Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-02-06

1n0 1lkA 49, eWAsss 0ss0 SO~~ q
nothing through the skurry. She hardl.,
dared turn her face 70 the yelling blast
She thought 81 getting some one to &C
company her, but the camp lay some dis
tance out Of her line. Moreover, Oh.
knew the country in every direction
She could feel her way anywhere, If nee
cary. Besides, she had her lantern
that would enable her to distinguish OBJ
iects within . small circle. Turning
resolutely in the direction of Wild Swan
Gulch, she ret out TO find her husband
and guide him home.
AZ she emerged from the canyon and
gained the level of the surrounding
broken plain, a strange pause came. Il
seemed ~ though the winds had sud.
denly forsaken the neighborhood and
gone reeling away into the mountains
She took advantage Of this sinister calm
TO hurry onward ct . run. Gut Of
breath at last, she stumbled and fell.
The lantern went out.
She had NO matches.
Staggering to her feet she heard the
moan Of the returning storm. She
shouted:
"Jim!D
Again, with all the might of her voice,
she lifted the plainsman's CALI:
aYip, zip, Pip-ya-hoo, Jim"
No answer.
Then the TEMPEST rushed round her in
. battling, ferocious whirl OF sound anu
wind and snow.
In the meantime Jim Oaks had been
1t one Of his old diversions. Having
returned from Wild Swan Gulch with .
splendid trophy in the shape OF . black
billed swan drake, he was lounging to.
ward home when the storm came on, and
stopped in 1t the last saloon AZ usual, to
ret I drink. It was always warm and
COSY in that liquor mill, and on Christ
mas Eve the place was peculiarly invit-
ing. The boys were assembling for q
ni0ht ut poker, and Jim sat down and
took q hand.
cts kind O rough on Minerv'," he
thought once, about midnight, "leavin'
her alone up thar such a night as this.
Never mind; she'll worry it through, l
reckon"
But when the man entered his cabin
next morning and started toward the
bed with a peace offering (his winnings)
extended in his his hand, he was com.
pletely stunned by what he Jaw. The
untouched bed, the fireless hearth, the
cold, untasted supper, his wife's clothes
strewn on the floor, the open trunk, the
absent cap and lantern-these flashed the
truth into his brain.
"She's gone to hunt for me! She's been
gone q long while. All night, p'rhap-
in the storm. O, Minerv'l!"
Out he spraug through the doorway.
The storm was over. The air was clear,
still, and bitterly cold. The sun vas ris-
ing. He cast one strenuous look around
the narrow horizon, then plunged
through the drifts toward the camp.
"Minerv'l!" he shouted. "Have any
of you seen Minerv'l?"
Immediately the camp reused itself
from its aromatic slumbers. When it
was found that Mrs. Oaks was really
missing the miners volunteered as one
man to 90 to her rescue. A sled was pre-
pared-some firewood, provisions, blank
cts, and a key of whisky, were roped fast
to it, and, with Jim chatting by this
time, and far in front on the way toward
Wild Swan Gulch, the company started.
Parties were assigned to search the whole
prairie, east, west and north; the largest
group followed Oaks trail. 1t was hard
work 6oundering across the gullies and
washouts, which were packed to the
edge with snow. Often the men shud.
dered to think what might be hidden
under these heavy, white masses.
The first "sign" was discovered by
Jim Oaks partner, IN "Spick" Jones,
who kept to the left and signaled from a
clump of timber. The bark was par
tally torn off about four feet from the
ground, on the side of the tree, not by
the teeth of a wild beast, but, Us was
plainly to be seen, by the hands of a
human creature. Almost every miner
was familiar with the trick. 1t was q
trick to keep from freezing, at the sacri-
fee Of nails and finger tips. 1t was q
desperate method of exercise to arrest
lethargy. One veteran of the camp re-
membered to have climbed up and down
. tree all night one winter when he was
overtaken without matches by a Monta-
M blizzard.
Jim Oaks set his teeth hard when he
saw the frozen blood spots on the tree.
"Stay with me, boys" he said hoarse-
ly, sand help me find my wife,"
The men struggled ON.
Some two hours later a figure ON dds
tant bluff was seen waving a hat. All
sought the place where the wind had
blown 50 fiercely during the preceding
night that it had prevented the snow
from lodging on the windward ridges
Mrs. Oaks lay on her back there, hall
covered with snow, frozen to sleep. Hel
left hand was thrust inside the vest sh.
wore; her right was extended above hel
head and covered with blood from he
poor torn fingers.
Everybody made way for Jim.
He came Vi and kneltdown reverently
beside her, and kissed her rigid lips.
Minerva" he said, gently. H,
reached, trying to feel her heart.
"Minerv'!"
He glanced around on the faces Of hi
fellow-miners with such an expression
on his drawn and haggard visage tina
they turned away.
He touched the cold hand to he
bosom. It covered something which sh
had clutched for when she fell. He DIRE,
itforth; it was her testament. Openin
it mechanically at the fy-leaf, he saw th
words, written, perhaps, long before.
"This book has been my comfor
Read it, Jim"
And below
II am the resurrection and the lif
saith the Lord. He that believeth
Ne, though he were dead, yet shall /
live; and he that liveth and heiieveth
Me, shall never die"
Boys" said Jim, half rising to h
feet, and holding ont the open book vii
both his trembling hands, " she's left n
"a Christmas present. See!"
Late Hours.
All animals, except those that pro,
/ at night, retire to rest soon after the 81
! goes down, from which We may conclu,
, that Nature intended that the hum,
species should follow their example.
is from the early hours of sleep, viii
1 are the mOst sWept and refrcshtnU IN