The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-02-16
Original Correspondence.
Fa tie Kegdld ef Freedom.
a Nisht on the Prairie.

be crowded into a single night. | never
knew how inteasely one could suffer. and
live, until I.bad passed nighI-a long,
cold and tempestuous night-on the
prairies of Kansas. No consideration
could again induce me willingly to un-
dergo the same amount of mental and
physical pain, the same horrid and un-
earthly suffering, which | experienced
during that one night Its terrors haunt
me even DOW in my dreams, NOW, when
the remembrance is fresh,-and | awake
with the half scared cry of hopelessness
on my lips. and my whole body CULVER
ing with anguish
There were many cold days in jan
uary. 1 do not tell you this as matter OF
news; but mention it as PREDATORY re-
minder.
1t was in the afternoon Of one of those
cold days, that found it necessary to go
TO neighpor's, some FIVE miles distant,
after cross-cut saw which he had bor-
rowed fortnight before. The road, or
rather the way to his house, for the snow
had covered the old tracks entirely, led
over rough and broken country, across
rayines, bluffs and creeks, and was by no
means a pleasant one to travel, even
when the weather was good and the
ground clear.
Walking was preferable TO riding. and
SO trudged over on foot. By the time |
reached my destination the greater part
of the afternoon had passed; and when l
was ready to return. what with looking
at my neighbor's stock, exchanging local
gossip with him, and talking about the
new State movement and the probability
of fight with the Missourians, the news
from Washington, etc., what with all
these, by the time l was ready to start
home. night was not very far off.
Feeling slightly uncomfortable at the
prospect of the long walk before me, but
not anticipating any serious difficulty in
getting along, 1 declined the protfered
invitation of my friend and his wife to
stop until morning with them, and
hastily struck off in homeward direc-
lion. 1t was not great while ere /
wished from my heart 1 had ayailed my
self of their hospitality for night and
darkness in their wondrous strength
and with all their accompanying horrors
were gathering round me. The wind,
which all day had only blew violently by
fits and starts, now came roaring over
the plain like thousand furies, binding
me with the fine snow which it whirled
and twisted hither and thither, and cut
ting my face as ii with sharp knives.
Yet / pressed forward as fast as posi-
bic, endeayoring to feel free from fright
aud to keep CHEEKY with thoughts of the
comforts at home. knowing how anxious
l. one was waiting my coming there; but
the darkness became so fearful that | lost
my way--and notthat only, but my pres
ence of mind also
Timid and unused to hardships,
shrinking from exposure, and dearly fond
of cozy seat in the chimney corner,
what wonder that my confusion and be-
wilderment should be extreme With
no landmarks to guide NE. no stars even
to direct, and no road to follow, I
strobe rapidly in zig-zag course, over
patches of ground where the snow had
been swept off, dragged through huge
drifts, fell into washed gullies and
holes, and then, breathlesss and fearful,
hoping | was right yet almost knowing /
was wrong, paused to collect myself and
to adopt some regular mode of proceed
ing! Silencing my fears by an endeav-
or to think. / would walk slower and
take note of the ground; strain my eyes
IN efforts to describe the woods | had
neared; but the loneliness of my situa-
ton became more apparent and the dan
ger more imminent at every step; and
the wild wind would beat against me,
and the darkness grow more intense, till
the sky and earth, and snow and trees,
seemed moving, whirling mass of
blackness! Frightened, then, at being
human and alone in this dread blackness,
| would run along, with the saw swing
ing on my shoulder, and only stop again
out of pure exhaustion!
Many times / essayed to retrace my
steps to my friends, but without sue
cess; then would yell at the top of my
voice. then listen, with one hand to my
ear, for response-but none came.
Again | would halloa, and again listen
but the. fierce wind-gu would sweep
past in mockery of my efforts! Once
tsncied caught the sound of voice,
the last, uncertain. underlined tremor of
distant call, and then frantically l tried
to out-roar the wind !; but the bowling
blast raised its notes ten times louder,
and drowned my own shrieking
| stumbled into rayines and followed
the course of creeks turning to the
right and to the left, to convince myself
that | knew where / was. But the trees,
IN the blackness of the night and strength
Of the hurricane, seemed like myriads of
phantoms waving their long arms and
bowling their heads before me, and while
every rustling bush to my excited irnagl-
nation appeared to be aerouching beast, |
| would rush out. falling over logs. get
ting caught in vines and briars, until
reached the open prairie. Louder and
fercer than ever would the storm then
rage, and the air would fill thicker with |
shanasi Tail thinus Honld |