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Show NARROW ESCAPE CORNER By Richard Hill Wilkinson LAURA knew her first feeling of fear when Jud took the whip from its socket and flicked it across the backs of the plodding horses. She had been BMSnnta watching the I!l".U,e clouds pile out of FlCllOn the northwest with ' amazing speed for the past 15 minutes. But this was April, and there was no wind at all. Also, the day was mild, almost sultry. It was hard to imagine a blizzard even in Nebraska. . Beauty and Prince broke into a lumbering trot. The rhythm of the crunching wheels of the heavy farm wagon increased in tempo. Beneath them, at the foot of the long slope, Laura could see the buildings of their farm. The cloud bank came toward them with astonishing speed, hanging an impenetrable gray curtain from sky to earth as it swept across the prairie. Jud stood up and lashed out with the whip. Little Lacy began to cry, and a moment later Jud, junior, joined in with lusty bawls. Laura huddled one under each arm and said: "Sh! Sh, now!" But when she lifted her anxious eyes, she felt again the terror. The farm buildings were not more than a quarter of a mile away. Now they could hear the roar of the wind. It drowned out the crunch of wheels; it plucked Jud's cries from his lips and sent them screaming back over his shoulder. The blizzard struck them like a blast from the Arctic. Laura drew the heavy bear rugs about the children, and bound her own scarf about her face. She could Snow whipped into their faces. The temperature dropped below freezing. no longer hear the crying of the youngsters, nor the clopping of the horses' hoofs, nor Jud's shouts. There was no point In looking up. She tried it once. It was like being suspended in a great vacuum with moving, screaming walls. Even the outlines of the horses were blotted out. The progress of the team slowed. Jud was no longer using the whip. He sat humped forward, barely visible behind a veil of snow. AFTER awhile Laura had the feeling feel-ing that the team was swinging in a great arc. A new terror seized her. The road was straight. There was not a curve for miles. She screamed at Jud, tugged at his sheepskin coat. He bent down and she tried to make him understand. under-stand. He shook his head and pointed down. She bent forward, could barely make out the right front wheel. It was running even with the whippletree, had not turned at all. She settled down once more, hugging hug-ging the children close. Cold crept in under the blankets. Snow piled up in her lap and on her shoulders. The world had gone mad. Again she had that feeling ol swinging around. She fought it until un-til the horror of it threatened her sanity. Then she poked her head from beneath the blankets. Jud was crouched forward, tense, pulling on the nigh rein. She beat against his shoulder. "We've missed the house! I'm turning back!" She could barelj catch the words. A cold chill, a hideous fear congealed the blood of her veins. Missed the house! It would be hours possibly days before be-fore the storm ended. They had no provisions aboard the wagon. They would freeze. She clutched the children against her. They never should have started out. They wouldn't have if it bad been a month later. The storm attacked with a new fury, an uncombatable violence. It lashed and screamed and laughed in hideous triumph at their helplessness. helpless-ness. Time once more stood still. Laura was roused by someone rubbing snow against her cheeks She sat up, trying to cry out, re membering the children, "They're all right," Jud said, "I gave the horses their heads. They took us home. Wouldn't have made it oth erwise." Stiff-legged, carrying a child lr either arm, she went through th shed and into the kitchen. The heal beat against her face. She set th children on the table and went t( the stove. The kettle was stil steaming. In another five minute-they minute-they would have caught. |