The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-04-04

these evidences of the brutality of those
who were then dogging our footsteps
were sufficient 10 very materially IN
crease our desire to reach place OF
safety rs speedily as possible.
Just as the sun sank beneath the
western horizon we passed into the
Hualipi country, and again breathed
freely.
Reaching suitable place, we camped
for the night. The next morning the
wind was blowing gale, which con-
tinued all day, interfering with our
progress so much that 1T was night when
we reached Antelope Springs, at the
foot of the San Francisco Mountains,
eighty-four miles from the city of Pres
colt.
During the day lowering clouds had
stretched from horizon to horizon, and
there was every evidence of an APP
preaching storm, circumstance which
appals the bravest heart. A storm in
the mountains, without protection, is
something the horrors of which cannot
be fully described. And this was new
danger, something we had not expected,
something for which we were not pre-
pared. When morning came, the snow
had already began to fall, and our better
! Judgment prompted us To return to Pres
colt. But there is feeling of pride in
the breast of every pioneer, which for
bids him giving over an enterprise when
once Observation-Disclosures retreat,
what dangers soever may interfere with
his advance. So we again mounted our
horses and continued our journey.
At night we reached Cosnina Caves, n
distance of sixteen miles, after travelling
hard all day. The. snow had already
fallen to a depth of ten inches, and was
still falling. Here we turned our horses
loose, that they might. find something
upon which to subsist, and, scraping
away the snow, we kindled fire, cooked
our supper, and spreading our blankets
upon the snow, crawled between them,
and were soon lost to the gloomy pros
poets which surrounded us. Upon
awal1ing the following morning, we
were wet with perspiration and weighed
down with eight inches of snow which
had fallen during the night upon our
blankets, the snow still falling rapidly.
Those who have never had such expe-
rience may try to imagine our feelings
ms we contemplated the situation-the
snow almost two feet deep, and still fall
ing, no feed for our animals, less than
two weeks provisions for ourselves,
with every hope of retreat now cut off
by the accumulation of snow in the
mountains, our advance nearly barred
by the same cause, and the trail nearly
obliterated. TO remain was certain
death, and the only possibility of escape
was to find some place that would serve
as shelter until the storm had passed
away. The Little Colorado river we
knew to be about twenty miles distant
mt the nearest point where we could
reach it, and we were not long in salts
flying ourselves that our only hope lay
in reaching the river, and subssting
upon the flesh of the animals until the
snow cleared away in the spring, when
we could reach the settlements. We
knew, too, that upon the river we were
liable to fall into the hands of hostile
Indians. But there was hope, and after
getting some coffee, we set out for our
haven without any reference to trail,
simply taking a course and following it
as near as We could The snow was be-
ginning to drift, and the wind whistled
through the stunted pines and cedars
with low, melancholy sound as we
struggled on, sometimes tumbling into a
gully filled and hidden by the drifting
snow, again coming out where it was
only few inches deep, only to plunge
into another drift.
1t was impossible to ride, on account
of the plunging of the horses besides it
was now becoming intensely cold, and it
was necessary to walk i'll order to keep
ourselves from freezing. After travel
ing in this manner for about three miles,
we came out of the timber into an open,
undulating country, where, though the
| drifts were worse, we were better en-
abled to avoid them, and made more
rapid progress than while in the tim
Der.
BY noon the snow had ceased to fall,
and when night came we were within
five or six miles of the river, and could
plainly see the line of timber marking
its course.
Tired and hungry as we were, we had
no alternative but to push forward we
had nothing out of which to build fire,
and to stop short of the timber was GER
tain to be followed by freezing and per-
haps death. 1t was now almost impos-
sible to urge our horses forward, and,
after going short distance, orr pack
animal stopped and could be driven no
further, and we were compelled to leave
him standing upon the bleak prairie,
where he was, undoubtedly, in few
minutes destroyed by wolves, for they
had been annoying us with their dismal
howlings since sunset, sometimes APP
preaching to within dozen yards of u.s.
1t must have been near midnight when
we reached the timber, and the inclina-
ton to lie down and sleep toward the
last was so great that it was with the ut
most difficulty we could keep on our feet.
Several times Brady called out, " 1t is no
use. / am so tired L can go no farther,
and l am dying for sleep"
But knew only too well what the re-
suit would be, and urged him on. At
last we reached the timber, and he sank
down Mt once, unable to do more.
The next thing was to kindle fire.
The snow was at least fifteen inches
deep. and from under that snow L had to
hunt my wood. After considerable eff
fort, / procured few cottonwood limbs,
and, taking my sheath knife, attempted
to make some shavings. My hands were
! CO cold tbot r ooul1 scarcely tell whether