Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-05-19


and, had my grist been ready, l could
easily have got home, as had promised,
before dark; but it was not yet ground !;
and when l told the Miller how disappoint-
ed was, and that we had not meal enough
in the house for more than two days, he
said if would wait he would try and have
bushel or SO ready for me by four O'Clock.
| thought of my timid wife, and lonely ride
In tn" dark, and half resolved to go home
-,'e and return the next day; but then,
.'esdes that it seemed foolish to make an
entire journey again to save few hours
there was by this time every appearance of
quick gathering storm, and it might be
impossible TO get back for the grist before
we should be actually suffering for the
want of bread; so, all things being duly
considered, l concluded to wait"
Now, as bad luck would have it, some
thing went wrong with the mill; and in
stead of getting my grist by four o'clock,
as promised. was detained till near eight.
by which time such a furious snow-storm
was raging, that the miller advised me, as
matter of safety, to remain till morning.
saying | might get into an impossible drift
and lose my life."
"'No,' said !, thinking of my poor,
anxious wife, trembling for fear in her
lionel ness, Il shall make the attempt at all
hazzards. ~
81 had a strip of woodland TO 60 through
for the first five miles, and | thought that
bad enough, assure you; but it was
nothing in comparison with the open PLAIN,
or prairie, which stretched away before me
for ten miles, to MY very door. Sadly
the wind howled and mnoaed among the
trees, il is true; yet they served TO break
its force, and in a measure protect me, as
guided my blind, stumbling horse along the
path which the light of the SHOW enabled
me to see; but when i reached the plain,
the storm burst upon me in all its terrible
fury, filed my eyes, cut my face, chilled
my blood, almost blew me down, and piled
the snow in drifts and ridges higher than
my head.
Il stopped and prayed-for somehow
felt that without Gods assistance | should
never get through and behold nv dear wife
lagain-and then | set forward with the
child-like reliance of one who has acknow-
legged his weakness and committed himself
to the care and guidance of a Supreme
Power
'.For short distance continued to ride;
but | soon found this would not do; fol
besides the fact that | could scarcely keep
my position, and felt my limbs and body
numb with the piercing cold, my poor horse
was beginning to stagger from the force
of the wind and his load together; so gol
down and led him forward, both of u:
stumbling more or less ON the clear ground,
and plunging and wallowing through ti.t
high drifts, which were every minute grow
ing higher and more difficult to surmount.
"In this manner had got over, as nisl
as could Judge, about three miles of prai
rie, when there came to my ears, born along
by the rushing blast, the distant bowling
of pack of wolves. Of all nights, such ;
night as this was the very one for thes'
ravenous beasts 10 get the courage to attaci
man, and my heart sunk and my leg
trembled. Had there been nobody excep
myself to think about. | could have put ;
pretty bold face on the matter, even from
the first but the thought of my poor Nan
cy being left alone to mourn for me, ant
perhaps starve to death and die by SLOW
arouies. seemed to take away all my hope
strength and courage; and when, minut
after stumbled and fell into drift, | la,
there for some time, hearing the storm roa
and the wolves howl still louder, and think
ing might as well die one way as another.
, but all at once, as lay there, trem
, bling like frightened hare, it occurred t
me that | was acting he coward and III
fool both. l was not dead yet, and VIII.
should die before my time came, withou
striking a blow in self-defensef With thl
, | Jumped up, shook off the snow from my
self and rifle, beat my armsaDd hands agalns
my breast to get some warmth into them
and then reprimed my piece, and fixed m.
, knife where | could grasp and use it in Al
instant"
I "By the time all this was done, tn
3 noise of the wolves had come good dea
nearer, and my poor, blind horse, as II h
knew what bloody fate was awaiting him
. snorted. cowerd and trembled-but, no
, being able to see. he did not attempt to rul
ayay. At first / thought of leaving hir
TO appease the hunger of the beasts Will
, made made my escape on foot; but
WAS Nv no means certain could escape 1
, this way: aud besides, it seemed absolu;el
1 necessary that 1 should take the meal hom
: with me; and so, after little considera
o ton. / resolved to mount him and max
: the hest defense 1 could. / got upon III
/. hack upon my knees, threw the oridle owe
: one arm, covered my rifle as well as
q could, and there, with the storm howlin
r past, and the snow fairly drifting over IN
= In sheets. | waited in terrible suspense tn
|, onset Of my foes"
81 did not have to wait long before | sa'
their eyesshining like Goals of fire all aroun
> me-. and heard. above the awful roar OF tf
q tempest, their barkings, snarling and grow
: ;noa as they danced about, leaping an
y ,umbling over each other, one minute vel
turing up close. and then falling back
alarm AZ / shouted to frighten them, but
= the time getting boIder and bolder, till
!, saw the struggle must come soon d
" pocrtrembling horse could not proect himse
r. in the iesst: for besides, as have said' tn
= be could not see, .s was now imbeded In
= - -. hoH of which Md crOWeQ