Part 21 (2/2)
Elam replied that they did, and wrapped himself up in his blanket, while Tom went out to throw more wood on the fire and to make an esti it so very difficult to travel by night, the as in the south, and the rain was quietly descending, as though it threatened a war shower It beat the world how Elam could tell that this stor would be ”holded up,” and that the snoould be six inches deep The horse came in about that time and took up a position on the leeward side of the fire, where he settled hiht he had better go, too, but the thrilling story to which he had listened took all the sleep out of him What a dreadful fate it would be for him to be killed out there in the mountains, as those men ho stole Ela had been forgotten! He fell asleep while he was thinking about it, and when he awoke it ith a chill, and a feeling that the storh The as in the north, and he could not see anything on account of the snow He didn't have as many blankets now as he did when he first struck the ully All he had was his overcoat, and, wrapping hiot all about the blizzard
CHAPTER XV
UNCLE EZRA PUTS HIS FOOT DOWN
Toht, and perhaps the si to do with it A boy who could go through a twenty-mile race with Cheyennes, and have no ood fellow to have at his back in case trouble arose A person would not think he had been through such an encounter, and had seen the bodies of twoup on his blanket and looking at his horse He lay in such a position that the threatening streak on the ani the race then and there and resulting in Elam's capture, could be plainly seen
”Halloa!” exclaiht, after all I tell you, if our soldiers could strike them now, they would have an easy job of it Now, there's that horse of ot a worse hurt than I have, but he makes no fuss over it I am anxious to find Uncle Ezra, for he has soo where he is--where is he, anyway?” said Tom
”He is just about two days' journey over the ht to have been there before But, laws! he's quit looking for me If I don't show up at all, he won't worry”
”This stor his coat up around his ears ”What do you suppose the soldiers are doing that were sent out by the commander of that fort? Why, they will freeze to death”
”Do you think we are getting the full benefit of it here?” said Elae of the evergreens and look around a bit You see, we haven't got o out where it has a fair chance at you By the here is my map?”
Tom replied that it was in the hollow tree, and speedily fished it out for him; and while Elae of the woods to see what the storm looked like on the plains He had been there scarcely a o back Their little grove of evergreens was just the spot for ho, and blew so hard that Too his hold upon the branches at his side for fear that he would get lost When he got back to the fire, he was glad to heap et as close to it as possible
”I don't see how anybody can live out there,” said Tom, with a shudder
”I should think it would be their death”
”They don't live,” said Elam ”They just camp somewhere and stay until it blows over I have been out in a storht You can just iine what it must be out there on the prairie”
All that day the boys reo out after traps, and before they went to bed that night Ela, they wouldscarce, and they had no way to replenish their stock A part of the day was spent in hiding the things which they could not take with the and steal them, and the rest of the time was devoted to Elaed to get through so h there was anything great in them, but told theh such scenes if he only had the courage, but there was the point For the first time in his life Toet into scrapes there, as Our Fellows got into with Pete, the half-breed, or with Luke Redoons, but there was always a prospect of their co of the next day a start wasthe horse and Toh the gully, and to Toht there was hardly any snow on the way; nor was there any gaht lookout for it They ca his way in and out of the gullies, never once stopping and never once getting into a pocket On the lastthey ate every bit of the corn bread and bacon
”They aint far off now,” said Ela friends
You will find two boys there just about your size ill give you ht into this life than I ever could You see they knohat you want to talk about”
After proceeding about a mile of their journey Elaave a perfect imitation of a coyote's yell If Toht there was a wolf close upon theave another, and this time there was an answer, faint and far off, but still there was so about it that did not sound just like a coyote
”They're there,” said Ela a thousand
It's Carlos Burton”
”Who is he? You never mentioned him before”
”Well, he is a sharp one He cao to herding cattle, while here I a except the clothes I stand in It's all on account of that nugget, too If the robbers had stolen it and got well aith it I ht have been in the same fix Well, it's all in a lifetiive it up,” said To after it day after day--why, you ive it up when I've got the , which was hung across his chest under his shi+rt
”I am nearer to it now than I have been before, and you had better talk to those who have made fun of me all these years 'Oh, Ela for the nugget he'll co cattle' That's what the folks around here have had to say about et the start of all of them, you see if I don't”