Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-12-30

on that memorable sixteenth day of the
travellers sojourn in the wilderness moth
ing now remained but the terrible recollec-
ton of it,
The lime wore on from that date with
out an event To break the woful monotony
OF 1t until Christmas came He was still
alive in his solitude on Christmas Day. A
stolid apathy toward the future had begun
TO get possession of him; his sense OF the
horror Of his situation grew numbed and
| dull; the long solitude and the eeaseless
cold seemed TO be freezing his mind and
making new wilderness there, dreary
and waste as the wastes that encompassed
him, His thoughts wandered with GER
tain sadness TO the Christmas trees and the
children's festivals at that blessed season,
| IN his native Germany--but he was too far
gone for any deep grief or for any bitter
pangs Of Despair He kept Christmas Day
with the only indulgence he could afford
himseli-a pipe full of the dry willow
leaves, and as night fell he lay on his
back locking up through the hole in his
| tent at the frosty heavens, and fancying
dlmly that the Kind stars looked down on
him as they had often looked in bygone
days at home
The old year ended and the new year
came. His hold of life was slackening,
and the end was not far off Ii was day
light, early in the month of January. lie
was resting under his blankets-not
asleep, and not awake. Suddenly the
sound OF approaching footsteps reached
MIN on the still air. Ii was no dream--a
sanitation in the Indian language sounded
IN his ears moment aiterward. He
aroused himself and caught up his rifle.
More words We're spoken before he could
get out of the tent. Ii was the English
language this time. You are badly off
here, friend, ,, said cheerful voice. Had
the white men at the post and the Mission
remembered him at lastg No. When the
tent covering was raised, an Indian
entered and pushed five.foot rifle before
him. A sayage-looking man, with five
savage companions The lost traveller adj
vanced TO meet them with his rifle ready
Happily he was wrong this time. These
savage wanderers of the prairie--these
charitable heathcns-had come 10 do the
work which his white brethren had, 10
their eternal disgrace, neglected they had
come 10 save him.
The man who had spoken in English
was half breed-a voluntary renegade
from civilization. His companions be-
longed, like himself, 10 the friendly tribe
OF Ottoe Indians. They had gone out
with their squaws on hunting expcdi~
ton, and had seen the smoke Of the lost
travellers fire two miles off. "You are
hungry" said they to him, producing
their own food" eat You are ready 10
perish--come with us. You are sick
we will take care of you and clothe you"
These were the words of the redskins
and the friendly promises they implied
were performed To the letter.
On the next day every member of the
hunting party, including the women and
boys, assembled AT the tent TO remove the
desolate and forsaken white man and all
that belonged TO him TO their own camp.
The goods, for the preservation of which
he had risked his life, were packed up
the wagon, abandoned by his iellow-trav-
eler and himself at the beginning of their
disasters. when their last horse died, was
cleared Of snow and made fit for use again !;
and even the tent was not leit behind. IL
was too firmly frozen 10 the ground 10 be
pulled up, so il was cut off just above the
snow, and was thrown over the rest OF the
bag gage When the Indians had packed
the wagon their wives and their boys har-
messed themselves to il, and dragged 1t
away cheerfullY TO the camp. Mr.. Mol
hansen and the elder warrior followed.
The Prussian traveller stopped, before he
letl the place forever 10 take last look
at the lonely scene of all his sufierings
and all his perils. The spot where his
tent had stood was still marked in the
snow waste by the ashes of his expiring
fire. His eyes rested long on that last
felt, touching trace Of himself and his
hardship s--then wandered away % the
little hill from which he used to look out
on his solitude--to the bank of the river
where he had lain in ambush for the Paw.
nees--to the hole in the ice through
which he had thrust their bodies. lie
shuddered, AS well he might, at the dread
full memories which the familiar objects
around him called up. A moment more
and he was descending the hill, from the
summit of which lac had looked back, 10
follow the trail of his Indian iriends--a
moment more, and he left his home in
the desert forever,
In less than five weeks from that time
he and his wagon load OF goods were safe,
thanks 10 the Ottoe Indians, at "a fur trad
ing station ON the Missouri River; and he
was eating good bread again in the socie-
ty Of white men.--SdH francisco GOLDEN
bra,