The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-03-08
A WINTER STORY.
The SmOW.StOrmR im Ca1mpbelEs
Ranges.
| EYinsleN's MagAZine. ]

| tlEcu Que WlJn GIl6lP eAerJ1ODS, ulQ not
wake. But the women did, and lay and
yid!" she whispered, but he did not
mMmured her daughter. "NOthing,
child, nothing. It's only the wind.
| Hush we mustn't wake father, Go to
sleep, darling.n The sun rose late the
next morning, and a dim blood-VaiI was
in the sky, which made some hf. them
think that it was night still. The mi
ners found the snow around their huts
to be three feet deep. They looked
anxious at this. 1--WE can master the
snow" they whispered to. one another,
but the snow-drift will master u.s."
Even as they spoke the wind, which
had lHl1ed, began to moan again, and
before they had been working an hour
shOveling away the snow, the wind
storm, bringing the snow with it from
the nights over which it rushed, blinded
them, and drove them into their tents
for shelter. They could not hold their
feet. "Iet us hope it'll not last long"
they said; and they took advantage of
every lull to work against their enemy,
not like men, but like heroes. "What
makes you SO dOwncast, Saul?" asked
| David he had not begun to lose heart.
| Saul looked in silence at Dnvid's wife
and Dayid's daughter; they were at the
far-end OF the hut. g You are not
/ frightened, Saul, surely :" said David.
"NOt for myself, David" whispered
Saul. But tellme. What kind of love
do you bear for your wife and child ?"
| David's look was sufficient answer. 81
.have a perfect love for woman also,
David. If she were here, as your wife
is with you, could bear it, and SO could
she. David, we are beset by a terrible
| danger. Listen to the wind. am afraid
we may never get out of this" David's
| lips quivered, but he shook away the
fear. eve mustn't lose heart, Saul, and
we must keep this danger from the wife
and little one. THERE'S mems work be-
fore us, and we must do it-like men ;"
"Trust me, David" said Saul, "my heart
beats to the pulse of willing hand;"
and said no more. The wind-stOrm con-
| tinued all the day, with such violence
that it was impossible for the men to
work. As the day advanced the blood
vail in the sky died away, and when the
and cruel. bright and pitiless. Worn
out with hard toll and anxiety, Saul
Fielding lay down that night and tried to
sleep. must have strength for to-
morrow" he thought. The fierce wind
had growB faint, and it moaned now
1 among the hills like weak child. Saul
! smiled gladly, and accepted it as a good
omen. He hugged his gold close, and
vowed that he would not risk another
season of such danger. "Tf do not get
an ounce more" he thought, 81 will be
content. What have viii be sufficient
for the home and for Jane, dear Jane -
Her name always came to him like a
prayer, and, with "Jane" on his lips
| H., ,41,o,,r1,4, L.
asleep and dreamed Of her. y =
and at that moment he aWoke, and,
arising swiftly to his feet, saw candle
alight in the tent. aud David's wife
standing in her night-dress on his side
of the green baze which divided the
tent. Her face was white with terror.
my Godc' she cried again, "we are
l0st.n The storm that had arisen in
| his dream was no fancy. It was raging
now Among the hills furiously.~ "GO
into your room," said Saul hnrrfedly.
81 will be dressed in a minute" In
less than that space of time he was up
and dressed and then Dayid' tore the
green baize aside. Saul, he said,
"this is terribleH' And stepping to
.saurs side whispered, IF this CONT,
1
to open it; lie could not. The wind
had brought with it thousands and
thousands of tons of snow from the
/ heights, and they were walled up. Saul
felt all round the sides of the tent. The
snow was manhigh. Only the frail
IIdfi1l Of which the tent was made kept it
from falling in and burying them. In
an instant Saul cOmprehended their
dread peril "The tree!' he cried, as
If an inspiration had fallen upon him;
"the tree" just outside the tent, be-
tween it and the tent next to it, stood a
great pine tfee, the only tree among the
| tents. Many a time had it been sug-
kgested to cut down this tree for fire.
wood, but David had prevented it.
E"Wait,n he had said, until we want
can't get it elsewhere, it will be time
enough" So the tree had been saved
from AZ, and stood there like a giant,
defying the storm. Saul piled up the
rough seats and the tables which COM
prised the furniture of the tent, and,
climbing to the top Of them, cut a great
hole in the roof of the tent. It was day
light above, and the snow was falling
fast. Saul saw the noble tree standing
fast and firm in the midst of tlfe storm.
With desperate leap he caught q
branch, and raised. himself above the
tent. And when he looked upon the
awful scene, upon the cruel white snow
in which the tents all around him were
imbedded, and nearly buried, his heart
| throbbed despairfngly. But this was
no time for despair. It was the time
for action. When he had secured his
the tent. David - he cried. David's
! voice answered him. This is our only
chance, p he said loudly he spoke slow
" and distinctly, 50 that those within
| the tent might hear him. Here we
| may &c able to find safety until the
| STERN abates and the sneW subsidies.
Listen to me and do exactly as say.
| Get some provisions together and some
| water; and the little brandy tlatis left.
| Make them up in a bundle, 7 Tie rope
/ and. cord around it and let me have it.
IDuickly r. Before he finished speaking,
/ Dayid's wife was busy tending to -Hs
i instructions. Answer me, Saul, ? cried
/ David, "Wlrat do you see of ourahates9
| Saul gr0aned, Do not ask me, David;
l1et us thank God that this tree, was left
/ standing. David climbed on to the
/ table in a few minutes with the bundle
i of provisions in his hands. He was
i lifting it for Saul to take hold Of when
Il the pile upon which he was standing
/ gave way and he fell heavily to the
ground. At this moment movement
. In the tent nearest to the tree arrested
ESauFs attention. One of the men in
& side had also thought of the tree, and
thad adopted Sa1lfs expedient of cutting
through the roof of the tent. He Saw
Saul, butshe was too far away TO reach
the tree. "GiVe me hand, for Gods
sake ~ "One moment, Y replied Saul
deeply anxious for the fate of David