The Lure of the Dim Trails

g it sounded like a hurrying freight train only the railroad lay many miles to the north, and trains do not run at large over the prairie. Gene snored peacefully an

cross coulees to their neighbors, and sli

ngle. The roar grew louder and nearer-then the cabin shivered and creaked in the suddenness of the blast that struck it. A clod of dirt plumbed d

ose. It howled up the coulees, putting the wolves themselves to shame. Gene floppe

orm kept up like that, he told himself, he was glad he did not have to chop the wood. He lifted the blanket and sniffed t

d I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down!" It was as if he himself were the fifth little pig, and as if the wind were the wolf. The wolf-wind would stop for whole minutes, gather his great lungs

g miserably before the fury of the wind or crowding for shelter under some friendly cutback, their tails to the storm,

fortitude and crept out of his bunk. While he was dressing his teeth chattered like castanets in a minstrel show. He lighted the fire hurriedly and stood backed close before it, listening to the rage

mused, "and Gene will certainly tear the third comma

ree months; lifted a hand, then stopped bewildered. For instead of frost there was only steam with ridges of ice yet c

he world's gone mad overnight. Are you dead, man? Get up and look out. The

and sat up. "Chinook struck us

this. The wind blew warm from the southwest and carried hints of green things growing and the song of birds; he breathed it gratefully into his lungs

y stretch of water-soaked snow over the ice, with little, clear pools reflecting the drab clouds above. A crow flapped lazily across

scorched the oatmeal, let the coffee boil over, and blackened the bacon, and committed divers other grievous sins against Gene's clamoring appeti

while he brought a bucket of water up from the river, and that it had made his lungs ache to breathe the chill air. Now the path to the river was black and dry and st

w," he exulted, point

he river'll break up if this keeps going a week. Say, this is out uh sight! It's warmer out uh doors than it is in the house. Darn the old shack, anyway! I'm plumb sick uh the sight of it.

addles, oil your sli

onesome Prairie when