The Hazlehurst signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1883-1885, 1884-02-07

aud hclp-well an good; but. anyhow.
that kids goin' TO be saved for his
mother!"
II was thirteen miles east over the
range TO the nearest cabin. The sum
init was nearly fourteen thousand feet
in height, and upon il storm was rag
Ing. The spurs TO the north and west
were utterly impossible. The only way
out was down the gulch by tho same
route over which they had recently
come In. Although by this trail there
would bc no storm. there was worse.
There were slides, prccipiccs and diff
cultics innumcrablc. Besides, ii would
only lead into the broad valley OF the
Gunnison. The range must yet be
crossed To the east be ore n railroad
town could be reached. ar the advan-
tagcs of shelter aud medical attendance
secured. They believed the boy would
die before morning. How, then. could
hc be- savcd9
Bill, seeing their questioning looks,
answered them:
"Scc here, paris; the boy ain't near
So sick ~ W. think he il. He's tired
wore out. an tcetotally discouraged;
but he's Young. amt burnt out with
whiSky!-an' in my opinion : more
homesick than sick. Two seen them
fcllers before. II we kin make him I'M
dcrStand there's u chance Of his gittin'
home. he'll hang ON SD we Rim cit him
home. I'll RIG litter on Balaam
(Balaam was Bills burro), an well
take him down the valley Ia Taylor
Greek. \ couple ~ YOU fcllcrs kin
then eros, the range by Brush Greek
trail Ia Copper Creek. AN git more fell
lcrS thar. an meet me an the kid on
the summit - Red Mountain. Theirs
an empty cabin at timbcr.linc on the
west - Rcd Mountain, an meet me
thar an hour by sun tomorrow. II
yer hustle ycr'll git thar. Yer ought
to fetch up by midnight on the sum
nit"
II i useless To attempt TO convey an
idea IT what this plan involved.
None but those who have seen these
vast stretches oi rock and snow-sayc.
perhaps. those who have contemplated
tor IN hour Bromlcy'S Everlasting
SHOWS Of Colorado can appreciate
the magnitude Of the undertaking. But
they knew the boy must die II he re-
manned where he was. anu =, the plan
offered a possible chance Of success, they
adopted il.
They were ready in nm hour. Bill
riggc,! a littcrupon h 4, burro. a. 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
Ia the litter. Their progress was slow.
AMI their mishapS many, but without
serious accident they reached the valley
ut daylight. and at twelve O'clock were
ut TAYLOR Greek.
Little John was no worse. He
was partly conscious, and had been
made To- understand that he was
going towards home. Bilrs assist
ants were TO leave him ut this point,
AMI he delivered last in junction.
"Now, pardS, lets have no bitches.
| kin make the cabin in five or six
hours easy enough. an shall stop thar
nm hour In rest an warm. IL | Kin
make the next two miles over the sum-
NIT tie things done. II its quict.like,
mebbe | Kin make il. Ii il storms,
God help us You must be- thar at the
summit at midnight. IL the snow :
drifted bad. Balaam can't make il, an
Wen have ~ carry the boy. When you
git thar. il il storms, hunt round, an
yer'll find mo an Balaam an the kid
somewhat in the snow. Now, git; an
an'-if YOU ever loved yer mothers
don't goo tdV!'
The two departed; reached and passed
the summit tc ore daylight had faded;
and at six O'Clock We're in the timber OF
Copper Greek On the eastern slope. In
few minutes more they were in a snug
calm by glowing fire. telling their
story to four fearless, biG-heartcd
miners.
They all knew Bill Lewis, and thought
he could win il any man could; but they
had little hope of finding Little John
alive. They all. however, willingly
made ready TO set out. They hal eight
miles of comparatively easy ira ], which
they could do in three hours, leaving
them two hours in which 10 climb the
two miles from timber-linc 10 Red
Mountain summit. Without great diff
iculty they reached the foot o. the slide
in the time proposed. But discourage
ing. indeed, was the prospect upon ar
irving there. That drcary waste of
snow, snow. nothing but snow. stretch
ing up. up. up, ut an angie Of seventy
degrees. until il faded in the uncertain
light; the wind roaring far above thcir
heads rs il came sweeping over from
the other side; all brought n swift sense
of their own powcrlcsSncss rs against
the appalling forces Of nature. which
weighed down and discouraged them
drcarily.
One by one they crawled up the fear
iul winding way. Not one had heart
To speak or breath To- spare. Even min
utes seem long in time and place like
this. and it seemed an age before they
saw the top. and, oh, how long before
they reached II.
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 arctic horror
around their shrinking forms. In u
moment they had abandoned every
hope.
There was no Bill Lewis there.
There was no council held; there was
no time for that; but ins,inctivcly 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 deep
drifts. until, some half mile from the
summit, they saw something dark in
the snow ahead.
II could be nothing else. Bat were
they alive or dead?
Good. faithful BALKAN. no man shall
abuse thee more Brave Bill Lewis.
Thy sins be forgiven thee!
Bill had worked his way up from the
cabin by tramping the snow in front OF
Balaam, n hundred feet at time. and
going over the ground several times, UNI
I'll the animal could pass through. and
then repeating for another hundred feet.
This he hal done in biting blast and
binding snow. never faltering, never
despairing, for six long hours!
Bills greeting was characteristic:
swell done. pards! know'd you'd
come The kid was better nj the cabin: