Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1878-11-21
FROM DEATH TO LIFE.


ing fire, which cast generous glare into the
otherwise unlighted room. Outside winter
storm beloved over the chimneys, and beat
seriously at the window-panes. Afar off we
could hear the gust roaring among the naked
hills, now plunging shrilly through the skele-
ton branches of the trees, and again whirling
overhead with a weird shouting sound, that
might we'll have proceeded from the throats
of evil things riding upon the wind. The
ghostly spirit of the storm seemed to have
penetrated even into our comfortable circle,
for we had got, know not how, upon that
most dismal of all subjects
We had canvassed the theme pretty thor
oughly before we discovered that two of our
number The professor and the doctor, had
taken no part in the conversation. They
were sitting little removed from the rest OF
US gazing gloomily into the fire. Their or
dinarlly cheerful expression OF countence
had given place to sober, troubled look,
and more than once we had detected the ex-
change of strangely significant glance be-
tween them.
AS may be readily supposed, we were not
slow to press them for an explanation OF
their conduct. But for considerable time
our efforts were fruitless. At length, after
much persuasion, it was the professor who
spoke:
"Gentlemen," said he gravely, mo man
cares to gain for himself the reputation of
liar or q maniac. Yet that is exactly what
you are pressing both of US 10 do. l have no
doubt that the experience which am about
to relate, and in which my friend the doctor
bore no unimportant part, will appear abso-
lutely incedible to persons of your advanced
views"
There was a touch of sarcasm in the wor.
thy professors tone but in our eagerness to
hear his story we found it convenient to dis
regard it. &c, ,u u;,. :.
endeavor to have charity for your ignorance
and conceit. Now, doctor, if you will hand
me the tobacco and one of the pipes-the
ranker and blacker the better-1 will pro-
ceed."
Having filled his pipe and settled himself
comfortably in his chair, he began thus:
1T must be fully ten years ago that the
doctor and myself were engaged upon geo.
logical survey of the northern part OF this
State. We had labored diligently during the
summer and fall, when toward the close OF
cold November day, we shouldered our KNAPP
sacks and turned our faces homeward.
sOur way led through chain of black
and rugged hills toward frontier town,
twenty miles distant, where we intended to
take the railroad. A more forbidding region
it has never been my misfortune to see 1t
was a chaos, blackened and warped by pri-
meval fires, and destitute OF the smallest
trace of vegetation. Tall cliffs lowered
.I....-l fook ohouo o,,r hoodo chntfinp ont
the light of the dull November sky. Slug
gish streams filtered between the crevices OF
the rocks, and poured noiselessly into the
deep and motionless turns. 1t seemed that
the blight of death had fallen upon the whole
country.
"Well knowing the peril of attempting to
proceed through such region after night
fall. we halted at sunset, and, building ire
at the foot of craig, disposed ourselves to
rest as well we might. Exhausted with the
tolls of the day, the doctor was soon asleep,
and was not long in following his example.
ssHow long l had slumbered l knew not,
when found myself sitting upright, peer
ing nevously in the darkness around me. IL
seemed to me that some one had uttered
wild, appealing cry in the very portals OF my
ears. For some moments l sat so, wonoer-
ing and anxious. Then l reflected that as
there could be no human being IN the nelg1-
borhood besides ourselves, the sound which
had alarmed me must have been the shrek
of some bird or animal. Explaining. the
matter thus, I was on the point OF lying down
again when was arrested by repeutlon OF
the cry. This time there could be no mis-
take. Wild, long, and, it appeared to me,
full of intolerable anguish, it re-echoed
among the crags with fearful shrillness:
With an uncomfortable start, l turned and
shook the Doctor to awake him.
.''Be quiet" he muttered; I am awake,
and heard it ALL
"sWhat can it be?' l asked anxiously;
surely nothing human; no one lives in this
region for miles around. Perhaps its Wild
cat
"sNo.' he said, between his teeth, such