The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-04

around me, | tried 10 sleep. | began think
ing, ans could not sleep. The buffalo had
not come south that winter, and the wolves
were gannt and hungry As they follow a
hotseman over the plains In the summer, 50
they do In tho winter, only more of them
| and those great, gaunt famine breeders, the
gray pnd black ones. go In largely increased
numbers. had had a pack of them nj my
heels all day. and now they cropped ~ In
my thoughts.
hTlnally | slept. when I awokn II WINS
dark. Holding III my naked hand | felt The
10y sweat nj the blizzard strike sharply
against IT, The roar Of the wind still epn-
tinued could not 90 to sleep agaln and lay
waiting for dawn. ! waited 1t seemed To me,
for hnufa when suddenly felt my mare paw
my breast. | spoke kindly to her. saying she
had made n mistake. Soon che paved ma
again. and arose 10 find that all WINS dark !.
that | could not sec the white mare. Alarmed
struck match under my cloak md looked
down ~ 500 the blaze | saw nothing, but
The match burned my fingers. with u desc
late dependency realized the faet that the
glare OF the snow encountered for the pnst
few days had mado mo snow blind; that |
was fifty miles from the nearest house and
unable to see. that n furious storm was
ras l,,,,,, a,nas, ,v,,a Win hor,o, ,no,,uht
could hear tho antlfilnR of tho wolves and
the soft patter Of their feet below the Wild
shrek pf the aretic winds | was simply he-
nnmbod with terror. With my eYeasht In
full power should have Thought the slt,la-
ton dangerous Az II WINS. | considered It
hopeless. Iho mare recalled me- to myself
by rubbing her cold mulzie against my face
She aaw That something was wrong with mo,
hut what ahn could not comprehend. re-
solved 10 saddle her, to feed her, aud, after
she ate. % mount mud lot her take her own
course So fed her tho remaining measure
Of barley aud waited for her 10 cal Then |
saddled ~. and without brldling. mounted.
aud wrapping my cloak around me sat
steadily III the saddle, awaiting the risky
action of the high strung animal She stood
trembling until told her 10 20. ihen felt
her turn until tho leo drops struck obliuuely
on my right Rida and back. and she rapidly
walked OF. Nnth motion or movement did she
max tatllsnnmpnse my scat. wrapped IN my
cloak with hood drawn over my face warm and
encouraged with hope | patiently aat the
horse. | could now hnar tho snnrllng 0f the
wolves, ana my only fear was that They, rem
dered desperate by hunger, might attack The
mare | dismissed The thought, would not
think Of It. II they did attack ua. we were
lost II they did not. thought we were safe
All day tho blizzard ragged and tore tclly
around and On ta. Tho mnre walked rapidly
Or cantered slowly Oh 1t scanned to me TINT
wa had been travelling for days for weeks
oven, when the mare stopped md neighed
loudly. Reaching forward felt the rough
atoakade. Dlsinouutlng ! felt the hinges Of
The gate Loudly | called. Then took my
rifle FROM Tho saddle and rapidly handled
cartridges Into It, At lasta sleepy voice from
the inside called. Who liz theref ! answered.
Burr and | am dead snow-bllnd. Como to
me- They came and was saved saved q
second time by the white mara. Do you
wonder that 1, not having tho Sioux maiden.
ipYo her tnafeY
| ant by tho bright fire with my feet high
on stool, and did not answer simply sat
aud smoked. aud thought Of tho girl, OF the
man, pf tho mare. Leaving mo thinking
Burr went to sleep In his chair with u solt-
auru face.