| Show The G reat i 1 J ill illBy l By Will William Copyright Jam h Francis Francis Francis-Dugan r 1925 Dugan Thompson and Feature Gladys Service Shaw Inc Erskine CHAPTER CHAPTER THE BLIZZARD Looks lake lUe we are in for fur quite a storm said Armand gazing at the fine tine particles of snow hitting against the windshield Its quite a storm now Mozella answered I t do hope hopee we e make malte it back in time for lunch she added Armand glanced glanced-at nt the dash clock We Ve have an hour to make It in he s said id convincingly I f will admit the roads are not good but they are passable so dont don't let any little worry on that score enter your head He patted her gloved glo hand InI Mozella Jozella glance 1 back toward the Waffle arte House as Armand brought I the car into the main pike The wit half was still standing on the I lower step leading to the porch His arms were toward the I heavens heavers as though striving to excite excite excite ex ex- ex- ex cite the storm into greater tur fury His right hand still clutched the flaxen laxen halted haired doll holding It aloft as a mute offering to the riotous winds As the car cal was lost to to sight behind an embankment of rocks a few tew rods be beyond the house he suddenly turned and with a hideous shriek started on a t dead run down n the road in n the same direction Armand and Mozella had tat takenA takenA taken n. n A i regular regular- Norther orther said Ar Ar- mand Norther quizzed Mozella I dont don't believe Ive l' ever heard that term used before Its ICs Western Vestern my dear lear and usually usually usual usual- ly applied to winter storms of quick approach he explained The car cal skid den dangerously toward a clump of ot bushes on cn the tIght right which were bowing low under the force of the growing velocity of ot the elements above Armand Almand through expert manipulation manipulation lation of the wheel righted It Jt into the now undisclosed road and brought it to a slower speed peed BY Bv Jove he said it is already is-already a mans man's job to steer stee a straight course I hope it grows no worse my dear 1 Mozella glanced out and saw a second layer layel of purplish clouds approaching approaching approaching ap ap- at a phenomenal speed Long white curling feelers stretchIng stretching stretching stretch stretch- ing in front seemed to be leading it iton on To her frightened e eyes es it took on of ot a bruised head of ot a t huge monster his sha shaggy gy white whitehair whitehair whitehall hair hall blown In separate strands straight out over his forehead by violent winds traveling the air ail roads behind him She drew closer to Armand which gave her a sense sensEs of safety He noticed her movement and when her quivering hand ceased to shake shale as It la lay on his arm he In turn was thrilled that she found complete protection near h him m. m again it Again the car swerved swerved was righted The fhe increasing windswept windswept wind swept about it playing a harsh melody In fine shrill slum org organ ri pipe tones each passing second amplifying amplifying am am- their volume Mozella l turned again and gazed out through the snow window In Inthe Inthe inthe the rear of the car cal and beheld the natural natura menace of black swiftly creeping toward them Mozella was lightened frightened They were traveling through a deep ravine ra lne which Armand Armand Armand Ar Ar- mand mentally christened The Rendezvous of or Raging Winds Almost Instantly the cloud had conjured day into night An un uncanny uncanny uncanny un- un canny night Dark Dar yet et light enough to distinguish objects in the white of at the snow A pine tree was plucked up by byan byan byan an invisible hand and fell Cell with a thundering crash by the e. e I I I Armand she she said in a thin frightened voice Armand Almand Her voice was lost in the roar of ot the wind v They Ther rode along t in silence both wrapped in their the own thoughts in their own fear tear Damn said Armand as the he wheel was Wrenched from his grasp b by an uns unseen ln power Pardon me he ho apologetically said but damn is Js the only word that expressed my thought Another tree fell to the left of ot them 1 Armand Armand Mozella now screamed Im so BO so afraid She grasped his arm with a strength by fear tear Please lets let's dont don't try to go on Suppose a a a a. tree were to fall tall over the car Keep your jour neive nerve Mozella ozella he shouted Dont let it frighten you We WI must go on we must reach the house God l krio rio knows vs how long