The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-02-10

midnight. They we're found neSilinr
. against dead mule on the hill. frozen
SUI, But still the fight must go on.
The moon hung high and calm and
cold right overhead. The stars stood
out ana sparkled in the frost-llke fire. /
The keen, cold wind swept the plain |
ABOVE and threatened to Iill the canon |
With drifting snow. Wolves. that had |
eaten only the dead horses MP to this /
tlme, now began to attack the weak and /
/ dylng. One OF the thousands that how /
cred about had even that night laid bold I
OF man. There were enough wolves !
gathered about rs, howlIug. fighting, /
/ uefourng our dea horses, and even +
each other, to attack and eat us where
we stood. But still the fight must go
on. The deadly hatred must fiud some
expression. Fortunate ii Il should end
with this duel just before as.
FIeecy clouds began to drive over the /
moon at midnight and drift away toward
Idaho. The stars went out as though
the fierce wind had blown out tine nv
rad lights OF heaven. Then the snow
I began TO sail thick and fast as the men
sat about their feeble fires ana talked OF
/ the coming duel. These groups grew rs
"nlte as hidden tiOcks OF sheep. Now
ana then man would get up ami shake
llmselt, and the snow would slide of In
/ little avalanches thicker than your
palm. The fires began to perish under
TINS lncessant, unceasing dropping OF
snow. The wind ceased, and the snow
I lhen simply possessed the world. The
ire all died ont, It was o weird. death
! IKE darkness. The men could not see
each others faces. When they spoke It /
vas as though some one called nom deem
down ID well. They CROPPED about /
Ieehng for each other as thev tried 10 /
creep under their blankets IN the snow.
/ Now and then blanketed Oregouian T
/ would ind his outstretched hand twist .
! ed n the snowy beard of 3 red-shirted
Californian. But there was no swearing /
at each other now.
Snow above and snow below The
wolves howlIng from the hill. Snow
/ that buried you, that lay over voar
shoulder like a blanket, that loaded YOU I
down, that fastened upon you as if It had 1
life and sense, and like a ghost Of vouI
injured dead would never go away.
With morning there came a sense of /
change But 1t was not light. There /
was only a dim, ghostly something In /.
G fs
snow, snow, su0W-Dothing hut snow
and snow. The men came down from (
the NIL and left tie wolves TO have it I
their own way. They came down cling /
ing to each other. Oregonlsn and Cali [
forniau together, as best thew could. I
They could not see each others faces.
Their very heads and shoulders were /
bowed by loads OF snow Many of the
IN ~. ? = .--+
ali day. They We're covered by the SNOW
many feet deep. In this strange new
land these gold hunters had come upon
strange things, and had come to dread
that most dreadful things might over
take them. They whispered among
themselves that the canon would be
swept full of suovlf the wind should Use
again and thCn surely au would perish I
Under ledge Of rocks that leaned over
the canon, msuy men grouped together
as the DAY wore by-nungry, starving,
desperate and dying.
But the force Of tine falling Snow was
spent. As night came on we could see
each others faces: we could see the
world once more. But what was it? 4
world Of snow. Strangely enough, a lit
tie white-taIled rabbit came timidlv
among the men out of the snow and
hoped helpiesslT over human legs.
They looked AZ each other IA turn at
this, and then ogJ on the world of snow.
The two GueIlsts 10y chance looked IN
each others faces, There vas q long
pause, an awkward one. Neither spoke.
They looked ut each other steadily.
The men grouped about them. held
their breath and all were silent, as if the
snow was indeed their shroud. as one
young Californian with practical turn
Of mind and temporary religious ten
dencIea had suggested
While the two men stood looking
steadily and still ST each other. there was
a movement under the blanket Of the
Oregouian. He evidently was about to
do something, and that soon. With
eyes firmly fixed ON the eyes OF his enc
my, he threw back his blanket, threw
out and extended his band The Cali
Iornlan clasped It. and shook it, a3d
shook agaIn and again, ashamed and
beateu-ashameG that he had not hsd
tie courage 10 do what his enemy had
done before him. The shout of wild
delight that went up from the group
showed that there was life il the savage
canon still. II seemed to settle the
storm. 1t certainly Wakened many
sleepers. and they crept out of the snow
all about, none the worse for their long
nights rest.
The wolves did not stay to dispute for
possession OF the horses on the hill is
the proprietors vent up among them
And soon the Chiuook-the strange.
warm Chinook winds that make such
storms possible as well as enduIable-
swept over the country, aud the hills
were soon almost as bare as they had
been but a week before.