The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1844-12-14
From The 81. Louis lteveilie.
MOUNTAIN LIFE.
,errInrSes or RAPHAEL cAnpArhL IN rur SNOW
'poor Toms a-cold.! Shakespeare.


ries Of mouinful interest, wild and startling
tales of trial, privalion, misery, bravery
feas,ing, fasting, fgbung. scalpng, sdverse
transitions, revelry, rivalry, &C., all glow
ing in fresh and vivid colors, may be pick
cd up by any body who will carry book
end pencil in his pocket, thick as black
berries, among the men Of the mountains
and the white wanderers Of The Wilderness.
Our presen, sketch will embody true an
ecdote Of the suferngs Of a poor mountain
eer, by the name Of Csrrafel. who in thr
winter of le42, wss buried alone, under =
frightiu snow storm, and nearly perish
ed.
Carrafe, was sent out from For, Plate,
on Laramie Ford, in February, on an i'm.
por,ant express message to the Cheyenne
Indians. then located on Cheyenne river.
or stream Of some note, iha, assisted H.
swelling the grand current Of the Missouri
Roor Rah psel Carraful-for such were his
appe!lators in full started IN fine spirits
from The Fort, upon his dangerous eirand.
in company with body Of hunters. who
were only venturing ou, for few days
seeking to make what is termed'a surround
This may be understood, il is presumed.
without explanation. The hunters,on finding
game spread themselves into circle& close
in upon The animals they wish 10 kill. After
adsy or two,a successful surround wss made
meat Obtained, and tie whole company
encamped, upon water course, known as
Raw Hide Creek which glides from The
Northern Hills, and rolls into ihe NORTH
fork ot the PIsus Snow came down upon
them duiIug the night, with heavy and in
creasiog violence, 50 that il was found i'm
possible 10 move camp in the morning, and
the hunters did not start for their return to
The For! unuI Tho mex, day.
Here Carfdel was left TO pursue his desc.
late journey alone; and off he SET, well sup
piled wrh fresh meat reaching L'eau qui
Court, or Running Water;' in time to
cook supper and cache him comfortably for
ing down every horr faster and thicker,
and swelling now five feet deep far around
the solitary and lrsckless wilderness. The
poor fellow found it impossible 10 proceed.
aud remained here two days, until, on the
third, finding the meat swiftly diminishing
and The storm growing worse. instead of ex
hibiNng any indication of change, he re-
solved, desperately. TO risk The chances;and
at,enpt TO get forward. He was lucky
enough 10 succeed in reaching water cpuIse
called Hat Greek, the same day,the snow
heavily and steadily increasing; and, start.
ing again the next morning, he finally grew
weak and srk, from long endurance and
scani provisions, until he dropped in the
snow, and bunowed for resting place.
The storm had now continued eight sue
tessive days,and Carrafel, ,afer long sleep,
found strength the next day, 10 get up and
daringy push OIL. Noia thiog had crossed
him since he left the hunters, and lis wild
eye now raved in vain around The white
waste. in search OF some sign of game.
Another night in the snow, and Calrafe
awoke in the morning with the horrible
pangs Of frost bitten feet,
In his frightfnl extremity. knowing The
necessity Of rousing himself 10 the utmost,
10 escape ceIlsin and speedy death. he fell
10 work beating himself foriously all over
she body with his rihe, and striking his
tortured feet, too, until he rOsred and scream
ed again IN The bleak wild like a famished
hyens, This brave. determined and ex-
taordnsry ACT Of presence of mind, beyond
all doubt saved tie lie Of poor Carrafel, ,as
had lie yielded 80 the pleasant s,upor that
had already commenced stealing through
him, soo'hiug the sharp affl llclon in his feet
he would, inevilshly have sunk into his
las, sleep in The snow. But this enabled
him 10 struggle forward still, as he did,
staggering with weakness, and half blind
with the perpetual glare of the snow. For a
few hours he sustained himself in motion in
ihis manner, falling repeatedly, and some
times crawling, unul the last moment OF
humsn endurance seemed TO have arrived
when he; fortunately, reached spo, favor.