St. Landry democrat., 1884-02-09

/ times, and to sleep IN wet clothes and
wet snow. For all this, however, most
OF them cared bat little. They were
not invalid tourists, and they had
crossed the range too many times in
bad weather to be much troubled by one
trip more.
But with Little John the case was
different. He had never before been
thus exposed, and was evidently not
sustained to any considerable extent BY
a hopeful spirit, and he had succumbed.
He lay in his tent in his rough blanket
bed, sicEa Frustrated, exhausted: There
was no physician there, although most
of those men knew something of sick
ness, and in discussing his case, while
none could say that he had this or that
disease, all agreed that he was 'tclean
gone an likely to croak.''
They had been talking of him around
the fire when some one, coming from a
tent in grove near by, said:
IT think Little John II go up to-
night He's crazy now, an thinks he's
in Ohio; an keeps talkin' of his moth
err
BillIewis, before silent and sullen,
started up at once. 'sL'll go see the
kid he said
He went, and all followed in wonder.
The bed was warm enough. and soft
enough. But it and its surroundings
were terribly rough for one like him in
his condition. The pale face amid the
shaggy blankets, lit up by a talloW
candle burning in a can; the saddles,
ropes, kettles and tools scattered
/ around among the bushes upon the
earth hoor-all toget her formed scene
weird and impressive.
AS the man had said, Little John was
delirious and talking of his home and
associates away back in Ohio, but most
of all his mother, piteously begging her
to forgive him for deserving her, and
never to believe him guilty.
Beyond this brief hint there was moth
ing Ineligible ii his sayings. Now
and then a word of pity or sorrow was
| spoken by some one, but not q word of
hope, until suddenly Bill Lewis quietly,
but firmly and confdentialy, re-
marked:
| .'Pards! that yer kid must be saved.
| If you fellers have a mind to turn in
and help-well an good; but, anyhow,
that kids goin' to be saved for his
mother!''
It was thirteen miles east over the
range to the nearest cabin. The sum-
NIT was nearly fourteen thousand feet
in height, and upon it a storm was rag
ing. The spurs to the north and west
| were utterly impossible. The only way
out was down the guleh by the same
route over which they had recently
come in. Although by this trail there
would be no storm, there was worse.
There were slides, preeipices and diff
culties innumerable. Besides, it would
| only lead into the broad valley of the
Gunnison. The range must yet be
| crossed to the east before a railroad
town could be reached, or the adyan-
tages of shelter and medical attendance
secured. They believed the boy would
die before morning. How, then, could
he be saYed9
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 teetotaly discouraged;
but he's young, amt burnt out with
whisky ian in my opinion 5 more
homesick than sick. I've seen them
fellers before. Ii we kin make him I'M
derstand there's 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 fellers kin
then cross the range by Brush Creek
trail TO Copper Greek, an git more fell
lers thar, an meet ME an the kid on
the summit o. Red Mountain. Theirs
an empty cabin at timber-line on the
west O. Red Mountain, an meet me
thar an hour by sun tomorrow. Ii
yer hustle yer'l git thar. Yer ought
to fetch up BY midnight on the sum
NIT. =
1t is useless to attempt to convey an
idea Of what this plan involved.
None bat those who have seen these
vast stretches of rock and snoW-saFe.
perhaps, those who have contemplated
for an hour Bromleys Everlasting
SHOWS of Colorado can appreciate
the magnitude Of the undertaking. But
they knew the boy must die If he re-
manned where he was, and as the plan
offered q possible chance of success, they
adopted it.
They were ready in an hour. Bill
rugged litter upon his burro, as Indians
do, and in it placed Little John. At
eleven o'clock the procession started
down the gulch. There were two men
besides 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 daylight, and at twelve o'clock were
- fI7nrrl1,,, T1,.n,,I-