gling alone against
Nature's wild mood. Then the feeling clutched him that he was not
alone; that from somewhere amid those barren wastes hostile eyes
watched, skulking murderers sought his life. Yet there was no sign of
any presence. He could not stand there and die, nor permit Carroll to
freeze in his saddle. It would be better to take a chance; perhaps the
assassins had fled, believing their work accomplished; perhaps they had
become confused by the storm.

Foot by foot, feeling his passage, he advanced down the gully, fairly
dragging his own horse after him. Behind, held by the straining
lariat, lurched the others, the soldier swaying on the back of the
last, swearing and laughing in delirium, clutching at snowflakes with
his hands. At the end of the ravine, under shelter of the bank, Hamlin
trampled back the snow, herding the animals close, so as to gain the
warmth of their bodies. Here they were well protected from the cruel
lash of the wind and the shower of snow which blew over them and
drifted higher and higher in the open space beyond. Working
feverishly, the blood again circulating freely through his veins, the
Sergeant hastily dragged blankets from the pack, and spread them on the
ground, depositing Carroll upon them. Then he set about vigorously
rubbing the soldier's exposed flesh with snow. The smart of it,
together with the roughness of handling, aroused the latter from
lethargy, but Hamlin, ignoring his resentment, gripped the fellow with
hands of iron, never ceasing his violent ministrations until his
swearing ended in silence. Then he wrapped him tightly in the
blankets, and stood himself erect, glowing from the exercise. Carroll
glared up at him angrily out of red-rimmed eyes.

"I 'll get you for that, you big boob!" he shouted, striving to release
his arms from the clinging blankets. "You wait! I 'll get you!"

"Hush up, George, and go to sleep," the other retorted, poking the
shapeless body with his foot, his thoughts already elsewhere. "Don't
be a fool. I 'll get a fire if I can, and something hot into you.
Within an hour you 'll be a man again. Now see here--stop that! Do
you hear? You lie still right where you are, Carroll, until I come
back, or I 'll kick your ribs in!" He bent down menacingly, scowling
into the upturned face. "Will you mind, or shall I have to hand you
one?"

Carroll shrank back like a whipped child, his lips muttering something
indistinguishable. The