The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-12-23
Lost in the Snow.

My life has been full OF strange advent
lures; for since was a lad of sixteen, till
reached tho ago cf sixty y-eight-morc
than half century, was In the employ
Of the Hudson's Bay Fur Company. Some
times l acted as GIL Indian trader; but for
many years followed trapping and pack
ing.
lam now eighty-ive, and still hale
and hearty old man. 1t is true that can
not stow away 80 large quantity of buf-
falo beef as once could; but even vet
can hold my own with younger men at
the trencher.
Sometimes, with few choice comrades,
would seek the trapping grounds of the
Shayenne or Asslniboin Indians, and trade
with them for their peltries, which would
sell again to the Company's agent at a con-
siderable profit. At other times, while
drawing yearly salary from the Hudson's
l}ay agent, would be frequently sent in
charge of dog-trains to distant points, to
bring In the pelts from various caches
r'hiding places'') where our trappers and
hunters had deposited them.
On one occasion was ordered to 20 thus,
with large train and two companions, from
temporary post Oh the Moose River, a
branch of the Red River, westward, to one
OF the northern branches of the Missouri.
s'omc Of our men had, thsa'@inter before,
lI.ade long cache of otter and beaver
skins on the banks of that stream, and early
10 the spring was directed to bring them
in.
One of my companions, D'Arville, hatl'
been of the autumn party; he was therefore
sent with me as guide. The other,
Fnlardeau had not been long III the employ
Of the Company, but was permitted to &C
company us, at his own request, being
desirous, as he said, to learn the country.
We reached the stream, and found the
caches all right; and. after stopping for
few days, to rest our dogs and recruit them
on good feed of buffalo meat, we started
again on our return to the trading post.
when ON reaching one of the northern
heads OF the Shaycnne, DArvilie the guide
remembered having been told by one Of his
comrades Of former trip. that, by taking
another route eastward from that stream,
we could shorten our distance to the Red
River; we struck out in that direction. The
route would take us through trceless
prairie of many miles extent. None Of us
had ever attempted it before; but we would
have had no difficulty in crossing it had
not binding snow storm set In with such
violence and frequent changes of the wind
that, after struggling along for two days,
with no cessation of it, we became con-
fused, and the guide confessed that he knew
not where we were. In short, We wero
lost; and that under tho most unpleasant
of all circumstances; upon wide and un-
known plain, Oh which, even were it not
Tor the binding storm, no landmarks cx-
listed to direct our steps.
On encamping the first night on this des-
olate track, we secured our dogs around us
and were all 30 completely showed In that,
on the return of day, 1t was with much Ia
Dor that we could dig our way again to tho
surface. The snow had fallen TO the depth
of Ave feet.
TO proceed with our sleGgcs was out of
the question, Tor the spring snow, contlnu-
ally falling, was without crust. Leaving,
therefore, the slcdges and packs behind us,
just as wo had detached the dogs from them
tho night previous, we whistlcd Oh our
faithful animals, and started onward, hop
Ing, soon as the storm should abate, to 10
able to continue our way towards the fort.
But the snow continued to fall, TIL 1t be-
came impossible without snow-shocs, how
We were to proceed. We therefore dug down
to the ground, and determined to encamp
till the snow should have worn itscf out,
and the surface bo hard enough to bear our
weight, or so long as our scanty supply of
buffalo beef should hold out. We were
soon buried beneath tho snow drift again.
but our dogs, with tho true instinct Of thor
species, struck out for the fort. Had 1t
been possible for us TO have followed them,
they would have conducted us safely on
our right course.
30 we renamed four days without food,
tho storm continuing On the night OF tho
fifth day, wrapping ourselves up In our
blankets and buffalo robes, wc threw our
selves down recklessly to die; for death was
staring US all In tho face. Desparing OF
ever seeing the light OF another day, wo
closed our oyes, and wero soon lost In for
getfulness. But still another day arrived
to us---but to two of us only; for beside me,
wrapped In the samo robe, lay tho body of