St. Landry democrat., 1880-03-27

9, after coming seven and a half miles
when we were only one and a hal
miles from the cabin whose shelter we
were seeking, my horse, which had thu:
far been leading, and had faithfully
scented the trail under the deep snow
gave way in a snow-bank and fell back
ward on me, pitching my gun, carried
across my saddle, some six or eight fee1
to the rear.
The animals here tloundered about
completely eXhausted; and, with the
storm growing worse and worse, We
could 60 no farther While off fifty Oh
one hundred yards, looking for the road
in the snow, / lit match in my hat
when l heard Connolly yell out
." Ihere's the cabin! There, Judge
look quick! See the ight?' Never
have | heard more joy in any ones
voice in my life. Alas it was evil.
o'-the-wisp," for my match went out in
a moment, and | could not find the road
nor were either of the others success.
full.
We were compelled to stop till day
light; but what a q camp!" No food,
trees about, and all the small bushes
were under the snow. Tying our poor,
exhausted animals to rocks, we quickly
threw down our bedding on a bare
piece OF ground. Itook out my shelter
tent, put it under the .Judge-poor fel-
! low!-and over him my overcoat, I'M
derneath his buffalo-robe. My feet were
so wet and cold, and my boots so full
of snow, that took them off-an I'M
| wise move. Although we covered our
selves completely with our bedding,
well tucked in, so fine was the snow, so
high the gale and piercing wind, that it
blew through and through, and froze
my blankets and buffalo-robe to the
canvas sheet covering them. 1t was
about thirty-tive degrees below zero
and how the storm howled during the
long hours of the night! 1t was like the
moaning of the surf during a fearful
storm coming from the sea-like the
noise and rush of a passing train as you
step aside from the railroad-track to let
1t pass. 1t was a long and terrible Satur-
day night. About eight O'Clock Sunday
morning the Judge uncovered me and
called for me to jump up-that he and
Connolly were about to start for the
cabin on foot, leaving every thing. My
boots underneath my bedding were
frozen stiff. warmed them little by
rubbing them rapidly in my hands, and
finally forced them on my frosted feet
My fingers were frozen, too, and, as my
ears were frosted last winter and in the
winter before by the Rocky Mountain
cold, am getting somewhat unanimous,
so to speak. My boots on, | jumped up,
but refused to 60 on, as we searched
in vain for the road, and the
storm still ragged in all its fury, and
storm, nor look at all against it; and 50
we all jumped under our bedding again.
The Judge was so cold that he came
and laid down upon my bed, pulling his
robe over him, fairly groaning in his
suffering His hands were white with
cold, and he was warming them in his
mouth, trembling and shiyering from
head to foot. At nine O'Clock he and
Connolly again started, promising, if
they reached the cabin, to send out q
guide with food to take me in. This
time they left for certain, and, going to-
ward the mountains, found the road at
last and reached the cabin. An hour
after they had gone, noticing that the
storm had lifted a little, took out my
compass in bed, and, getting the course
to Errett's from my notebook, got the
bearing as closely as | could. Getting
up quickly, put on my overcoat, but
was unable to button it. 1t was so in
tensely cold that my hands were by that
time powerless, and / started off on a
trot that ceased as the snow grew deep
er. / took along my dog, which was
lying under the foot of my bed, with
me, but left, as did the others, horses,
mules, bedding and guns.
Faithful dog, mans true friend in dis
tress! He is the same "Dash," a red
Irish setter, that went south with Steele
with Merritt's command to rescue the
besieged Thorn burgh's command in the
pits at Mill Greek, and was there re-
cognized during the Indian firing, and
brought back by Captain Lawson to
Fort Steele. Finding the direct line to
the cabin was full of snowdrifts that |
was too weak to cross, | took to the left,
over hills from which the snow had
d1ifted off-my dog leading me, running
ahead, and then returning as if to hurry
me on. Now and then, where the snow
was soft and very deep, he would
founder helplessly and moan, as he did
during the storm and the long hours of
the night, and then follow behind me.
But, finding | was too slow, he would
hurry ahead and then return for me.
Too weak with frosted hands to button
my overcoat-for, as the snow touched
my gloves, it froze-I went ON with the
wind; but, when had to partly face it
to turn toward the cabin, so great was
the gale that it blew me down, and
there was no way but to crawl at times.
And SO, through the deep snow
and over ridges, / finally
reached the haystack, less than
half square from the cabin. The
latter could not see, for the air was
thick with drifting snow. | therefore
lay down beside the fence until lull in
the storm let me discover the house,
which [ reached as soon as possible, to
The surprise of all inside, for party
was about to start out to hunt me. Our
stock and bedding were subsequently re-
and, the pack-train not arriv-
ng at camp, l left for Fort Steele for