Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-08-14
Perils Of fhe Prafrfes.
TERRORS OF LOST WANDERERS.
rCorrespondence Chicago Tribune,


started IN the depth of winter, along with four
DINERS, TO visit distant post. Their means
vi SOnEeyance were horse seds, instead of the
ORDINARY winter vehicles of the couutry-Snow
shoes and dog sledges. The gentleman was a
hrst,rate traveller, and accustomed from boy.
hood TO such work. He knew the country
Well, and, for man of his strong cOnstitution,
terrors. At the crossing of the White Mud
he travelled had run short OF provisions, and
their sledS IN consequence OF deep snow, trav-
eled heavily, to push onward alone, with inten-
ton of sending back assistance from the fort
He followed the track correctly until nightfan
when he lost his way, probably in an attempt
to find shorter route; The following morn.
direction, and, after another night spent on
the plain, running about in circle to preserve
within thirty miles of the fort, and very far
distant from the track. Here hope seems to
have deserted him ; and having hung portion
OF his clothing on a tree to attract the atten-
frozen TO death. When the body was recovered
he lay with one hand on his heart, the OF ler
containing a compass.
The half breeds who found his body read by
his tracks in the snow the whole history of this
fierce fight for ltfe-read il with the same ease
that you read the account from the page De
fore YOU. There was not footprint or mark
anywhere but formed link in the chain OF
evidence. They knew from the varied hard
ness OF the snow about the mans tracks lust
he length OF the stride when he was walking
deliberately and when eXcitedly and adduced
theIeirHm the state OF mind he was in at the
time. They knew he had not taken proper
precaution to sustain his failing strength, be-
cause tue leather of his mittens and moccaSin
touched # was e easV S Sv th ea
experienced plain-dwellerS. too, that the poor
victim, on realizing himself as lost, must have
grown SO excited as to lose his presence of
mind. or he would have known his necessary
general position with reference to the river,
and have acted otherwise than he did. With
his practical knowledge of the use of a COM
pass, and of the country over which he trav-
eled, he could have brought himself to any
point he chose. But the dread terror of being
lost had deprived him OF reason in three DAYS
The time required to produce this effect va,
ries with different mental constitutions. l re-
call travelling across the prairie some years
extremely delicate physical organization and
unaccustomed to prairie travel We journey
ed by dog sledge, and usually turned some dis
lance OFT the main track into the timber to
camp After dinner one day, before the dogs
were harnessed to the sledgeS, the German
saying he would walk ahead short distance,
started OFT alone. When he reached the main
track, however. instead of going ahead, he un-
Willingly took the back track. Having lin
gered some time about the camp fire before
starting, lOurneyed on for somewhat over an
hour before deciding definitely that my com.
paniOn had taken the wrong direction. i at
once ordered the drivers to face about. After
nearly two hours travel we espied our man at
the distance OF hall mile from the road, in
| the deep snow, standing still. He made nc
effort to approach us when mOtioned to do so.
Not wishing to run the dogs into the deep
spQT, remained On.the trail with them, while
| Onoos the drivers went after him on snowShoes.
| He returned leading the unfortunate man by
| the hand in bewldered way, and saw at
bs s Ih sseaR T 81 ms lace
enced drivers shook their heads knowingly,
| with the remark that he would come around
all right alter time; IL was not until late
Of his faculties sufficiently to give any deScrip-
| ton of what had befallen him. He said that,
on realizing he was lost, he had suffered alter
nate parOXySmS of terror and despair, until at
| last reason had lett him and he recollected no
more.
Another incident, which occurred during
| the summer buffalo hunts may serve to illus.
rOr which Overtakes the lost. We had in our
| party very intelligent young Englishman, a
| former midshipman in the royal navy, but to-
| tally ignorant Of plain life. He was warned
| repeatedly, and perhaps unduIy, of the danger
| of becoming separated from the party. Dur
| ing the progress of the chase, however, he
wandered of by some means, and was unable
| to find his way back. This continued for two
hours only. When we found him again he ran
| from US like deer, and it was only after an
exciting chase on horseback that We succeed
! ed in catching him. He was clean daft, and,
| strangest Of all, his hair, before brown black,
was hleached an iron gray.
To any one not familiar with the plains, the
upon an uncbartered sea. The old, old maps,
| framed from the discoveries of Cabot and
America as vast Inland sea. erred only in the
description OF the ocean, which aey PI'it t, III
the central continent. The ocean a.. tnere
but 1t is one OF grass and waves of sand, al
shores are the crests of mountain ranges and
dark pine forests. Left alone upon the iIlimi-
table plain, passing by, in his ignorance of
prairie craft, those numberless mile stones to
safety which make the plain-dweller a great
putllc highway. the inexperienced traveller
begins at length to realize that he is lost. 1t
daWns upon him first in sense of absolute be-
produce Tor the moment an almost perfect
blank in the mind: He is incapable OF sum-
mOning thought sufficient to realize anything
to consider his present situation, or take
measures for future action. 1t is an inde-
Unable state where all is chaotic, quickly sue
ceeded, however, by that all pervading terror
nearly akin to death-a vague. shapeless terror
imagining all possible horrible things, and
painting misty aud haziy upon the numbed
faculties nameleSs miSerieS yet to be expert
enced :: a slow death by starvation or thirst;
exposure to the devOurlng elements or wild
beasts; fortunes of every Imaginable descrip-
above all, never more to snare human SYM
pathy-a going out in utter darkness, perfectly
alone. Then Despair joins Terror, adding her
tTftures; and, lastly, comes that all powerful,
au-pervading desire for human companion.
ship which blending with the former feelings,
unhlnges the intellect and renders the man in
sane.
In winter the dangers of the prairie deepen
and become manifold. The deep SHOWS oblit-
crate all landmarks. To the plain dweller
however, all the myriad features of the prairie
are but so many guide boards pointing out his
destination. He who runs may read. He has
the sun by day, the moon and the stars by
night. The turning of blade of grass points
him east or west; the bark of every tree north
and south; the birds of the air forecast the
weather for him. The minutest trail or track
is visible to him. He sees twig broken, and
1t tells the story of a passing animal; an up
turned pebble on the beach tells him the hour
when the animal drank. He will distinguish
the trail OF wagon on the prairie years after
1t has passed; the grass, he says, never grows
the same. There is not sigh of the restless
wind that is unintelligible to him. He will
take straight course in one direction over
the plains, where no landmarks can be seen
on days when the sun is not visible nor a
breath OF air stirring. The .half-breed or
Indian never gets lost. Ii he be caught In a
storm upon the plain, his escape becomes
simply question of physical endurance. OF
a lower order OF culture, and of solitary
naDlt, he is scarcely susceptible to the men,
tai torture that prOStrateS the white man. AS
an illustration of tliS fact, let me tell you the
story OF a half breed of my acquaintance.
This hybrid individual was by occupation a
rOyG9eur in summer, and trapper and hunter
IN the winter season. His mental calibre was
very ordinary being unable to read or write.
and his habit apathetic, living much alone.
TOW % Il l..xrs .eA-.