Litchfield enquirer., 1853-03-03
Prairie sketches.

@AH u"AVAtVu0s0 GA0Sf OuCS SN6yeu from his companions, and was lost for five days. sutferiog ths keenest bangs of starvation and distress, It was years ago. yet the story has only been told in oral repetition among cid traders, and has never before, to our knowledge, fat. len in tbe way of a scribe.
 The man wandered away upon sul> try midsummer afternoon, oppressed to despelat with thirst, in search of wa- ter, while the caravan was dragging slowly along the dfeary and heated prai. rie. Making his way to cluster of tlm. Der that appeared at no very tedious dis. tance, he was fortunate enough to fnd q small cool spring gushing and ripping at the bottom ot a deep rocky hollow. The fresh water. the cool shade of the Wurv zenk and tAe trees above. together csd the poor fellow to ylsiu to uus wearness and suffer his eyes to close. When he awoks, the grey cf evening vas already dsepsaipg around the pral> rie. and rushing up from the hollow. his eyes wandered about in vain in search of his companions. He was raw ad- venlurer upon his first travel. knowing nothing of how to direct his steps in the wilderness, and trusting entirely to the guidance and experence of those with whom he tlsvsled. Hasty. impul- slys and rash. as hs was careless. and without possessing . single quality to assist him in such an emergency. confu- sgd terror now at once took possession of him. and starting as he thought, in the dilestion where he had last seen the wagons, he ran with hsadlong speed, shouting wildly at every stsp. in hopes of being heard and answered by his companions. af 4aa
 The terrified maa. bersft of all l thought by the fearful natursof his pre-
 d.cament, could not even remember t l fire the ride he held, but continued tear l ing his lungs with wlld and dssolat' cries for assistance. While rushing blind 1 ly forward in this manner, the n'ght stil l deepening around him. the man met |
 violent fall and was stunned into inseE- sibility for hours. We are giving now
 the substsnss of the poor fellows swr relation. He came back to consciousness some time during the night. in the midst of a pack of bowling wolves. and found
 himself lylng by the side of bnftalo'l skeleton not yet entirely stripped by tine 1 prowling dogs of the deselt. A sltua-
 ton more appalling to heart and nerve may no. be imagined. The man doubt
 ed not but that he was aroused prema
 turely from his state of torPor by th'
 hungry creatures assAulting his own bo'
 dy, for his clothes were mauIcd and tori
 and the scratch of claw was on hi
 leg, though a tooth it seems had no
 vet touched him. He had tIipped up on the skeleton and struck his forehead on a horn or some other hard and stony
 part, as he discovered a huge lump up
 on his head, which ached disLressingl, when he came to his senses.
 The poor fellow in .Ee hea: of bis ter TOT made out to scare away the wolve from himselfand escape from the spot leaving the famished animals to r6tarl again to the buffalo's bones and giv , them a cleaner polishing. Just escapinl i from one frightful danger. perhaps too
 something from the keen horror of hi desolate and wretched condition. but th unhappy mans sensations were harrow iDg and fearful in the extreme. He sti pressed onward, with strength failing !
 every step. calling in harsh and broke
 sbrieks to his ftisndl. and changing h
 coulse again and again. in .uller an
 miserable uncertainty of which way turn. - @ o@t
 ! Day light came. tlie sun rose. moo spproacEe led and passed. and the lost nis ~as alone in the wide desert, famishe' and faint. and without solitary hope . reeairing his companions or finding th' track they were pursnings