The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-03-17
CAUGHT In A. BLIZZARD.
a Prairie Experieaoe.-Tho Peculiar storp.
for Which tho West Is Motel.

A Prairie Ezperienoo.-Fhe Peculiar storu,
for Which tho West Is Motel.
y
had ridden on at q sharp trot for
two or three hours, and had jumped of
to tighter girth, when, looking.o the
! north; ] Aav wall of white sweeninp oye,
I the dark ground like q bank Of cloud.
Everything it touched was shut off in an
instant. The great white curtain moved
across tho divide like the wind. There
was na need to look twice, for knew
that it was the skirmish line of snow.
storm, and that there was only one
| chance fer me. Snatchiug out my pock.
ct compass, laid it on the ground TO
| steady it, and then looked for Something
TO lay q course to.
Away 10 ttN southeast was "streak'
OF timber. Timber meant houses and set.
tiers and shelter. I had hardly time to
note the exact point of the compass
| where it lay before was shut in by the
binding drift.. The snow was fine and
lriven In whirling =teats by the wind.
Il cut and stung my face like needles.
For few minutes had to draw the cape
OF piy overcoat over my head and crouch
down behind Dick. Tho driving wind
loaded with powdery snow would take
ones breath away in an instant. But
hard as it was to face the storm, knew
it would not do TO stand still long, for
the wind was chilling me fast. -
At frat it was nothing but whirliug.
choking mass Of binding snow through
which ! could not see ten yards, but with
the bridle.rein over ono arm l started
forward on dog-trot. II was rough
work, for the ground was frozen and
stumbled over every little bump and
hummock of EARTH But it helped shake
of the terrible chill and numbness that
was settling over me.
A mile or so Of this bard work tired
me out. Besides, I was all the timc los.
ing my direction, for there was nothing
by which TO lay course. At times
there would be slight hill, then could
see two or three hundred yards ahead,
but the next moment would be gasping
for breath in 6 snow-laden gust that
would hide tho ground I stood on.
Looking ut the compass in one of the
frequent stops, noticed that the wind
was blowing nearly in ths direction I
wanted to 60. Desperate enough to
take II as guide, I climbed into tho
eaddle and gave Dick the rein. He
broke into run, taking me straight
before the wind. Bewildering enough it
was though when the cutting blasts
came from four sides at once. Often
would rein up and look at the compass
TO mako sure of my route, for the strip of
timber had seen was small enough to
bs easily missed. Chilled and benumbed
would slip to the ground and run few
hundred yards to warm up, and then re.
mount and ride on headloDg and blindly
| Night would come all the sooner that
there was such need ofIight, and knew
there was no chance of living through it
unsheltered. 1t was growing colder
every hour, and it was only question of
how long l could keep moving. There
was not even the poor chance of living
down and letting the Bnow cover one.
for the wind swept the frozen ground
clear rs fast as it fell.
It was while riding crouched forward
in the saddle and blinded by whirling
| snow-bank that felt something brush
past my knee. 1t was the branch of a
scrub oak in the edge Of the woods. I
had ridden blindly, but we'll. t
Now TO find cover, for l know there
must be house of como kind not fa,
away. l rode straight into the woods
for short distance and came out on the
edge of lake, or. what seemed to be one
Keeping along near the shore, ! looked
for q road. The belt of the woods broke
the force of the wind, but the snow was
sitting down in clouds, and under the
trees it was already getting dark. must
make good use of the little daylight left.
Diamounting / led Dick among the trees
looking for any opening that would show
where O road was cut through or clear.
ing made. There was not even the poor
consolation of tripping over stump.
Suddenly bumped against something
breeut high. Itwas "poSt and pole" fence
made of posts set eight feet apart with
poplar pol"% nailed on instead of
boards. 1t meant that 1 was within q
stones throw of house. A few yards
brought me to O haystack and little
clearing. Stumbling about, half dazed
by the cold and storm, ! found log
cabin, and gave the door kick with my
heavy boot. It opened instantly, and a
brawny. bearded man pulled me in and
shut it, and without wasting g gord
looked over me to see if was fTostbitten
anywhere.
Luckily was not, aud few minutes
was enough to thaw the ice from my face
and let me find out that I was In the
cabin-ofa Wisconsin settler. on the shore
of Swan Lake.,
Il would hardly interest the reader to
hear how spent the next week. Iknow
that for three days we only stirred out oi
the house to 60 to the stables three times
day to feed and water tho horses and
cattle, and then only to f.d the blizzard
raging ia full vigor. I know, too, that
before 1t was possible to travel again I
had finished all the reading matter to be
had, consisting of an old file of the
Weekly Tribune, and in sheer despera.
ton commenced on the advertisements.