Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-07-16

through almost horizontally, and seemed
| las if they would never fall. Colder, ever
grew the wind, and depser the air as the
ice particles thickened. / sought shell
ter in the rocks. Buckllng the clothing
on the mare turned her loose, knowing
that she would not leave me- Then I lay
down on my blankets, and wrapping my
beaver cloak around me, tried to sleep.
Ibegan thinking, and could not sleep
The buffalo did not come south that
winter, and the wolves were gaunt and
hungry. As they follow horseman
over the plains in the summer, so they do
in the winter, only more Of them, and
those great, gaunt famine breeders, tho
gray and black ones, go in largely In
creased numbers. ! had had a pack OF
them at my heels all day, and now they
cropped up in my thoughts.
|. ''Finally I slept. When l 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 wind
fstill continued. I waited, it seemed to
me, for hours, when I suddenly felt my
mare paw my breast. I spoke kindly to
her, saying she had made a mistake.
Soon she paved me again, and L rose to
find that all was dark, that I could not
see the white mare. Alarmed, struck
match under my cloak and looked
down to see the blaze. I saw nothing
but the match burned my fingers. With
desolating dependency I realized the
fact that the glaze of1the snow encount-
cred fer 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 I could hear the shifting Of tie
wolves, and the soft patter of their feet
below the wild shrek of the Arctic
winds. Twas simply benumbed with ter
rOr. The mare recalled me to myself by
rubbing her cold muzzle to my face She
saw that something was wrong with me,
but what she could not comprehend. l
resolved to saddle her, to feed her, and,
after she ate, to mount her and let her take
er own course. 20 I fed her the remaining
measure of barley, and waited for her to
eat. Then saddled up, and, without
bridling, mounted, and, wrapping my
cloak around me, sat steadily in the sad
die, awaiting the risky action of the
hlgh-strung animal. She ctood trembling
till l told her to 60. Then I felt her turn
until the ice drops struck obllquely on
my right side and back, and she rapidly
walked of. Not motion or movement
did shel make to discompose my seat.
Wrapped in my cloak, with hood drawn
over my face, warm and encouraged with
7 oof
could now hear the snarling of the wolves,
and my only fear was that they, rendered
desperate by hungry, might attack the
mare. dismissed the thought-would
not think Of it. If they did attack us
VIC were lost; if they not, I thought
we were safe. All day the 'blizzard' ragged
and tore icily aronnd us. The mare
walked rapidly or cantered slowly on.
It seemed to me that We had been travel
ing for days, for weeks, even, when the
mare stopped and neighed loudly. Reach
ing forward l felt the rough stockade;
dismounting, felt the hinges Of the
gate. Loudly I called. Then took my
rifle from the saddle, and rapidly han
died cartridges into it. At last sleepy
voice from the inside called who is there?'
I answered Burr, and I am dead snow
blind. Come to me- They came and
was saved-saved for tho second time by
the white mare. Do you wonder that I,
not having the Sioux maiden, love her
mare?
I sat by the bright fire, with my feet on
a stool, and did not answer-simply sat
and smoked, and thought of the girl, OF
the man, of the mare. Leaving me think
ing, Burr went to sleep in his chair with
softened face.-Frank Wilkeson Argo-
nHut