this will keep up and we must get und under r shelter of ot some kind before the drifts grow so EO high we cant can't get through Armand shifted his gears into first tint God I hope the engine doesn't freeze up on me out nere here Then as the snow clouds s outside became thicker a heart rending m maddening sound of a shriek a acry acry acry cry came camp to them A cry so loud so piercing It it seemed to top the roar of or the storm Mozella clung closer to Armand Did yo hear It she asked Yes replied Armand What hat was it she almost shouted shout shout- ed cd In fear What was It Only Ony the wind dear only the wind he replied But it sounded sounder almost human she said bald Do you think it could be someone out there he loudly Of Of course not said No 1 one could exist could exist In that hell without without- Its It's impossible But It it- had such a human note Only a freak voice of the wind a freak freal noise of ot the wind His voice was lost in a blast which struck the gar car almost toppling it over o Mozella ozella grasped his arm with added strength Try and calm yourself t Mozella Were We're going to pull through somehow somehow some some- how His Ills jaw was set He lie was determined to bring her to safety 1 if ift it t cost him his life Im trying to be calm but somehow somehow some some- how Armand I cant She had to torell yell rell to make herself heard over oer the noise of ot the tempest I feel fee that something is g going to happen What could happen he asked In a manner to comfort her al although although a- a al- al though in his own heart a a. strange foreboding had entered and he wondered wondered wondered won won- dered what the next few hours hourI would bring forth To his question out of at the old horror came a new and still more terrifying spectre A dem demon n with witha a cold white cloudy head seemed to come out of ot the semi darkness darkness behind be be behind hind and upon its swift icy breath carry them up into the sky A Ademon Ademon Ademon demon with a million glistening sparkling eyes and tongues A wind fiend The car ar was lifted from the ground Mozella threw both arms arm about Armand He clasped her Both waited for the end With a sudden Jolt the car again s struck lUck the ground It seemed as though they had been in the air all for tor an eternity Both were too frightened to speak Armand again clutched the wheel wheeland wheeland wheeland and strove to force torce the car forward For a a. while the wheels w just spun upon the frozen ground then slowly they took hold and again they moved forward Then for a while the ice cloud involved everything in dark dark- ness Armand felt he must keep the car moving mo despite the fact tact that he be could coul not see ee his course lIe He fell into a It state tate of ot terrifying thinking How Jong ong could they battle these elements What power In heaven or 01 earth could save Fave them How could anyone come to their rescue Outside it seemed that a multitude multitude multi multi- tude of people were moving in di diverse diverse dl- dl verse erse directions each one shrieking crying praying swearing raving Again the car stalled Its rear wheels turning rapidly on one spot Armand Armand Armand Ar Ar- mand quickly shifted his gears into reverse then back again into first Again and again he repeated the operation A sudden burst of ot wind from behind came canle to his assistance The car jumped as though it had become animated with 11 life Armand Armand Ar Ar- mand quickly grasped the emergency emergency emergency emer emer- gency brake to check its flight Then the wind shifted again to the front as though striving to force them back He lie released the emergency emergency emer emer- g gency nc and strove to drive it into the blanket of ot white ahead The car lurched Into a rut It was Impossible impossible sible for tor him to see a foot bey d the windshield The engine was completely obscured from hl his hig vision To his right he imagined he s saw w a adeep adeep deep embankment He Hp switched on his lights the small operator globe Iobe within emphasized emphasized emphasized em em- the Leavy eavy coat of frost on the windshield its density var varying momentarily under he power of the rough magic which changed even the forest at will He brought he car to a stop Im afraid dear It H Is too dangerous to continue he said Ill take a look about Perhaps the end of the storm will approach as rapidly as the start Pulling his fur collar lugh around his neck he forced open the door dear and stepped out |
