The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-21

north The sunshine was gone and I saw that
the sky was overcast with a sea of snow-white
clouds that did not, however awaken within me
the least apprehension of coming storm. |
looked at my watch and saw that it was nearly
2 o'clock, high time for Rea and his party to
have jumped the game. listened intently at
| every sound heard, but none indicated what !
most desired. So eager was | listening that
twig dropped or leaf moved but what my atten-
ton was attracted thither instantly. 1t was
painful suspense, and I began to feel
very restless because some one did
not come or shoot to let
know was not alone. Changing my position, l
started toward a clump Of pine bushes and look
| ing northward, j saw the sky black with bank
Of clouds that stretched far to the west and
moving toward me in awful grandeur The
realization that the storm would soon be upon
me made me lose all interest in getting shot at
the moose and Tightening my belt, holding
volver and hunting-knife, l bounded down the
hillside, anxious to reach the Indian boys before
they would leave their post. ran nearly half
mile, and thinking was nearing them, fired
three shots In quick succession, the signal of dis
| tress recognized in all the Western country.
! listened, but no answer came The next
moment a fake Of snow fell before me, and
the storm began. The wind blew q gale, and
| the air was filled with falling snow, so that
could scarcely see the way before me- ASH
| pushed along came to a bunch of deer huddled
| along side pile of rock, but nothing could have
| tempted me to fire at them. The snow was now
several inches deep and falling in greater flakes
and with increasing fury. / again fired the sig
nal of distress and again no answer was made,
| Getting my watch out and holding it under my
coat l saw that it was five minutes until o'clock
and the camp fully five miles distant, with the
! way in the binding storm unknown to me. The
| situation was alarming but pressed on with de-
| termination until l reached a plateau where
| found the snow nearly waist deep. There was
no retreating and dared not stop for fear
should lose the line in the direction of the camp
that l thought l keeping My boots
became filed with snow and every step made
| seemed to weigh me down. The air grew colder
and the awful thought that I should perish in
the snow made me desperate in my effort to go
| on. l was nearly blinded by the driving flakes,
| and to protect my eyes held my hat before my
| face, and while walking in this way l came to a
depression in the ground, into which fell at full
length, throwing my hat 1 know not where
| When L recovered was only able to stand, as
| my boots were so frozen could not bend my in
step. 1t was impossible to go further, and with
the breech of my gun, 1 kept space cleared
away so that would not be buried alive The
air was growing intensely cold and death
seemed to me a relief, and yet at such
time there comes a thought of home and those
| we love at home, which gives one almost super
| human endurance. With the increasing cold
the storm ceased, and l soon noticed crust was
forming on the snow. l took hope at this, and
with real delight began to cut my stiff boots
from my feet that l might be able to walk to
camp on the crust barefoot. While engaged at
this | heard noise-I was sure l heard it-and
filed with pang of joy at the thought of old
rescue, fired my gun repeatedly that he might
certainly know 1 had heard him call But
there was no response called with
all my might, but my voice was
stood still, listening and peeFing in the dark
ness coming on. There it was again, that same
voice calling. 1t is nearer, now but, listen it is
not the voice of George Rea; there are several
voices-it must be the Indian boys calling.
| "Nevitcheel Neviteheel" [ cried in great an
guish, and again fired my gun repeatedly.
But they seemed not to hear, and paint III
silence increased my anxious misery and dread
for the night 1t was only few moments and
| again the noise was heard to my right and back
| of me, and to my left, and at every hand nearer
and nearer the voices sounded, and there in
front form moving along the crust, and there
another and another-it is wolf!-The wolves
were surrounding mel
At the sight of these knew had to fight for
my life In few moments the whole pack
were sitting on their launches forming COM
plete circle about me, not forty feet distant and
bowling indescribably. / quickly felt for my
| revolver, but it lost from my belt My
| knife was in the snow under my feet, where
had been cutting my boots. To stoOp for 1t was
to bring the coward pack upon instantly,
because as they were only waiting for me to show a
| sign of weakness when they would nave courage
enough to attack me. examined my Winches-
ter-there was but one cartridge left With
it [ was to save my life from fifty wolves,
ravenous with hunger, and urged
| to devour me by sense of
my lnaDlllJy TO escape from them. AS the
darkness came on they grew holder, and at last
one, brstling with savage ferocity came bounding
to within ten feet of me. He did it so quickly
| l only had time to strike aimlessly at him with
my left hand. and frightened at the snow sent
| toward him he bounded back with most terrible
cries. Then another deliberately walked toward
me, his hair bristling, his ears lying back and
his mouth actually watering for my blood. ]
felt my last chance of escape was come, and
slowly putting my gun to my shoulder [
| thought to take dead aim at him, but nv
eyes were so inhamed I could not
see through the sights. But I fired and
wounding the brute, he bounded away, piercing
the air with yels of pain and followed by the
entire pack in close pursuit. ready to devour
him when he dropped in the snow Away they
went as far as L could see them, and then 1 sank
down in the snow wondering if they would re-
turn. l was weak from hunger and fatigue. and
suffering intensely from the cold. l know not
how long l lay there, but it was not yet fully
dark when | felt the snow giving away about
me and voice-the sweetest ever heard, called,
1 'Kegeesisl Kegeesis ku kabuk!p
IL was Running Cloud, the chief of the Sho-
saone band, and l was saved. The wolves in
their mad flight had run to him and seeing
that one was wounded, he took the back trail
and in that way found me. In a few minutes
the ether Indians, including my companions who
had Joined the main party, and George Rea,
came up. The Indians were loud in excama-
tions Of delight, but old George put his great
strong arms around me, pressed me TO his
broad chest and said nothing.
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Nightingale Association of Professional