Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-12-03

tempest burst upon me with the deaf.
enlng roar of thousand eataracts
Sleet, snow and hail were all com
bined.
Trembling with alright, nv mule
turned stern to the gale and refused to
take another step. In an instant, We
were coated with snow and ice. The
first gust carried away my hat; and the
hail stones. striking on my unprotected
head, nearly beat me to the earth; while
my hunting-shirt soaked with the sleet
freze like sheet Of zinc.
After vain efforts to make the mule
move, I abandoned him to his fate, and
started to climb the low crags and find
the pine. fancied it would afford me
more shelter than tine scattered and
bare cotton.woods; and l knew that i,
was impossible to make my way to camp.
For though it was not yet dark, the
binding clouds Of snow obscured all
objects at distance of a few yards.
= Half-smothered by the blast, !
clam bered up the crags to the plateau,
and then began to beat about to find
the pine; but SO thick WAS the storm
that it was only by good fortune that l
at length ran upon it. l could hardly
have gone much farther, for in the
brief time / was cropping about, snow
had fallen on the plateau to the depth
of at least two feet. 1t was already
above my knees. Avalanches Of it
seemed sifted down at every gust.
crawled in beneath the dropping
boughs of the pine, and planting my
self with my back to the trunk of the
tree, curled my body into as small a
ball as possible, expecting little less
than to perish there.
"There was something, to me, super
natural in the way the tempest roared
and raved, and belched forth its tor.
rents of fine snow. Darkness settled
around; but never for a moment did
the gale cease to thrash and twist the
pine, as if determined to tear it up.
But for its shelter, could never have
lived, even for half an hour.
but the very fury and quantity of
the snow-drift proved my salvation. l
was conscious that was being inclosed
eli all sides, drifted over-buried. The
broad, dropping boughs bent down and
ceased to sway and whistle.
ACuCACu OuUs duu COulu lGei tut
green boughs pressed down about me.
Nor was so uncomfortably cold, now.
l could have fallen asleep, but dared
dot do so. The storm still roared; but
its howl seemed mellowed and deadened
as if we're far below it.
"For hours l sat there with my head
on my knees, half unconscious, like
those animals which sleep through the
winter. Once in the night 1 thought
of my pipe, and getting 1t out, lighted
it with matches from o vial which I al
ways carry tightly corked when out on
prospecting tour.
THAT reused me somewl at; for az
ter few whifs, nearly choked my
self with my own smoke, pent up in so
close space. Indeed. got the full
benefit Of that pipeful. After that,
came long browse, ia which was
neither asleep nor yet awake.
q" Once, later. reused, thinking that
above the muff1ed roar of the storm,
heard the piercing howl of wolves. But
OF the most of that terrible night, nv
recollection is like that of disturbed
dream, when ages OF life seem to pa So
away in strange, troubled experiences,
Some OF the time I may have been.
indeed. asleep; ana I no longer heard
the wind. The idea that L and the
whole earth were buried to some vast
depth in the snow took possession of
me; it seemed q second food of snow
which had covered the world over the
tops Of the highest mountains.
From these half.delirious fancies
I was finally aroused by snort and a
yelp, close at hand. followed by a sound
OF eager digging. All was dark about
me. But as my situation gradually
came to my mind, concluded that il
must be wolf; and then thought of
the deer meat which l had hung no in
the top of the pine. which he had
probably scented.
with the butt of my rifle, 1 began
poking up through the snowy roof
above me; and after thrusting and
treading about for ten or fifteen min
utes. stove hoe which suddenly let
in binding flood of light.
d" It was morning. Through nv hole
could see the iskyfu of wild, broken
clouds, rolling past. 1t had ceased to
snow, and the wind had lulled. En-.
larging my hole, I at length crawled
ont OF my cave, into daylight; and 10!
few PAGES off. sitting at the windwari
OF the tree, where the snow was not
very deep, was large white wolf, who
was regarding my operations with much
seeming curiosity.
:" l instantly levelled my piece at the
animal. but it snapped merely, at which
he showed his teeth and greeted me
with an ugly snarl. He was a big,
gaunt beast, and no doubt felt vastly
disappointed in finding me alive. His
tracks showed that he had been leapine
for the meat in the pine, but could not
quite reach it.
Il Snapped my rife again at him
then took out the cartridge and at.
tempted to put in another; but NV
paper sheathed cartridges were wet and
useless; in fact. my clothes were soaked
with wa'rr from the snow melting
about me.
:" Finding my gun of no avail for
shooting. | dubbed it and advanced
step towards the animal. He was not
at all dismayed at my demonstration.
but bristled and grinned and stood his
ground. 1t was, as have said a laroe