The Sergeant knew what it meant, for he had had experience of these plains storms before.
"Halt!" he cried, his voice barely audible in the blast. "Close up, men; come here to me--lively now? That you, Wade? Wasson; oh, all right, Sam. Here, pass that lariat back; now get a grip on it, every one of you, and hold to it for your lives. Let me take the lead, Sam; we 'll have to run by compass. Now then, are you ready?"
The lariat rope, tied to Hamlin's pommel, straightened out and was grasped desperately by the gloved hands of the men behind. The Sergeant, shading his eyes, half smothered in the blast, could see merely ill-defined shadows.
"All caught?"
The answers were inaudible.
"For the Lord's sake, speak up; answer now--Wasson."
"Here."
"Wade."
"Here."
"Carroll."
"Here."
"Good; now come on after me."
He drove his horse forward, head bent low over the compass, one arm flung up across his mouth to prevent inhaling the icy air. He felt the tug of the line; heard the labored breathing of the next horse behind, but saw nothing except that wall of swirling snow pellets hurled against him by a pitiless wind, fairly lacerating the flesh. It was freezing cold; already he felt numb, exhausted, heavy-eyed. The air seemed to penetrate his clothing, and prick the skin as with a thousand needles. The thought came that if he remained in the saddle he would freeze stiff. Again he turned, and sent the voice of command down the struggling line: "Dismount; wind the rope around your pommels. Sam. How far is it to the Cimarron?"
"More 'n twenty miles."
"All right! We 've got to make it, boys," forcing a note of cheerfulness into his voice. "Hang on to the bit even if you drop. I may drift to the west, but that won't lose us much. Come on, now."
"Hamlin, let me break trail."
"We 'll take it turn about, Sam. It 'll be worse in an hour than it is now. All ready, boys."
Blinded by the sleet, staggering to the fierce pummelling of the wind, yet clinging desperately to his horse's bit, the Sergeant struggled forward in the swirl of the storm.