The Republican journal., 1881-06-09

but the wind blew the snow into the cuts
almost as fast as they dug it out. Their
snow plows were of little use; the drifts
packed so there was no beating through
them; nearly every engine available was
damaged IN some way, and the men must
work on. Meanwhile the settlers along
the line must Wait-a hard thing to do,
with both wood and provisions running
low, but they hoped it would soon be over
and supply come to them.
There came calm, still day, and they
hoped more than before. Smith went
to the little station again. A dispatch
had just been received saying the road
was nearly open, a train was within
twelve miles of them, a passenger train
that had been showed in on that road
two days with nothing to eat except
what little fruit the train boy had and q
barrel of crackers that happened to be
| on board-it was a mixed train and car
ried some freight, which accounted for
the crackers. Cyrus, taking advantage
| Of the lull in the storm, started fora little
town on the railroad six miles away, in
| the direction of the snow bound train.
| He went after supplies. Their stock was
| running very low, and it was utterly inn
| possible for a horse to get through the
drifts. lie went on foot, and deXpected to
bring the things Oh his back 1t was past
noon when he reached his destination
and be was very much fatigued, in fact,
| he thought he had never been so tired in
| all his life.
| "Come from up there six miles," said
the grocer when he told him how far he
had come. ''Good God, man, how did
| YOU get here Is there anyone alive up
there Nouse we're half buried alive"
| Cyrus thought so when he looked
along the street at the houses buried to
the second story windows, some of them
those that had such a thing.
"We'rc most out Of wood, too, been
burning lumber, furniture, anything we
could get hold Of Want something to
eat do you? Well, I'll let you have
| little, YOU can't carry much, of course,
but if you'd come yesterday, | wouldn't
let you had much anyway, we're so short
here, though | could not let folks starve.
But will have plenty tomorrow likely,
the train has moved up three miles to-
day since morning and they'll send a
freight right after them"
Cyrus was glad to hear of the more
| hopeful condition OF affairs.
"Lost any cattle up your way 2" asked
the man.
"Not yet" said Cyrus, eve hadn't
many, and they've managed to stand71t
so far, though it's pretty hard on them"
"Ion're lucky, now Jones down here
you don't know him, you're a new man
he's a cattle man, keeps $50 or 200
head all the time; he lost 1870 the first
night of the storm, went into the river.
Cattle will do that, keep going and going
to get out of the storm, and when they
come to the river the hind ones keep
pushing till they're all in. It's hard on
Jones. He wasn't ready for winter, none
Of us was"
Some one came rushing in to say the
lines were working again up to the
second town WesJ and they had only
half cord Of wood in town. Only two
fires they said, one in hardware store
the other in a saloon, and people who
could not crowd around them had gone
to bed to keep warm.
'If it only holds like this" said the
grocer, "and the wind don't blow, they
can get wood to them in a day OF two
The worst road is below here and they've
got that most clear; but if it blows
again, God help them; they're all goners,
every living one of them" The early
winter twilight had begun to darken the
bright, clear day. when Cyrus started for
home. The wind began to blow, too, and
the snow to whirl in a threatening way.
He settled his bag of provisions on his
back and tried to hurry on toward home
He had come by the sun in the morning,
but now that was gone, The road drifted
so full of snow one could not tell where it
had been, and far and wide only the track
less prairie, looking as much alike, no
matter which way he looked, as do differ
ent parts of the ocean, and as the wind
rose the snow flew and whirled about so
that he could not see ten feet ahead Of
him. Still he pressed on, trying to keep
his way. The snow cut against his face
and blinded his eyes and filled his foot
prints as soon as made. He had walked
until he was very tired and thought he
must be nearly home when he saw a
| light. That must be home and he hur-
rled on. He was almost up to it, or he
could not have seen it. 1t was in a small
house which he knew at once was not his
house. 1t seemed strange to him. He
opened the door and went in. 1t was the
grocery he had left-he could not tell
how long before.
"Given it up, have you ~ said the man.
~ think that's the best thing you can do
shows your heads level. Didn't look
much like it when you started to wade
six miles after sun down.
Cyrus looked at him contilsedIy. II
must be lost" said he, slowly. ~ thought
| had got home"
He held out his hands over the stove
to warm them.
"Look here, sir" said the man, coming
up to him and beginning to lift the bag
from his shoulders. "You stay right
here; it amt no kind of weather for a
man to be starting out over these per-
raries; you wait and have some supper
and 90 to bed and start out when you
have daylight; it'll be bad enough then
Sally" he called, opening door at the
back of the little store, ''can't you get a
bite for this man? He's got lost and
must stay all night"
Sally showed her rosy face at the door
and avowed her willingness to have the
bite ready in jitfy, but Cyrus protested.
He could not stay all night and leave his
Olu mOluef Oel dlOue III Indu lonesome
place to worry. He finally consented to
eat some supper and started once more
as soon as possible. The snow whirled
into the door behind him as he went out
"That's the end Of him, according to
my way of thinking" said the man, look
ing after Cyrus, but not seeing him. The
grocer went back and shut the door,
"Ths1l block the trains again; we're
all done for, | believe" said he, bitterly.
Cyrus wandered on and on again. The
snow beat in his face and blinded him,
but he did not stop, and once more, when
he felt he could travel no longer, he saw
the welcome light. Again he opened
the door, and again he was at the little
grocery.
'I thought | was at home this time"
said he slowly, and more confused than
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