, 1862-02-13
Alone III the Wildernsss.

occasion to make q return Journey across the
Rocky MOuutains to the Missouri. He started
with one companion only, and with three horses
and mule for riding and for carrying baggage.
Scanty fodder and Indian treachery, and the
fearful cold Of those snowy regions, produced
the first disasters Of the travellers, by depriving
them of the services Of ell four animals. Their
last horse was killed by exposure to an icy gale,
at spot 10 the miserable wilderness known as
Sandy Hill Creek. Here their last means Of
getting forward had failed them, and they were
compelled to stop, at period Of the year when
every succeeding day might be expected to in
crease the horrors Of the cold, and the chances
Of death by starvation in the prairie wastes.
They had with them small supply Of bad
buffalo meat, rice and Indian 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 the travellers,
the Post did not possess the power. 1t was
barely possible for the persons In charge Of it
their own lives depending on their getting on
| RAPIDLY, and outstanding their protisons-to
lnsk ke room for one man in their little vehicle
drawn by sig mules. The other man would have
no help for il but to remain behind with the
goods, alone in the wilderness, and keep himself
alive, II possible, in that dreadful position until
the Post could send horses back for him from
the Catholic Mission, eighty or hundred miles
Of.
In this emereency-an emergency Of life or
death, If there was one yet-the travellers agreed
on drawing lots to decide which man was to re-
main The lot to remain fell on Mr. Mollhausen.
The Post resumed its journey at once, with
the rescued traveller squeezed into the little car
riage. Mr.. Mollhausen watched the departure
Of the vehicle until it was out Of sight, till he
was left alone, the one living being in the white
waste-the CrusOe Of the Snowy Desert He
had three chances, not Of life, but Of death
death by cold; death by the murderous treachcry
Of savages; death by the teeth Of the wolves
which prowled the wilderness by night. But he
was brave man, and be faced his imminent perls
and his awful loneliness with q stout heart.
He was ", u supplied with arms and ammu-
milton; and the first thing he did when the Post
left him was to look to these. His next proceed
Ing was to make use Of the snow On the earth
| " keep out the snow from the heavens, by rails
ing white wall, firmly stamped, around his little
tent He then dragged up supply Of wood
from the river near at hand, and piled Il before
the door. His fireplace was hollow in the
ground, in front Of his bed Of blankets and buf
falo robes The food he possessed to cook at 1t
consisted Of buffalo meat and rice. He had
also some coffee. These provisions, on which
his feeble chance Of life depended, he divided
into fourteen days rations, having frstcalculated
that, In fourteen days at the farthest, he might
look for help from the Mission. The sum Of his
preparations was now complete He fed his fire,
set on his food to cook, and crept into his blan-
ketS to wait for the coming Of night-the first
night alone in the desert.
Afer o time, the silence and the solitude
weighed upon him so heavily, that he sought
some kind Of comfort; but, in that lone situa
ton, even the sound Of bis own voice made him
/ Tha cann IN Ia hnhind
snow.clouds; its last rays were trembling redly
over the wilderness Of white ground, when the
howl Of the wolves came down upon him on the
icy wind. They were assembled In a ravine
where the travellers last horse had fallen dead
some days before. Nothing was LEFT Of the ami
NAL but his polished homes and the rings Of his
harness; and over these bare relics Of their
feast the ravenOus creatures wrangled and
howled. The deserted man, listening to them in
his tent, tried to while away the unspeakable op-
preston Of the dark hours by estimating their
varying numbers from the greater or lesser vol.
ume Of the bowling sounds that reached him.
Exhaustion overpowered his faculties while he
yet remained at this melancholy work. He slept
until hunger woke him the next day, when the
sun was high again in the heavens.
He cut notch In the pole Of his tent to mark
that one day was passed. Il was then the six.
teenth or eighteenth Of November; and by
Christmas be vainly believed he would be safe at
the Mission. That secohd day was very weary;
and his strength was failing him already. When
be dragged up the wood and water 10 his tent
his feet were arle, and he staggered like drunken
man.
Hopeless and hungry, he sat down on his bed,
filed his pipe with willow leaves, the best sub.
stitute for tobacco that he posSessrd, and smoked
in the warmth Of the fire, with his eyes on the
boiling kettle into which he bad thrown some
maize. lie was yet thus occupied when the
dreary view through the opening Of his ten was
suddenly changed by the appearance Of human
beings Some horsetnen were approaching him,
driving laden horses before them His weapons
were at hand, and, with these ready, he awaited
their advance. As they came nearer he saw
that they were Indians Of q friendly tribe, re-
turning from beaver hunt. Within gun shot
they stopped, and one Of them addressed him in
English They accented Of his invitation to en-
ter his tent and, sitting there BY his side, they
entreated him. long AMI earnestly, to abandon
the goods, to give up the vain hope Of help from
the Mission, and to save his life BY casting bis
lot with theirs
"The wolves" ssid the man who had Hrst
spoken in English-a Delaware India, =" the
wolves will give you no rest, Jay or nghtj and
Il the men Of tn, Pawnes tribe find you out,
you will be robbed, murdered and sealped. You
nave no hope oi rsus. Bad horses will not
live to get 10 you; and the whites Of the Mis-
sion viii not Iisk good horses and their own lives
to save one man whom they will give up fur lost
Come with us"
But Mr.. MOlIhausen, unfortunately for him.
sell, put falth In the Mission He was, moreover,
bTavrly and honOrably anxious to preserve the
goods, only the smaller share Of which happened
70 be hiH own property. Firmly persuaded that
his fellow white men would not desert him, and
that they would bring him easier terms Of trav.
cling, in his disabled condition, than those which
the Delawarvs could OlfrF, he still held TO his
| Hr.a r.ani,a;on ,nl all saih uNoN