The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-09-06

y
ty, Indifferent, even jovial manaer
that made them ten times more horn
BILE to Chandler who replied:
81 never could see the sense oi
laughing at death. y
at is a grave matter. that is true .
aid Cole; sbut lite itself is a grea,
joke; aud there is always something
comical when see it ab ut to wind
up. But, come. it isn't pleasant strad
ding mule in a snow storm, So let's
move aheadr
And the speaker took the lead
while the teamster followed on, con.
cluding that while his companion pos
sessed the power of being very charm
ing and entertaining at times. be
was not withou. the opposite faculty.
also
The weariscme, excessively uneom.
Portable plodding. was continued for
all of two hours longer, the men
scarcely speaking, owing to their suf-
fering At the end of that time it
began to grow dark. and they were
so benumbed with cold that they
could scarcely keep their places upon
the backs of their mules.
This don't do" called out Cole.
turning bis head, while bis voice,
through the driving snow, sounded
faint and far away. "a halfhour
more, and we won't be able to stir.
The ghost viii be given up, the
bucket kicked. our cheeks handed in,
and the accounts squared. Now,
the only thing We can do is to slide
off these brevet jackasses and walk. 4"
As he spoke, he set the example,
and Chandler followed him.
1t was all they could do to keep
their feet; but they were desperate,
and knowing il was their only chance,
they summoned all the energies at
their command.
The snow was up TO their knees,
and still falling. The cold was as
intense and penetrating as ever, and
it would seem that their situation
could not have been more hopeless.
The mules were about exhausted,
and when it became fairly dark, the
nearly perished procession halted
The best thing We can do" said
Cole, lis to throw up the sponge
We're knocked completely out Of
tire, and Death wins the belt, as he's
sure TO do sooner or latern
u amt quite ready to give up
yet" said the teamster, who was a
man Of unusual vital power.
but how can We help oarselves!n
Il think, il We force the mules to
lie down, there may be enough
warmth in their bodies to keep US 60
ing until morning"
That isn't bad idea. Let's try
it."
There was no trouble 10 getting the
mules down, inasmuch as they were
scarcely able TO stand They were
placed quite near together, the snow
scooped out between them, and the
tive half-frozen men crowded in be-
tween.
Had the two possessed a blanket
between them, she probabilities are
that they would have gotten through
the night without serious trouble; but
they Were in their ordinary clothing
only, the snow was rattling down up
on them, and the temperature was
severe.
At such times, the senses become
Obseured by the insidious power of
rold, and from this point the reccol-
lection of Chandler is not clear.
He had lain something over an
hour, as was a.terward proved, in
this position, when be tancied be
heard voices through the storm.
Fearing. however, that it might be
some trickerY Of his senses, be man.
aged to raise himself Gp and look
around.
Sure enough: be saw several points
Of light twinkliug through the driv-
pg storm, and be called out.
A minute later, q half dozen men
came around him. and while be was
vigorously rubbed and beaten with
3 lot of whisky was poured
down his throat He was encased in
he warmest kind of clothing, and car
led TO the camp in the grove, which
vas no more than a hundred yards
Instant.
An unusual interest, however, was
in Cole, and the strongest
efforts were made to bring him to,
1ut they were soon abandoned, when
t was discovered that be was frozen
o death.
And lucky freeze it was for him
ooln one Of the men remarked.
il proved that the man who gave
lis name as Cole was the notorious
iesperado knowC as Spanish Sam, /
Inc of the worst characters that ever
'ursed the West. He had engaged 4
4 horse-stealing, gambling and eoua-
erfeitiDg for nearly q dozen years,
Turing which tine it was estimated
hat be kad committed fully hall a
IGndred murders, some of which
we're 6f the most atrooious nature.
The exaspeFation against him be-
ONE so great that bslfdozen miners
s nded together, under an oath, TO
'arsue bin TO tie death.
The hunt became very hot, when
is horse was killed. and be stole of
0 the eompanionship of the unsus-
ecting Chandler. who shudders. TO
bis day. when be recalls his brief as
with the terrible outlaw
Judge stites and a Cold Room.