Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-10-16
Tales aud Sketehes.
From Chambers journal.
THE SNOW.SHRiEK.--A TALE OF THE
PRAIRIES.

clark! There is the snow shrek again
loud. wild, and mournful. Listen; and
it you are wise, make use of the warning"
Such was the admonitory remark of Hiram
Pell, an aged hunter in the Northwestern
prairies, in addressing three young per-
sons, whom he accidently encountered on
the border of small creek. One of the
three was young lady, Metelia Stewart,
about l8, daughter of Colonel Stewart,
proprietor of well stocked farm in the
District the others were two gentlemen,
little more than her own age.
I'VE are far from disregarding what
you tell us. Hiram" said the slighter of
the two young men "but we should like
to know its precise. meaning. Be pleased
TO explain what is the snow-shriek."
The snow-shriek, replied the hunter
of the wilderness, sis sign of an ap-
preaching and terrible storm of frost and
snow. 1t is not often heard, and few
know its meaning. am now an old man,
and have heard it but thrice; but never is
the token false one"
1.-The sound, then. portends extremely
severe weather." asked Metella, impress
ed, despite herself, with the rugged SOL
emnity of the hunters manner.
Worse than that, Miss; deal worse
When the snOw-shriek rings across the
plains, folks that have love for life don't
care to camp out. The Indians strike
their lodges at the sound. and make the
best OF their way to shelter among the
bluffs, or in wooded track. AS for the
settlers, they take wagons, and hurry off
to the nearest town, leaving everything to
its fate. If were the Colonel, now,
that's what I'd do, and go off for week
or two to Granville, or Sparta, or even
Troy"
Running away from the snow,' ex
claimed Metella, with a merry laugh,
which she could not repress, and in which
her two companions joined.
wait, young lady. till you see what
snow means Reckon you'll hardly see
much then TO laugh at returned the
hunter. much offended. ..I'm going to
make tracks, for one, and old Hiram Pell
has not the name of being chicken-heart-
ed along the frontier line Perhaps You'll
wish, later on, you had set more store by
the warning of man who had fought
many a tough fight with bears and savag-
es before ever a spade was stuck in the
turf of the Territory. Good morning to
you, Miss: think better Of it, and ask the
Colonel to leave home for Bit" So say
ing, he lifted his rifle and strobe off along
the bank of the creek, in the direction of
the town.
What queer old fellow that is " said
the taller OF the two gentlemen, whose
name was Parnell. "He seems an ana
chronism here at this time of day picking
up, as he does, a precarious living by trap
ping and hunting, and occasionally acting
as guide and interpreter to some Indian
agent bound for the Plains. But the Col.
has done him more than one kindness, and
l have no doubt that his harangue was well
intended, although | suspect his account
of the snow storms to be somewhat high
ly colored. 1t might be as well. however,
to mention it at home. in case this wind
should really be sign Of bad weather" :"
Colonel Stewart paid very little attention
to the reported words OF the old back
woodsman, or to the low shrill shrek of
the wind. "A cold snap, if it comes. will
not annihiate u.s. he said cheeriully ;
land we rather enjoyed the heavy snow
fall of last winter, with the pleasant
sleighing- parties while the frost held. A
pretty settler should have made if had
needed every croaker who predicted that
locusts, droughts and Indian raiders would
hurry me out of house and home, if
dared to pitch my tent so far to the west.
Hiram Pell is a worthy old fellow in his
way, but he is vain of his infallibility in
woodcrait, and as sad Jonah as ever
encountered.
On the day succeeding that on which the
hunters words of caution had been ut
tered, Mr.. Parnell, whose residence was
oh N v,,ila hn ciAn ni fHrnvr
was to take his departure on a journey,
the duration of which seemed vague,
since he had merely indicated that his alb
that it might even be necessary that he
should visit Europe. He had been invited
to pass this, the last evening, at the house
of the Stewarts, with whom he was on
terms of intimacy; but there were circum-
stances which promised to add pain to the
pleasure of these last moments with Met
ella.
The betrothal of Miss Stewart to Caryl
Winthrop was a matter of notorety in the
vicinity. In the spring OF that year the
young man had arrived in that neighbor-
hood, one of those invalids whom the
fashionable physician of the Atlantic States
has despatched to find vigor and health in
the pure and bracing air of that lofty table
land, a grassy ocean, lately traversed by
only the buffalo and the red man, that lies
between the great lakes and the Rocky
Mountains. He had derived much benefit
from even a brief residence in the Terri
tory, and his ailment, heart complaint,
had long since lost all its alarming symp-
toms, while he himself seemed daily 10
gain strength Nothing now, except the
palor of his face, could denote that Caryl
had been accounted, before he left New
York, as one OF the hopelessly doomed of
those victims on whom reluctant Science
passes the sentence of an early tomb He
was we'll now. though not robust, and
bright hopes, of which he had no idea on
his arrival at Troy, spread themselves be-
fore him, and caused him to view his flu
ture career through that roseate haze
which none but the great magician, Love,
can conjure up for our delighted vision.
From the first Caryl Winthrop's name
had recommended him to the warm friend
ship of the Stewards. 1t had, years ago,
been the fate of the elder Mr.. Winthrop,
a citizen OF wealth and eminence in his
native State, which was also that OF Me-
tella 5 parents, to render q considerable