St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1862-03-06

,n.,saa;si ,-.,a,,i - ..t,,,i -
9""How' DO you knew am going there :"
returned I, in cold, rspellent tone. , I'D
Il ,didn,,t-1r only say ! AN, aud, would
like your company: Ais one, though, if
you prefer t. ride alone" s,>>2
~'"1 fear my be.st would be sorry COM
psny for yours, however their masters
might agree. There is Z wide difference
between the two animals. Mine is almost
blown; and yours looks as if Just from the
STALL" :'E'"'
"Ha hap laughed the stranger, pleas
.ntly; II see you do not give ME credit
tor spurring out Of .yondcr thicket and
dropping below the brow Of the hin be-
fore you observed me-" '.,' ''>''~-
"That looks suspicious" ',.'' -
$50 it does; but, jesting aside, was
ahead Of: yon, saw you ascending, wanted
company, felt suspicious like yourself: hid
myself tor you to pass, and then resolved
to join yoo without. exciting your suspic-
ion, in which ! did not succeed. Is the
explanation satisfactory? or shall I ride
on again?' go,
II will trust you,". said 1.
We rode on, side BY side, for something
like = mile, conversing pleasantly-but l.
kept q, furtiye glance upon every move
ment Of my strange companion. L know
not why, but did not feel altogether, at
my ease. There, was something peculiar
in his looks, in the expression of, his face
in repose, and l could not avoid kind Of
instructive suspicion. I fancied he was a
deep and cunning man, who could mask
his feelings when he chose, and there
might be q sinister design in all he did,.
" Suddenly, as quick almost as a. fash of
lightning, We we're struck BY wind that
almost took US from our horses, and which
made the beasts reel and stagger like
drunken men. .... So.
/: "Heayen preserve us - exclaimed the
stranger; 1--WE are caught in tournie"te!"
In few minutes, amid the bowling and
shrieking Of the most terrific wind ever
experienced, the air became filled and
grew dark with large fakes of snow, which
whirlcd and sulgea around US like the Wa
ters of q maelstrom. The bowling. and
sbrieking winds seemed rather to increase
than diminish, and the: most violent exer-
tions Of an hour: scarcely took us forward
to the centre Of this awful plain. Tall
posts had been all the way erected9at short
intervals; to guide the trayeler through
just such = storm, but already we began TO-
lose sight of them: Another #, hour
brought Us to the verge Of despair. Night
was rapidly drawing on, and by this time
We could no longer see our. way. Horses
and riders were at times completely buried
in the drifts, and our guide-posts were lost
altogether. Then we began. to wander,
we. knew not whittier, our poor beasts DO
ing their best till the balling Of their hoofs
caused them to stumble and fall. Con-
vinced BY this that they could no long:r
servo US, we now attempted 70 plunge
through the snow on foot and lead the ami
mails and We continued thus for. another
halfhour, unable to say whether we were
advancing, retracing our steps, or moving
aroahll Ia a. circle. -, ,n#. .,,~ =: :'.i II
Il "The Lord have mercy OF, usv' cried
my companion, I'VE will never escape
alive" ~. "'"'-- = .:' .: j +" '':E:"1
Above the shfiekings ana yellingss Of
the storm spirits for such they jseemed)
I now heard that prolonged, dismal howl
which has made the blood curdle in the
veins Of more than one poor bcpighted
traveller: It vas answered here and there
and yondet, and then in chorus, and We
knew that packs Of hungry wolves we're
gathering e1l around y 20 and x'1. xe alse leg knew
that when lin numbers, and pressed by
| famine, as they always were at this season,
they would attack either man or beast. 81 T.,
b.. It+I}!luG D,:E lGi,3G 2.ti u :!i.' %.iu;Ip
Nearer and: nearer; cana M the ihowls Of
our enemies and in less than allan hour
amid the darkness Of settled night, We
could catch here and tier" ths terrible
gls.ih ~ thd as,y siyess'ofth b0laest 81 the
pack. We continued short time longer
n 61,nd,jp t1 snnas, ga;.a