to cry
and fell again.
Roly dropped down and caught
her in his arms and shouted.
Harness the horses and drive
her down the mountain! / tell
you, she's in danger. Drive her
down the mountaini'' And Eileen
remembered that Robin was go
ing to have a baby.
I'VE got to carry her down.
boy" Ike said pityingly. "The
horses are out. Harry's lamed,
and / guess we got to shoot Lou, =
Garry her FIVE niles?p Roly
shouted. There isn't timel" He
clawed out the bundles of skis
from under the wrecked sleigh.
put his on, and tried to start
down. At the first step he was
deep through the crumbling
snow. He tried twice more.
Martin, white with the pain of
his ankle, said, "It's madness to
try skiing down to the call box.
Roly. Wen make her as comfort
able as we can on the sleigh
cushions, and walk down for
help"
Then for Gods sake hurryl,,
Lolly Grant said in her deep
voice. tive had first-aid training.
I've done what / can. There's no
time to lose" She stood Up, COW
ering Robin with the robes.
Bill Grant was off at the word,
running down the slippery road
with long steady Iope. Eileen,
too little to help lift. stood aside
while they did what they could
for Robin
Madness to try to ski. OF course /
They were all tall and big boned.
Madness even for a light little |
half-starved thing. But a light |
little thing who was good. who !
was desperate, might have a half |
chance. She could get down the |
Hill, pretty surely. For the rest
well. at worst, nobody would |
worry much If there was one less
outsider in the world.
Her skis were on, she was
launched over the frail crust and
away before they saw. She heard
them shout behind her. She
shussed on. She was down the hin
she was out. the impetus carry
ing her halfway across the sink
ing sucking ice before she heard
IL crack under her. Her heart
twisted in her. Not much Chance
for anybody tied up to skis under
that freezing water.
Long wrenching desperate
strokes-there. she was away
from that worst, most danger
ously sagging area. She avoided
other tracks as she made for
shore at an angle. She heard her.
self laugh Historically at the
thought, 'I'm like Eliza in
Uncle Toms Cabin.
And suddenly, as she laughed, |
she was down. The freezing wa
ter came through TO her skin. |
There was an agonized feel Of |
helplessneSs as the skis twisted. |
She went down under. choking |
and struggling and afraid. The
end, 80.
Saved.
A ND then one ski hit something |
"A hard pile. The old |
bridge. She hlindly grasped its |
Shiny bigness with hand near
~ too numb to fiex. and the inn
petus showed her head above. |
Somehow she stripped off a nit
ten. somehow she steadied against |
the slnken pile and got at the |
knife IN her jacket pocket.
Somehow. clumsily, after in
finite failure. stiff despairing
hand managed 10 saw the fasten., |
ings through. She had time to
look, now. and see she was not /
too far from land. Little and light \
Yes. but strong. she had al |
ways been strong.
She heard another shout from
the hilltop. She thought Il was
Martins voice. Fight 10 shore /
grip the piles. they were
above the water Just short.
short way OF II you could make
II 50
she had made IT, She was ON
her lace elinging 10 the pile be-
yond the the ices edge, shudder-
ing. breathing in sohs. Presently !
she made herself stand up on the
heavenly solid ground. Shaking
with inevitable chill, cat-wcak,