Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-02-07

~Pardsi that yer kid must be saved
II vpn feIlers have a mind to turn in
and help-well an good; but. anyhow,
that kids gOin' TO be saved for his
mother"
Il was thirteen miles east over The
range 10 the nearest cabin The sum
NIT 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 the same
route ever which they had recently
ccme in Although BY this trail there
would be no storm. there was worse
There were slides, precipices and difi-
culiies inuurerable. Besides, IL would
only lead into the broad valley of the
GannisO.A The range must vet De
crossed to the east before a rsilrOad
town could be reached. or the advan-
tages of shelter and medical ATTENDANCE
secured They believed the boy would
die before morssng. How, then, could
be be sareas
Bill seeing their questioning looks,
answered them:
= See here. pauds; the boy amt near
so sick as We think be is. Hes tired.
wore cat, an teetOtally discouraged;
but he's young, aiH't burnt out with
~hiskyi-an' In nav opinion : ttiofe
hOmesick thaA sick. I've seen them
fellers before. II We kin make him un-
der-tand sncre's c chance of his gittin'
home. he'll hang On 50 we Kan git him
home III rig n litter on Balasm
/ (Bal<1n. was Bills burrc). an we IL
rake him down the. valley 10 Taylor
Greek A couple O. you feiiers hin
then eross the range by Brush Creek
traIl 20 Copper Creek. an cit more fel-
lers thar, an meet me an the kid on
the summit o. Red Mountsin. Tiers
sn empty cabin az tnber-IiEe OH the
west o. Red Mountain, an meet me
thar an hour BY sun tomorrow II
yer hustle yer'H git thar. Yer ought
to fetch up b. midnight on the SUM
mif.n
Il l. useless TO attempt 10 convey an
idea of what this plan involved.
None bat those who have seen these
vast stretches Of rock ard snOw-save.
perhaps. those who have contemplated
nor an hour Bromley's Everlasting
S1pxs Of Colorado can appreciate
1.-THE magnitude Of the undertaking. But
they knew the boy must die Il he re-
mained where he wzes sf6 - the plan
cIered 4 possible chance of success. they
adcptsd It
They were ready ia an hour. Bill
riggess Z litter upon his burro. rs Indians
do. and in = placed Little John Al
eleven o'clock the procession started
down the Eulch- There were two mel
besides Bill. While these went forward
End picked ont the trail. Bill attended
to the litter. Their progress was slow.
and their mishaps many. but without
serious accident they reached the valley
] af daylight. and 1T twelve o clock were
AZ Taylor Creek.
Little John was no worse. He
was partly conscious, and bad been
made 10 understand that he VAS
going towards home Bills assist
ants were to leave him Al this point,
and be delivered last in junction
Now. pauds. let's have no bitches.
kin make the cabin IN five or 81,
bOurs easy enough. an shall stop thar
an hour to rest an warm IL ! kin
make the next two miles over the sum
nit the things done II It's quiet-like
meb1e l kin make r. II il storms
God help US, You must be thar n th'
summit At midnight. II the snow
drifted bad. Balaam can't make il. an
wei have 20 carry the boy. When yOI
git thar. II IL storms. hunt round. All
Yer'l find me an Balaam an the kis
somewhat in the snow Now. git; an
an'-if YOU ever loved yer mothers
DON'T you full"
The two departed; reached and passes
the summit before daylight hzd faded
and Al six O'Clock were in the timber o
Copper Greek on the eastern slope Il
few minutes more they were in 4 snu:
cabin by glowing IRE. telling thei
story 20 four fearless, big-hearte'
miners.
They all knew Bill Lewis, and though
he could VII If any man could; but the
had little hope OF finding Little J0hl
alive They all, however, willingl.
made ready 10 set out They had eigh
: miles Of comparatively easy trail. whicl
! they could do in three hours, leavin.
! them two hours in which to climb tn
! two miles from timber-line to Re
Mountain summit Without great dii
; fczlty thew reached the foot Of the slid
in the time proposed. But diScourag
ing. indeed. was the prospect upon At
: irving there. That dresry waste O
snow. snow. nothing but snow. stretch
I ing up. up. up. at an ang.e Of sevens-
degrees. until il faded in the uncertail
light; the wind roaring far above thei
|, heads as il came sweeping over frOI
the other side; all brought 4 swift sens
: of their own pOweriessness as agains
the appalling forces of nature. wh;cl
weighed down and discouraged then
dreariiv.
One by one they crawled up the fear
ful winding way- Not one had hear
- speak or breath 70 spare Even min
rf1es seem long in n time and place lik
, this. and it seemed an age before the
saw the top. and. oh. how long befOr
they reached il
They mad hitherto been warm enough
Blu. when they turned the summit tn
cold west wind chilled them through
There was no snow falling. but the win
was driving ana swirling the recen
|, snow in small cyclones of arctic hOrro
around their shrinking forms. In
moment they had abandoned ever
hope
There was no Bill Lewis there
There was no council held; there wa
!, no time for that; but inst;nctively ever
! man rushed forward for some Sigh
I shelter Onward they xenf. at time
: easily and rapidly over the hard. oil
! snow, and then struggling through dee
|, drifts. until. some half mile from tn
! summit, they saw something dark ]
i The snow ahead
! Il could be 7Othing else. Bat wer
: they alive or dead?
Good. faithful Balaami no man sha
abuse thee more, Brave Bill Levi:
, Thy sins be forgiven thee,
I Bill had worked his way Up from tn
cabin by trzmping the snow in front O
Balaam, \ hundred feet At a time. an
! going over the ground several Zines. M
! | ~ the animal ~ofsid mass fhroItoh an