St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1878-03-09

Oaks was accustomed to dwell, were al |
marked in her new testament, and TN
derscored with a pencil. High spirited
and able to handle rifle or a revolver
on occasion, she was sincere Christian
in most respects, and quite in her ways.
She sat, with the testament spread
open on her lap and the Christmas eve
supper growing browner in front of the
fire, until nearly eight o'clock. Then,
as mighty throe of the storm threatened
to wrench the cabin from its foundations,
she started up with cry:
"Jim! Why, Jim was to be of at
Wild Swan Gulch this afternoon. He
was going to get us some feathers for
Christmas. All, God! It is eight
o'clock. And the Storm How ever
can he find his way home?"
Springipg to the door, she lifted the
latch and drew it toward her. The mass
of snow which had been piled against it
tell in and streamed across the floor, and
the blast, driving in more snow extin>
guished the candle.
"Hah !"
In few moments she had managed to
sweep away part of the drift and close
the door. Then she relit the candle.
Next she threw off her dress and petti>
coats. Going now to an old herse>hide
covered trunk in corner, she pulled out
of it her husbands spare suit-the
clothes in which he won the three thou
sand at faro which let him marry and
start with his bride across the Missis-
sippi. She dressed herself in them, and
put on the long leather boots Jim wore
when he worked in the sluices then his
old cap, tied close to her head with a
comforter then her own shawl and nit
tens. Lighting her lsntern and taking
shovel she opened the door again, and
attacked the drift until it yielded far
enough to let her latch the door behind
her.
The night was awful. She could see
nothing through theskurry. She hardly
dared turn her face to the yelling blast.
She thought of getting some one to ac>
company her, but the camp lay some
distance out Of her line. Moreover, she
knew the country in every direction.
She could feel her way anywhere, if nee
cessary. Besides, she had her lantern !;
that would enable her to distinguish OBJ
jects within a small circle. Tuning
resolutely in the direction of Wild Swan
Gulch, she set out to find her husband
and guide him home.
As she emerged from the canyon and
gained the level of the surrounding
broken plain, strange pause came. 1t
seemed as though the winds had sud.
denly forsaken the neighborhood and
gone Keeling away into the mountains.
She took advantage Of this sinister calm
to hurry onward at run. Out 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 !"
Again, with all the might OF her voice,
she lifted the plainsman's call:
"Yip, zip, pip-ya-hoo, Jim"
| No answer
Then the TEMPEST rushed round her
in battling, ferocious whirl of sound
and wind and snow.
In the meantime Jim Oaks had been
at one of his old diversions. Having re.
turned from Wild Swan Gulch with a
splendid trophy in the shape of black
billed swan drake, he was .lounging to-
ward home when the storm came on, and
stopped in at the last saloon as usual, to
get 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 a
night at poker, and Jim sat down and
took a hand.
"It's kind O. rough on Miner'v," be
thought once, about midnight, "leavin'
her alone up thar such a night as this.
Never mind; she'll worry it through, !
reckon"
But when the man entered bis cabin
next morning and stared toward the bed
with peace offering (his winnings) ex-
tended in his hand, he was completely
stunned by what he saw. The UNI
touched bed, the freless 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 8 long while. All night,
p'raps-in the storm. o, Minerv'l!"
Out he sprang through the doorway.
The storm was over. The air was clear.
still, and bitterly cold. The sun was
rising. He cast one strenuous look
around the narrow horizon, then plunged
through the drifts toward the camp.
Minerv'l!" he shouted. "Haye
any of you seen Minerv'l?"
Immediately the camp reused itself