St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-04-07

by multitudes of miniature pin wheel
and sky-rockets. | knew that tin
glare of the sun on the snow had af
fected my eyes, but thought nOthin.
of it, for | was foolish enough to be
lieve that it would wear off in time.
When | reached the fort | founC
there was a runner from the Red Eagl,
Agency who had brought information
which rendered it necessary that {
courier should be sent with dispatche,
to Fort Morris. The dispatches were
ready and the colonel was waiting fol
me. | changed horses, received my in
structiOns and set out at once with my
Henry rifle slung at my back, and my
hounds trotting along before me. FOl
two or three days had noticed a sus-
picious bank of clouds hanging in the
northern horizon, and the colonel had
warned me to make haste for storm
was brewing. Acting upon his advice
pushed ahead as rapidly as possible,
shading my burning eyes with my
hand, and now and then calling to my
dogs which seemed inclined to turn
about and give battle to pack of
gaunt and hungry wolves that was fol-
lowing along behind me. | saw with
no little uneasiness that although the
south wind was blowing strongly, that
threatening cloud i'll the north was
rising rapidly against it. The Arctic
King was coming i'll his might, and |
knew that the storm would overtake
me long before | could reach my desti-
nation. l began to feel timid. | did
not like the persistency with which
those famine breeders hung on my
trail. There was something OminOus
in it.
Just before dark reached my camp
ng-grOund. 1t was a sheltered nook
among the hills, bare of snow, and
there was "a spring of good water close
by. After putting the blankets on the
mare and feeding her and making her
as comfortable as | could for the night,
| built fire under the lee of the rock
and with my dogs around me sat
down to eat my supper. just then the
war of the elements began. With
roar and a rush that were terrific, the
advance guard of the Arctic forces
struck the south wind and drove it
back Then there was Il lull, such as
sometimes occurs in battle when the
opposing forces are gathering them
selves for decisive effort, and with
another mighty roar the final onslaught
was made. The blizzard was in full
blast. The air was literally filled with
ice. 1t grew colder and colder every
minute and my fire seemed to give out
no heat. could not look at the blaze
for the pain i'll my eyes had increased
until it was almost unbearable. Final
ly wrapped my blankets around me
and lay down to sleep.
How long slumbered do not know.
| was awakened by one of my dogs,
which came up and licked my face. |
started up and threw off the blankets.
1t was pitch dark. The blizzard was
still raging fearfully, and the wolves
had approached so close to my camp
that | could hear the patter of their
feet as they ran about among the scrub
oaks, and my faithful dogs now and
then gave grOwl to warn them off.
A stamping among the brutes told me
that my mare was rendered uneasy by
their presence, and | thought | would
90 out and speak to her. looked
toward the place where my fire had
been kindled but could not see il single
coal. 1t had burned itself completely
and knees to the pile of fuel | had
gathered before going to sleep, | pick
ed up stick and began poking around
for the Goals. Presently sharp sting
ing sensation in my hand told me that
| had found one. | could feel the
pain but could not see the coal, and
yet it must have been live one or
else it could not have burned me.
With trembling hands and terrible
sinking at my heart | took out match
and lighted it. could distinctly hear
it burning, but | could not see the
blaze, although | held the match until
my fingers were scOrched. Then
dropped it, and with scream of ter
ror jumped to my feet. Great heaven
was SnOw-blind-
With the experience | now have |
know that my situation would have
been desperate if | had been in full
possession of my sight; as it was
gave myself up for lost. | was para
lived with horror, and for Il time
could not move. The actions of one
of my dogs aroused me. He bounded
forward and began Il terrible battle
with one of the wolves. With another
cry of terror groped my way back to
my bed, and catching up my rifle sue
ceeded after desperate scramble i'll
placing myself on the top of the rock.
BY this time the battle between my
dogs and the wolves was i'll full pro-
gress, and IA fierce one it was, too.
fired shot after shot into the air in the
hope of frightening the famine-breed-
ers, but they were rendered too des-
perate by hunger to fear the smell of
gunpOwder. How earnestly | prayed
that my noble dogs might succeed in
fighting off their savage foes | shout
ed to them words of encouragement to
which they had never failed to respond
during IA hunt, and finally | knew that
they were gaining the victory. They
drove the wolves away from me, but
the ravenous animals were not to be
cheated They turned their attention
to my horse. | fairly cried as | stood
there sightless and helpless on my
rock and listened to the struggles of
the frightened beast as she strOve with
desperate energy to break her fasten-
ings. To my great JOY she succeeded,
and with "A shrill neigh of terror set off
up the valley. | heard her hoOfs clat
tering over the bare grounds and the
snarls and yelps of the savage pack as
it followed close at her heels, and then
all was still. | called to my faithful
guardians and each one answered to
his name by a joyful bark, all except
Major whose response was a mournful
whine. Poor fellow He had been
severely handled.
| did not delude myself with the
hope that / had seen the last of the
wolves. knew that my steed, fleet
and enduring as she was, would in the
end be overtaken and torn in pieces
by her tireless pursuers, and that hav-
inO whetted their annetites they UouId