Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-08-05
THE cRusoE or THE SNOWY DESERT.

LaLe IN the autumn OF the year elgh-
teen hundred and fifty-one, Mr.. Baldwin
Molhausen, Prussian traveller, pursu-
ing his investigations in Northern Amer
lea, had occasion TO make return Jour-
ney across the Rocky Mountains to the
Missouri. He started with one compan-
ion only, and with three horses and a
mule, for riding and for carrying the bag
gage
Scanty fodder, Indian treachery, and
the fearful cold of those snowy regions,
produced the first disasters of the travel
lers, by depriving them of the services
of all four animals. Their last horse
was killed by exposure to an icy gale, at
spot in the miserable wilderness called
Sandy Hill Greek. Here, now that their
last means of getting forward had failed
them, they were compelled to stop, at
period of the year when every succeed
ing day might be expected to increase the
horrors of the cold, and the chances of
death by starvation in the prairie wastes.
They had little Indian tent with them
and they set it up for shelter. They
had also small supply of bad buffalo
meat, rice and dindian corn. On this they
existed miserably for few days, until
the Post from Fort Kearney to the Flat
River happened to pass them.
With all the will to rescue both travel
lers, the Post did not possess the power.
It was barely possible for the persons in
charge Of it-their own lives depending
on their getting on rapidly, and husband
ing their provisions-to make room for
one man in their little vehicle drawn by
six mules. The other man would have
no help for it but to remain behind with
the goods, alone in the wilderness, and to
keep himself alive, if it was possible in
that dreadful position, until the Post
could send horses back for him from the
Catholic Mission, eighty or hundred
miles off.
In this emergency-an emergency of
life or death if ever their was one, yet
the travellers agreed on drawing lots to
decide which man was to be rescued, and
which man was to remain. The lot fell
on Mr. Molhausen.
The Post resumed its journey at once,
with the rescued traveller squeezed into
the little carriage. Mr.. Molhausen watch
ed the departure of the vehicle till it was
out of sight, till he was left alone, the
one living being in the wide waste
the Crusoe of the snowy desert. He
had three chances, not of life, but of death
Death by cold; death by the murderou:
treachery of savages; death by the teeth
Of the wolves which prowled about the
wilderness by night. But he was brave
man, and he faced his imminent perils ant
his awful loneliness with stony heart.
He was well supplied with arms anc
ammunition: and the first thing be die
when the Post left him was to look t.
these. His next proceeding was TO max,
use of the snow on the earth TO keep ou
the snow from the heavens by raising
white wall, firmly stamped all round hi
little tent. He then dragged up a sup
ply of wood from the river near at hand
piled it before his door. His fre-plac
was hollow in the ground, in front {
his bed and blankets and buffalo hide:
The food he possessed to cook ar ii cor
sisted of buffalo meat and rice. He ha
also some coffee. These provisions. o
which his feeble chance of life depended
he carefully divided into fourteen day
rationz, having first calculated that i
fourteen days at the furthest he migf
look for help frora tke Mission. The su,
OF his preparations was now complet
He fed his fire, set on his food to cool
and crept into his blankets to wait f
the comingof night-the first night alon
in the desert.
After time, the silence and solitud
weighed upon him 50 heavily, that he SO
some kind Of comfort and ecmpanionshi
in trying to talk to himself; but in TIL
forlorn situation, even the sound Of b
owa voice made him shudder. The 50
sunk to It's setting behind snow cloud
its last rays we're trembling redly ov,
the wilderness Of white ground, wht
the howl Of wolves came down upon hi
on the icy Eind- They we're assembled
a raEine where the travellers last hor
had fallen dead dssne days before Not
ing was LEFT Of the animal bat his polls
ed bones and the rings Of bis harnes
and over these bare relics Of their fea
these raFenoss creatures wrangIed al
yelled all night long. The desert,
man, listening TO them IN his tent, tn,