The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-03-02

was brewing along the mountain tops
above my head. My horse was gone, my
rifle, pistol, knife, gone; only my dog
remained, and faithful to the last, fol.
lowed as I slowly and painfully trod the
descending trail in the direction of the
river.
Suddenly amid wild roar OF wind
and creaking of trees and whirl of freez-
ing snow, the storm burst, and in its
fury swept me from my feet, and rolled
me, crying and shouting, far down the
canyon side, until great boulder caught
and held me.
Then it ragged on.
Fierce and relentless the wind tore
through the forest, pitiless and cold the
snow fell, and except had dragged my
broken and bruised body into cravasse
of the ledge, I had died where I lay.
Then even blacker than ever fell the
storm, and ragged INCREASINGLY through
all the slow hours OF the day, until night
came second time to cast its pail on
the scene. And as the darkness crept
up from the east my dog, who all the day
had lain at my feet, deserted me, speed
ing away through the shadow of snow.
/ was alone.
And SO, faint, wounded, cold, despair
ing, as the moments grew life fickered,
and when at last midnight broke my
lamp went out. Again I lay unconscious.
All night the gale continued, and not
until the dawn of the second day dld it
cease, when the newly fallen snow lay
deep and white over all.
Within the deep crevasse of the rock,
sheltered from the cold white death, and
yet beneath it, I lay motionless. Above
me the storm had spread shroud SO
thick that no ray of light penetrated to
my tomb. Half frozen, in dreamless.
painless sleep, the forerunner of swift
coming rest, mere wreck of man, I
was stretched upon rock, and the CLINT
of the sunshine among the pines or the
wild beasts of the forest mattered naught
to me. When my eyes opened they be-
held nothing, when my hands were out
stretched they touched only the stone
and the snow, when my tongue cried out
no ears listened. Again was entombed,
and this time by an enemy more relent-
less than Black Dan even, by hands
more stern and pitiless than his. Fate
and the storms of the mountain combined
against me. I was buried second time,
but now with death for q companion.
I knew that I could not escape, and
the very thought quieted me.
There was no struggle, no moaning,
no agony; only dull recklessness and
want of care for life that betokened the
depth of my despair. Twas dying. Slow
ly the moments passed. My thoughts
were few and simple-thoughts of fire
and food, thoughts of home and friends
and comfort, thoughts of things warm
and bright, but even these wers fading
and my mind was YEARLY wrapping it
self in the cloak of annihilation, and my
body was sinking toward inanition when
bit of snow fell upon my upturned
face.
Lad it been fire it could not have
aroused me more quickly.
The next instant more fell, and still
more, and then light began to CLEAN,
and / heard the hurrying scrape of feet
mingled with low whining.
Don had returned and was digging me
out.
The revulsion of feeling was terrific.
A moment before had lain passive in a
tomb, looking for death, now I fought
and tore at the loosening SHOW like
mailman, mad with the thought of life.
Nearer and nearer came the rescuing
feet, deeper grew the pile of snow be-
meath me, brighter the light above. The
whining was mingled with growis now.
Don had friends to aid him. The barrier
was but three feet thick-two-one, it
was gone, and even as breathed the air
of heaven and my heart leaped within
me and my lips uttered a glad cry, a
dozen gaunt forms crouched before me
gnashing their cleaning fangs. I had
been rescued by pack of mountain
wolves.
For a single instant [ surveyed my
enemies I, weak, wounded and unarmed
they strong, hungry and ferocious,
dozen to one-and then with yell 1
sprang into their midst.
1t was the act of madman, but was
mad. Death should tear me limb from
limb now, and with brave hands clutch
ed at the first grey monster before me,
and grasped his shaggy throat as with
hands of steel seeking to throttle him.
Then the entire pack with demoniacal
howls hurled themselves upon me.
The struggle was short. I felt the
hot breath of the brutes in my face, their
red mouths yawned upon me; their
strong claws tore my buck-skin shirt:
their teeth snapped, when suddenly a
great big white something was hurled
from the bank of snow above into the
melee. A half dozen dark forms follow
ed. Wild shouts, mingled with pistol
shots and heavy blows, broke upon my
ears, the red blood of my assailants
dyed the spotless snow; their hideous
eyes faded before me, and falling back
ward, I felt myself caught by strong
arms, and the well known voice of old
Johnston cried, Saved, thank God!"
Aye saved! and this time for life. Nv
trusty dog had found the ranch and
arousing the men by his strange actions;
they had followed him in early morning
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