Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13

ness to the level prairie. 1t was on the
farther bank that we selected our place
of rest for the night, without shelter. of
course. but sufficiently below the level to
he ont of the sweep of the wind. as we
thought.
The half-breed and myself had for bed.
ding four large buffalo-robes and four
blankets; and our custom was to spread
one robe and a blanket under US and use
the remainder as covering. The amount
under was sufficient, owing to the snow
preventing the cold reaching us from the
earth. and rather increasing the amount
of heat than otherwise. Mr.. Wheeler
had two robes and two blankets. WeIay
with our feet toward the stream. Mr..
Wheeler placing himself Immediately
across the head Of our bed-if so NAV
call Wrapped in his own bedding.
I am thus minute in the description of
our positions and bedding in order to
more thoroughly impress the reader
with the intensity of the storm which fol-
lowed.
1t was about six o'clock in the evening
when, after taking off our wet shoes,
we retired, with overcoats and caps
on, as customary. The sky at that time
exhibited no extraordinary appearance,
and the temperature, if anything, indi-
Gated snow. Being fatigued with the
labors of the day | was soon asleep. and
did not awaken until about half-past
nine o'clock, when | was aroused by the
tossings OfMr Wheeler in his efforts to
adjust his bedding more comfortably. |
observed that it had grown colder, and
that a sharp wind had sprung up, which
20 n IL
stream instead of across it, as we had an
ticipated in the selection of a camp.
However, having the guide on the wind
ward side, thought but little of it, and
was soon asleep.
| awOke again, as near as / can Judge,
in about an hour and a half; this time
from a general sensation of cold which
enveloped me- | found both nv COM
panions awake, on speaking to them, and
that Mr. Wheeler had been unable to
sleep at all, owing to the cold, as he Law
with his head to the wind, and could
not prevent it from entering under the
covering.
1t was blowing perfect gale, and the
air was so filled with whirling particles
of snow that we could not DISTINGUISH our
animals at the distance of few yards
From that time forward it was impOssi-
BILE to sleep. We did everything we could
devise to ward off the cold, and the half
breed seemed especially anxious | should
not suffer; covered me with care, and
shielded me as much as possible with his
own person. But the chill seemed to have
taken complete possession of me. !
could not restrain my desire to shake
and SILVER, although knowing that it
augmented the difficulty. For time we
cOnversed on the severity of the storm and
our error in not having built fire, but
gradually relapsed into silence; each
one evidently engaged in endeavoring to
protect himself or modify brooding over
his own sufferings.
Real physical suffering it had now be-
come. The skin on my arms and limbs
felt quite cold to the touch and my bones
grew heavy and chill as bars of iron.
Yet | had no fear or thought even of
freezing to death. On that point | sim
ply expected to shiver until morning
would give us light sufficient to build a
fire. The mind however, was unnatu-
rally acute. Thought on every subject
was very vivid and distinct. [ remem-
Der to have received better insight OF
several subjects which occurred to me
than at any previous time, and was able
to think more rapidly. This was, sup
pose, owing to the increased and en-
! forced vitality necessary to sustain life
| and to the stimulated condition of the
brain under the suffering arising from
| the cold. Every thought was clear and
distinct. | thought over the business
was upon and studied the minutest de
| tails of it, all with remarkable rapidity
Occasionally my companion spoke to me
or touched me gently with his arm, but
neither served to break up the genera,
current of thought.
All through this outer surface OF
thought, however, there ran an under
! tow of suffering. | was conscious OF
! growing colder; my limbs, especially
felt more chill and heavy. [ began also
| to experience a peculiar sensation as il
| the flesh for the depth of quarter or hall
an inch was frozen solid and the con
gealment gradually extending to the
bone. The bone itself at times felt like
redhOt bar. | noticed, further, an in
creased labor in the beating Of the hear
and could distinguish the pulsations
! quite easily. At every thrOb l coulC
feel the blood seemingly strike the enc
of the veins and arteries in the eXtremi
ties. This, after time, produced Sigh
! dizziness in the head and labOrlOu!
respiration.
As time went on the sensation of sur
face-freezing extended to the trunk OF
the body, and my thoughts grew les:
connected, changing frequently from
subject to subject and narrowing dow
to my own suherings. | noticed, fur
| thermOre, that the half-breed SPOKE
more frequently than before, and shool
me occasionally. Still had no though
of danger, and even laughed at Mr.
Wheeler exclaiming: "Men, men, be
lieve | am freezing to death!'
However, during this whole period o
two hours or more | could not prevent
continual shivering and shaking. | en-
deavored several times to control m.
nerves and remain quietly in one posi-
ton, but without avail. At the end o
that time | noticed [ was becomin:
quieter; but, while physically so, m,
mind was suffering more. My who'll
idea was to get warm. My body wa
cold all over-frozen in, felt, to an equa
depth in every place. | chung closer t
my companion in the vain hope of pro
ducing more warmth. Oh, if l COult
only get warm again!
felt I could willingly barter ever
earthly possession to be warm.
thought bitterly of our culpable care
lesSness in not building a fire the ever
ing previous, and of the JOY it woul
be to sit before such blazing fires a
we had on nights now gone: If l coul
only get warm again! Was there nc
some way in which we could get to
fire? Could not the half-breed build one
If he would only try | would give hil
anything; nothing was too dear if Icoul
only feel warm.
Thnrn r-nS n 1,hrticnlar room in m