Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-02-07

candle burning in can; the saddles,
ropes, kettles and tools scattered
around among the bushes upon the
earth floor-all together 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 in his sayings. Now
and then a word of pity or sorrow was
spoken by some one, but not word of
hope, until suddenly Bill Lewis quietly,
but firmly and confidentially, re-
marked:
''Pards! that yer kid must be saved.
If you fellers have mind to turn in
and help-well an good; but, anyhow,
that kids goin' to be saved for his
mother!"
1t 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 gulch 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, precipices and diff
culties innumerable. Besides, it would
only lead into the broad valley of the
Gunnison. The range must vet be
crossed to the east before a railroad
town could be reached, or the advan-
tages of shelter and medical attendance
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 opinion s more
homesick than sick. I've seen them
fellers before. If we kin make him I'M
derstand there's chance of his gittn'
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 Creek, 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. If
yer hustle yer'll 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 but those who have seen these
vast stretches of rock and snow-save,
perhaps, those who have contemplated
for an hour Bromley's Everlasting
Shows of Colorado can appreciate
the magnitude of the undertaking. But
they knew the boy must die if he re-
NAMED where he was, and rs the plan
offered 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 mshaps many, but without
serious accident they reached the valley
at daylight, and ut twelve o'clock were
at Taylor Greek.
Little John was no worse. He
was partly conscious, and had been
made to understand that he was
going towards home. Bill's assist
ants were to leave him at this point,
and he delivered last in Junction.
"Now, pardS, let's have no bitches.
/ 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 sum-
NIT the things done. If it's guiet-like.
mebbe l kin make it. Ii it storms,
God help us! You must be thar at the
summit at midnight. If the SHOWS
drifted bad, Balaam can't make it, an
Wen have to carry the boy. When you
git thar, if it storms, hunt round, an
yer'll find me an Balaam an the kid
in the snow. Now, git; an
an'-if you ever loved yer mothers
don't you jail"
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 snug
cabin by glowing fire, telling their
story to four fearless, big-hearted
They ali 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 could do in three hours, leaving
them two hours in which to climb the
two miles from Underline to Red
Mountain summit Without great diff
ticulty they reached the foot of the slide
in the time proposed. But discourage
ing. indeed, was the prospect upon ar
irving there. That dreary waste of
snow, snow. nothing but snow, stretch
ing up, up, up, at an angle of seventy
degrees, until it faded in the uncertain
Eight; the wind roaring far above their
heads as it came sweeping over from
the other side; all brought swift sense
Of their own powerlessness as against
The appalling forces of nature. which
down and discouraged them
drearily.
One by one they crawled up the fear