The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-04-08
just now. Iwish you look At it, Ben, and

just now. I wish you look At it, Ben, and
see what's the matter"
"Why didn't you tell us beforer was the
indignant inquiry of Smith. Yer purity
cuss, to set a-gassin' thar 18th your broken
leg, a.tellin' us what you've done fur US, an
lettin' us lay round like . passed. o. coyote
pups waitin' fur Their grub"
An examination Of the injured limo
showed that the ankle had received severe
sprain-that was all. But the legs and feet
were terribly swollen from the pressure OF
the snOw-sh0e straps. Willing hands were
soon at work attending to the injuries.
Whisky was plentifully applied, and shires
were torn into bandages; and when Billings
and Martin, who had been officiating -
cooks, announced dinner, St0ddart was rest !
ing in comparative ease.
1t was glorious feast-that dinner In the
heart of the snow-mantled Sierras. And
perhaps throughout the length and breadth
of the world no dinner afforded more heart.
felt enjoyment, for it was eaten by famished
men. The vegetables were divided among
those afflicted with scurvy, Smith, Homer
them.
And no thought was taken of the morrow!
Had old Tom not promised that the relief
would surely reach them in q few hours
But the following day passed and NO relief
and binding snOw-storm raging.
Scarcely an hour went by during the day or
night that one or the other OF the snow.
bound did not force his way out into the
tempest and cry aloud for the help that it de.
layed. How feeble the voice of q human
sounds through the whirling snow flakes OF
mountain storm-how dull and dead, how
echoless! Hour after hour they shouted
nay, shrieked-from that lonely spot in the
piled to gladden. their sinking hearts. AND
still the snow-flakes fell, drifting, whirling,
driving.
Once more the pangs of hunger fastened
upon the vitals of these strong, all-enduring
men. On two occasions Ben Smith and
Jerry Homer-the only able-bodied men in
the camp-attempted to cross the Grizzly
range in the hope of meeting the relief, but
the storm drove them back. Even old Tom,
had he been as strong as he was two weeks
before, could not have beaten his way
through the tempest. Eight days had now
passed since that memorable feast, and the
condition of the men was truly pitiable.
Martin and Billings werelittle betterthan glib
bering idiots. Everything eatable had been
chewed to pulp and shreds, and those who
could least endure the frightful pangs that
racked them were chewing pine leaves and
fir twigs, which Smith (iron muscled)
brought in from the outside. Smith was the
only stay of the camp now, and even he
seemed about to succumb.
Then, like a horrid nightmare, the awful
problem was again mooted-nOt by innuendO
this time, but openly, with muttered curses,
by men who glared ravenOusly upon each
other, eager to ply the deadly knife to ap.
pease the now uncomfortable fever that ragged
within them. They no longer went to the
door. They were consulting who should die
to save the rest.
Gwen draw lots" said Ben Smith, in a
husky whisper. His tongue was thick and
black.
"Hurry up, then; we can't stand it much
longer. Let's know who it is" mOaned
Homer, in a gurgling, cracked voice, his
fleshless fingers clutching nervously, and his
dull eyes rolling in their sockets.
"No, no! Not while I live, boys-not
Stoddart put in his protest, as he crawled,
weak and almost helpless, from a corner
where he had been crouching during the
conversation. ''Pm old and useless, boys.
1've fought my fight. My end is near. And
if my old body can do anything to alleviate
your sufferings, you are more than welcome
to it. Let me be the victim"
"NO, Tom; you have earned the right to
live. We owe our miserable lives to you, "
said Homer.
"Tom, you've done too much for us al
ready. One of us must die for yOu-Only
one is needed. The relief will be on hand
soon enough after it is all over. It'll come
one life late-but what's the odds? We'd a
starved to death eff tibet life hedn't gone
out. -
"Then, boys, if you won't do it for me,
I'll save you the trouble. WANTED to die
like a soldier, as if my face were fronting
the foe; but you refuse, and 1 must sacrifice
myself"
Old Tom had raised himself to his feet
during these words, and gradually retreated
to the farthest end of the room. As he ut
tered the last words, his trembling hand
sought the bosom of his shirt, and before the
stupetied spectators could make movement
derringer cleaned beside his temple.
"Boys, the heart Of the Bruce put the
Moors to flight. The blood Of the Bruce
flows through my heart. May it put the de-
mons of famine to flight after old Tom is
gone"
He pulled the trigger, and crash-shouts
"a confused medley Of sounds, and rush
for the door. The cap on the derringer had
snapped. Old Toms life was saved. The
relief had arrived.
CHAPTER III.
A winter morning, 1877. Midnight had
lust passed, and the bells of Sonora were
Ginning merrily. Bonfires blazed, and oc-
casiOnally q rocket shot up, and, bursting,
fell in shower of brilliant stars. The town
was aglow. The people were celebrating
the birth of the Savior in good, old fas h
toned way. All was Joy, merriment, happi-
ness.
In miserable hut on the outskirts of the
town a man lay dying by inches. Crippled
by rheumatism, racked by thousand
agonies, ''and hungered and athirst," his
soul was tearing itself loose from decrepit,
useless, hopeless body. In the midst of rev.
elry, while jOy-bells pealed their melOdious
notes, the noble heart of hero was break
ing - forsaken by the world, starving
while surrounded by plenty, in supreme
despair.
'!'Oh, my God, why hast Thou forsaken
me' Oh, yes, you laughing bells, ring on,
ring on, but don't remind those who listen
that old Tom Stoddart is dying Of hunger
and thirst in hole where the sun can
scarcely penetrate for the cobwebs that cover
the window panes. They called ME crazy
what could 1 expect? What could a crack
brain, a poor, harmless idiot, expect from an
intelligent, high-sOuied, pure, and i'm
maclllate wOrldw
He paused, and fumbled under his pillow.
He drew forth derringer, caressed it trem-
blingly in the utter darkness, and resumed:
"The price of dinner-perhaps two. But
how can l use you to purchase them? What
messenger will come to bear you away where
death may be exchanged for the staple of
life? You played me false once, on similar
occasion. when despair gnawed at my vitals,
an OccaSiOn when If Won had done v0,,r dut y