The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-04-09

said Bill Lewis. "If you fellers have
mind to turn in an help-well an good
but anyhow, that kids going to be saved
for his mother 2"
1t was thirteen miles east over the
range to the nearest cabin. The summit
was nearly fourteen thousand feet in
height, and upon it storm was raging.
The spurs to the north and west were ut
terly impossible. The only way out was
down the gulch by the same route over
which they had recently come in. AL
though by this trail there would be no
storm, there was worse. There were
slides, precipices, and difficulties innum-
erable. Beside, it would only lead into
the broad valley of the Gunnison. The
range must yet be crossed to the east be-
fore a railroad town could be reached or
the advantages of shelter and medical at
tendance secured. They believed the
boy would die before morning How,
then, could he be saved
''Bill, seeing their questioning looks,
answered them
"See here, pards; the boy amt near so
sick as we think he is. He's tired, wore
out, an teetotally discouraged; but he's
young, amt burnt out with whisky
an in my opinions more homesick than
sick. I've seen them feliars before. If
we can make him understand there's q
chance of his gittin' home, he'll hang on
SO we kin git him home. I'll rig litter
on Balaam (Balaam was Bills burro), an
we'll take him down the valley to Taylor
Creek. A couple O. you fellars kin then
cross the range by Brush Creek trail to
Copper Creek, an git more fellars thar,
an meet me an the kid on the summit of
Red Mountain. Theirs an empty cabin
at timDer-line on the west o. Red Noun
| tain, an meet me thar an hour by sun to-
morrow. If yer hustle yer'll git thar
Yer ought ter fetch up by midnight on
the summit"
It is useless to attempt to convey an
idea of what this plan involved.
They were ready in an hour. Bill
rugged litter upon his burro, as Indians
do, and in it placed Little John. At
II o'clock the procession started down
the gulch. There were two men beside
Bill. While these went forward and
picked out the trail, Bill attended to the
litter. Their progress was slow and
their mishaps many, but without serious
accident they reached the valley at day
light, and at 10 o'clock were at Taylor
creek
Little John was no worse He was
partly conscious and had been made to
understand that he was going toward
home. Bill's assistants were TO leave
him at this point, and he delivered last
injunction.
"Now, pards, let's have no bitches.
l kin make the cabin in five or six hours
easy enough, an shall stop thar an hour
to rest an warm. If l kin make the
next two miles over the summit the
things done. If it's quiet-like,' mebbe
kin make it. If it storms-God help u.s.
You must be thar at the summit at mid
night. If the SHOWS drifted bad Ba-
laam can't make it, an We'll have to
carry the boy. When you git thar, if it
storms, hunt round, an yer'll find me
an Balaam an the kid somewhar in the
snow. Now git; an'-an'-if you ever
loved yer mothers-don't you failp'
The two departed; reached and passed
the summit before daylight had faded,
and at six o'clock were in the timber of
Copper Creek on the eastern slope. In a
few minutes more they were in a snug
cabin by a glowing fire, telling their
story to four fearless, big-hearted miners.
They all knew Bill Lewis, and thought
he could win if any man could; but they
had little hope of finding Little John
alive They all, however, willingly
made ready to set out. They had eight
miles of comparatively easy trail, which
they thought they could do in three
hours, leaving them two hours in which
to climb the two miles from timber-line
to Red Mountain summit. Without
great difficulty they reached the foot of
the slide in the time proposed.
One by one they crawled up the fearful
winding way. Not word was spoken.
spare Even minutes seemed long in a
time and place like this, and it seemed
an age before they saw the top, and, oh,
how long before they reached It'll
They had hitherto been warm enough.
But when they turned the summit the
cold west wind chilled them through.
There was no snow falling, but the wind
was driving and swirling the recent snow
in small cyclones of hoTsr around their
| shrinking forms. In moment they had
J abandoned every hope.
There was no Bill Lewis there,
There was no council held; there was
no time for that; but instinctively every
man rushed forward for some slight
shelter. Onward they went, at times
easily and rapidly over the hard, old
snow, and then struggling through deeI
drifts, until, half a mile from the summit
they saw something dark in the snow
ahead.
1t could be nothing else. But were
| they alive or dead2
| Good, faithful Balaaml no man shall
: abuse thee more. Brave Bill Lewis! Thy
sins be forgiven thee
Bill had worked his way up from tht
| cabin by tramping the snow in front OF
! Balaam, hundred yards at a time, ano
going over the ground several times unit
the animal could pass through, and then
; repeating for another hundred feet. This
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