, 1883-12-01
ROUGH EXPERIENCE.
Lost in the SNOW for Twenty
four Hours.

r. d. W tuoltl8 an dllOlltg VI bhl
city, had little experience while
hunting this week that he is not liza
bic TO forget if he were to live hun.
dred years, one Of those trying epi-
sOdes that brings a man face to face
with death, in which the escape is
almost miraculous. The circumstan.
ces are as follows: Last Saturday
Mr. Webster concluded to sally
fourth and slay deer. His ambition
was fired by the sight of snow and
reports that the noble animals stood
around among the trees near Rath-
drum awaiting their fate through the
hands of the sportsman. Mr.. Web
ster talked venisOn with Mr.. Hart
sow, and that gentleman was also
worked up to a murderOus pitch.
1t was decided that they should run
up the road together. Saturday Mr..
Webster was on hand at train time,
armed with a good rifle and a big
stock of anticipation, but his friend
failed through business engagements
from showing up. Nothing daunted
the single hunter departed, his des-
tination being the Dodge brothers.
saw mill near Rathdrum. He reach'
ed the mill all right, and Sunday
morning, in company with several
others, he started out on the trail.
About noon he left the party and re-
turned to the house. The ladies in
formed him that dinner would not
be ready until 4 o'clock, so he con-
cluded to take short run up can
yon to the rear Of the premises. Az
ter traInping a short distance he
struck the fresh track of deer. With
the natural enthusiasm of a hunter
he followed close upon the scent.
Occasionally he caught glimpses of
the game, the snow, some three feet
deep, greatly impeding the progress
Of the hunted and the hunter. Mr..
Webster forgot everything in his
eagerness to secure a shot. He plOd-
ded along the sinuOus track, paying
no head to time, distance, or direc-
tion. This chase was kept up for
several hours, until suddenly the
tracks he was following became blen-
ded with many others. He then
paused and looked about. The short
day of the northern winter was
drawing rapidly to q close. Snow
commenced falling. The wind was
cold and the hunter exhausted from
the effects of the eXertiOn. Around
about him were forests of snow
ladened pines. Mountains looked
down upon him from all sides. In
whatever direction he turned the
same mOnOtonOus scene was before
his eyes. He realized that he was
lost, Lost out in snow storm, among
trees and mountains, with no idea
of the distance to habitation. The
prospect was appalling. Not a sound
disturbed the dead solitude and ST.
lence of the woods. Few persons
who have not experienced the sensa-
tion of being lost in the midst of a
driving snow storm can realize the
horror of Mr.. Webster's situation.
To go ahead may be to carry one en-
tirely out of the direction that should
he followed, and to retrace footsteps
thltare beingrapidly obliterated is not
to be thought Of. Hope almost dies
out, and the belated traveller can only
see in the merciless snow death and
Il winding sheet. But Mr.. Webster
did not give up. He recognized his
terrible position. Without food, COM
pass, matches, or watch and totally
ignorant of the country he determin-
ed now to make a desperate struggle
for his life. Bearing off from the
course he had been pursuing he plod-
ded on. His movements were pain
fully slow. He had on hip rubber
boots, and the snow was to the top
Of them. Night fell rapidly. He
came to the conclusion that he was
to stay out, as in the darkness it was
impossible to move forward. Creep
ing under heavy pine tree, he broke
off some branches to make himself
as comfortable as possible for the
night. He Judged it to be six o'clock.
While shivering and dreadIng the
long night his ear, strained to catch
the slightest sound, indistinctly
caught the notes Of steam whistle.
He listened again? He was not mis-
taken, but the sound was so indis-
tinct that he could not fix the direc-
tion. This renewed hope and the
lost man started again on his weary
and eXhausting tramp. For fully
four hours he struggled through the
snow at last losing the sound Of the
whistle entirely He again sought
the protection, scant as il was, Of a
pine tree, but was too exhausted to
break off any more limbs. How he
managed to keep awake through the
night, the longest in his expe-
rience he can never tell. His
feet were ringing wet, his coat
frozen so that it would stand alone,
one glove lost, avalanches of snow
falling upon him from the pines at
short intervals. 1t was a terrible
vigil. At the first sign Of day light
Mr. Webster again started, but his
movements were slow and painful.
Yet he did not give up. Shortly