The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1880-01-17

rem until 1 diamounted to the west o
the Pass. The girl saved me. With any
other horse | should have been recaptur
ed and burned. | have not forgot thu
girl. The love | have for her the mare
has instead. | returned to my post, and
made no trade in the Yellowstone thai
year.
Again. Last winter the snow was on
the ground i'll January, and for three
days l had been hunting or running
antelope. The sun was very bright, and
my eyes hurt me. | saw specks floating
about. Little chains with small Links
were constantly before me. My ewes
burned smartly when l returned to the
agency. Daily while hunting | had
seen the low black clouds in the north
| that indicate the formation or marshal
ling of the winds of the frozen north.
Daily the south wind swept them be-
yond the northern horizon; but the next
morning found them looming portent-
ously Iii the northern sky. On my
return to the agency | found runner
had just got in from Belly river, in
British America, with important news
for me. l started the next morning.
My eyes hurt dreadfully.
always go to the Belly River when
the snow is on the ground by the way of
the Sweet Grass hills, and there camp
one night. One side of the hills is always
bare of snow, and there is good spring
Of water on the northern side of the
center hill. A strong south wind was
blowing when | started, but by noon |
saw the clouds to the north suddenly
rise up. | knew that the marshaling of
the north winds WAS completed, and
they were eager for the assault on the
soft south wind. On came the north
cloud. The south wind still blew fierce
ly, but 1t could not stem the assault from
the arctic region. Birds blew south
before the storm, antelope and deer were
running for shelter. | had reached my
camping ground, and stood looking far
off to the north, seeing the landmarks
disappear one by one as the head of the
blizzard reached them and shrouded
them in its icy breath. a calm. Then
with a mighty rush and loud noise the
head Of the blizzard swept past me.
The air was filed with particles of ice
that cut through almost horizontally,
and seemed IS if they would never fall.
Colder, ever colder, grew the wind, and
denser the air as the ice particles thick
ened. | sought shelter in the rocks
Buckling the clothing on the mare |
turned her loose, knowing that she would
not leave me. Then lay down on my
blankets, and, wrapping my beaver cloak
around me, | tried to sleep. / began
thinking, and could not sleep. The
buffalo had not come south that winter;
and the wolves were gaunt and hungry
AS they follow a horseman over the
plains III summer, 80 they do in the
winter, only more of them-and those
great, gaunt famine breeders, the gray
and black ones, 90 in largely increased
numbers ] had pack of them at my
heels all day, and now they crept up in
my thoughts.
FINALLY 1 slept. When I awoke it
was dark. Holding up my naked hand,
I felt the icy sweat of the blizzard
strike sharply against it. The roar of
the wink still continued | could not
go to sleep again, and | lay waiting for
dawn. l waited, it seemed to me, for
hours, when l suddenly felt my mare
paw my breast. | spoke Kindly to her,
saying she had made q mistake. Soon
she paved me again, and arose to find
that sill was dark, that | could not see
the white mare. Alarmed, | struck a
match under my cloak and looked down
to see the blaze. / saw nothing, but
the match burned my fingers. With
desolate dependency I realized the fact
that the glare Of the snow encountered
for the past few days had made me snow
blind; that [ was fifty miles from the
nearest house, and unable to see; that
furious storm was raging.
"Stupid, almost wild with horror, l
thought | could hear the snufing Of the
the wolves, and the soft patter Of their
feet below the wild shrek of tie arctic
winds. | was simply benumhed with
terror. With my eyesight in full power
| should have thought the situation dan
gerOus. As it was. | considered it hope
less. The mare recalled me TO myself
by brushing her cold muzzle against my
face. She saw that something was wrong
with me; but what she could not COM
prehend. I resolved to saddle her, to
feed her, and, after she ate, to mount
and let her take her own course. So
fed her the remaining measure of barley
and waited for her to eat. Then / sad
led up, and without bridling, mounted,
and wrapping my cloak around me, sat
steadily in the saddle, awaiting the frisky
action of the high rung7animal. She
stood trembling until ] told her to go
Then felt her turn until the ice drops
struck obliquely on my right side and
back, and she rapidly walked off. Not
a motion or movement did she make to
discompose my seat. Wrapped in my
cloak, with hood drawn over my face,
warm and encouraged with hope, /
patiently sat on the horse. | could now
hear the snarling of the wolves, and my
only fear was that they, rendered des-
perate by hunger, might attack the mare.
/ dismissed the thought, would not think
of it. If they did attack Us, we were
lost; if they did not, / thought we were
safe. All day the blizzard ragged and
tore Jelly around and on us. The mare
walked rapidly or cantered slowly on.
ing for days, for weeks even, when the
mare stopped and Deighed loudly
Reaching forward felt the rough stock
ade. Dismounting | felt the hinges of
the gate. Loudly | called. Then | took
my rife from the saddle and rapidly
handled cartridges into it. At last 3
sleepy voice from the inside called,
Whoi is thereP l answered Burr and
l am dead snow blind. Come to me-
They came, and / was saved-saved for
the second time by the white mare. Do
you wonder that |, not having the Sioux
maiden, love her mare?"
| sat by the bright fire with nv feet