Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-03-31
Extract from Rurion's .qdp;ntureS in Mcrieo
and The Rocky Mountains.
ArkanSaS---A Night in The Snow.

III lOIly VI utUlo'J nOISdh1 WIN h"u h"s
enough Of 1t, determined TO return, and
agreed 10 90 back with the animals to the ca
che, and bring in the meat aud packs. ac-
cotdingly tied the blanket on a mules back,
and, leading the horse, trotted back at once
to the grove Of cottoR-woods where We had
before %encamped. The sky had been gradu-
ally overcast with leaden-colorcd clouds, UNI
Ill, when near sunset, it was one huge lnky
mass of rolling darkness; the wind had sud-
denly lulled, and an unnatural calm, which
% surely heralds a storm in these tenlpestu-
Gus regions, succeeded. The ravens were
winging their way towards the shelter Of
timber, and the coyote was seen trotting
quickly 10 cover, conscious Of the coming
storm.
The black threatening clouds seemed grad
ually to descend until they kissed the earth,
and already the distant mountains were hid.
den TO their very bases. A hollow mumur
ing swept through the bottom, but as yet not
a branch was strred, by the wind and huge
cotton-wOods, with their ~leafless limbs, loom
cd Ike a line OF ghosts through the heavy
gloom. Knowing but too well what was COM
ing, turned my animals toward the timber,
which was about two miles distant. With
pointed ears, and actually trembling with
fright, they were as eager as myself to reach
the shelter; but, before We had proceeded a
third of the distance, with a deafening roar
the tempest broke US. The clouds opened
and drove right in our faces a storm Of freez-
ing sleet, which froze upon us as it FELL
Tue first squall Of wind carried away my cap,
and the enormous hailstones, beating OH my
unprotected head and face, almost stunned
me. In an instant my hunting shirt was
soaked, and as instantly frozen hard, and my
horse was a mass of icicles. Jumping of
/ go, null, Is .. Ill, ,,1. ;,,aa.,hj. tnra
off the saddle blanket and covered my head.
The animals, blinded with the sleet, and their
eyes actually coated with ice, turned their
stems 10 the storm, and, blown before it,
made for the open prairie. All my e%xertions
10 drive them to the shelter Of the timber
were useless. 1t was impossible 10 face the
hurricane, which now brought with it clouds
of driving snow; and perfect darkness soon
set in. Still the animals kept on, and ], de-
termlned not TO leave them, following, or ra-
Their being blown, after them. My blanket,
frozen like a board, required all the strength
of my numbed fingers to prevent it being
blown away, and although it was no protec-
ton against the intense cold, knew i, would
in 81 me degree shelter me at night from the
snow. In half an hour the ground was COW
cred on the bare prairie to the depth of two
feet, and through this | foundered for a long
time before the animals stopped. The prai-
RE was as bare as a lake; but one little tuft
of grease-wood bushes presented itself, and
here, turning from the storm, they suddenly
stopped and remained perfectly still. In vain
| again attem pied to turn them toward the di-
Eectiou of the timber; huddied together, they
would not move an inch ard exhausted my
self, and seeing nothing before me but, as |
thought, certain death, | sank down immedi-
attly behind them, and covering my head
with the blanket, crouched like a ball in the
snow.
would have started myself for the timber,
but ii was pitchy dark, the wind drove clouds
Of frozen snow into my face, and the animals
had so turned about in the prairie that ii was
impossible TO know the direction 10 take; and
although | had a compass with me, my hands
were so frozen that | was perfectly unable,
after repeated attempts, TO unscrew the box
and consult it. Even had | reached thu tim
Der, my situation would have been scarcely
improved, for the trees were scattered wide
about over a narrow space, and, consequent
ly afforded but little shelter; and if even |
had succeeded in getting frewood-by no
means an easy matter at any time, and still
more difficult now that the ground was COW
, cred with three feet of snow was utterly
unable to use my flint and steel TO procure a
h'Eh'f S'''N' ny lA'SN - VI AhC ilNNNo y
stone, and entirely without feeling.
The way the wind roared over the prairie
that night-how the snow drove before it, CO.
vering me and the poor animals partly and
e how | lay there, feeling the very blood freez.
t Ing. in my veins and my bones petrifying with
the icy blasts which seemed 10 penetrate
; them-how for hours | remained with my
head on my knees, and the snow pressing it
down like a weight of lead, expecting every
moment 10 drop into a sleep from which
knew it was impossible | should ever awake
= how every now and then the mules would
Q groan aloud and fall down upon the snow,
t and then again struggle on their legs-how
o all night long the piercing now of wolves
1 was borne upon the wind which never for an
; instant abated its violence during the night
! would not attemptto describe. | have pass
h ed many nights alone in the wilderness, and
n in a solitary cam have listened to the roar
g ing of the wind and the bowling of wolves
and felt the rain and snow beating upon me
h with perfect uDconcern; but this night threw
d all my experience in the shade, and is mark
d ed with the blacklist Of stones in the memo
y rlnda of my iou.neyings.
Once, late in the night, by keeping m
hands buried in the breast of my hunting
er shirt, | succeeded in restoring sufficient feel
i ing into them to enable me TO strike a light
Luckily, my pipe, which was made out of
,e huge piece of cottonwood bark, and capabl
,e of containing al least twelve ordinary pipefuls
was filled with tobabcco 10 the britn; and this
| do believe, kept me alive during the night
1t for | smoked and smoked until the pipe itsel
caught fire, and burned completely TO tn
OF stem.
in WIS just sinking in a dreamy stnpol
err when the mules began to shake themselves
ne and sneeze and snorl; which hailing as
good sign, and that they were still alive,
attempted to lift my head and take a view G
H. the weather. When with great difficulty
Il: raised my head all appeared dark as pitch
es and it did not first occur 10 me that ! was bu
ried deep In snow; but when thrust my arr
above me, a hole was thus made, throug
IL which | saw the stars shining in the sky
at and the clouds fast clearing away. Maxim
o. a sudden attemDt 10 stTaiuhten nv almos