A Man's Woman by Frank Norris
page 29 of 272 (10%)
page 29 of 272 (10%)
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in the midst of the bare-headed group, opened his prayer-book and began
with the tremendous words, "I am the Resurrection and the Life--" It was the beginning of the end. A week later the actual starvation began. Slower and slower moved the expedition on its daily march, faltering, staggering, blinded and buffeted by the incessant northeast winds, cruel, merciless, keen as knife-blades. Hope long since was dead; resolve wore thin under friction of disaster; like a rat, hunger gnawed at them hour after hour; the cold was one unending agony. Still Bennett was unbroken, still he urged them forward. For so long as they could move he would drive them on. Toward four o'clock on the afternoon of one particularly hard day, word was passed forward to Bennett at the head of the line that something was wrong in the rear. "It's Adler; he's down again and can't get up; asks you to leave him." Bennett halted the line and went back some little distance to find Adler lying prone upon his back, his eyes half closed, breathing short and fast. He shook him roughly by the shoulder. "Up with you!" Adler opened his eyes and shook his head. "I--I'm done for this time, sir; just leave me here--please." "H'up!" shouted Bennett; "you're not done for; I know better." |
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