The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-02-27

Beyond this brief hint there was moth
ing ineligible in his sayings. Now and
then word of pity or sorrow was spoken
by some one, but not q word of hope, until
suddenly Bill Lewis quietly, but firmly
and confidently, remarked:
"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 |"
It was thirteen miles east over the
range to the nearest cabin. The summit
was nearly fourteen thousand feet in
height, and upon it storm was raging.
The spurs to the north and west were ut
terly impossible. The only way out was
down the gulch by the same route over
which they had recently come in. AL
though by this trail there would be no
storm, there was worse. There were
slides, precipices, and difficulties innumer-
able. Besides, it would only lead into
the broad valley of the Gunnison. The
range must yet be crossed to the east be-
fore railroad town could be reached, or
the advantages of shelter and medical at
tendance secured. They believed the
boy would die before morning. How,
then, could he be saved 7
Bill, seeing their questioning looks, an
swered them:
"See here, pards; the boy amt near so
sick as We think he is. He's tired, wore
out, and teetotally discouraged; but he's
young, amt burnt out with whiskey J.
an in my opinions more homesick than
sick. I've seen them fellers before. If
we kin make him understand there's a
chance of his gittin' home, he'll hang on
80 we kin git him home. 1'll rig litter
on BALKAN (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
Cooper creek, an git more fellers thar,
an meet me an the kid on the summit O.
Red Mountain. Thars an empty cabin
at timber-line on the west o. Red Noun
tain, an meet me thar an hour by sun to-
morrow. If yer hustle yer'll git thar.
Yer ought to fetch up by midnight on
the summit"
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 under
taking. But they knew the boy must die
if he remained where be was, and as 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 mishaps
many, but without serious accident they
reached the valley at daylight, and at
twelve o'clock ere at Taylor creek
Little John was no worse. He was
partly conscious, and had been made to
understand that he was going towards
home. Bills assistants were to leave
him at this point, and he delivered last
injunction.
snow, 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 kin make the next
two miles over the summit the things
done. If it's quiet-like, mebbe l kir
make it. If it storms-God help us You
must be thar at the summit at midnight
If the SHOWS drifted bad, BALKAN CAM
make it, an we'll have to carry the boy
When you get thar, if it storms, hum
round, an yer'll find me an Balaam an
the kid somewhat in the snow. Now git
an'-an'-if you ever loved yer mothers.
don't you fail 4"
The two departed reached and passed
the summit before daylight had faded
and at six o'clock were in the timber a
Copper creek on the eastern slope. Ia q
few minutes more they were ia a snug
cabin by glowing fire, telling their stor!
to four fearless, big-hearted miners.
They all knew Bill Lewis, and though
he could win if any man could but the,
had little hope of finding Little Johl
alive. They all, however, willingly mad,
ready to set out. They had eight mile
of comparatively easy trail, which the.
thought they could do in three hours
leaving them two hours in which to climl
the two miles from timber-line to Ret
Mountain summit. Without great diff
Guilty they reached the foot of the slide il
the time proposed. But discouraginl
indeed was the prospect upon arriving
there. That dreary waste of snow, snow
nothing but snow, stretching up, up, up
at an angle of seventy degrees, until i
faded in the uncertain light; the win'
roaring far above their heads, as it cam
sweeping over from the other side; al
brought swift sense of their own power
lessness, as against the appalling forces o
nature, which weighed down and dis
couraged them drearily.
One by one they crawled up the feal
full winding way. Not word was spoken
No one had heart to speak or breath t
spare. Even minutes seemed long il
time and place like this, and it seemed a
age before they saw the top, and, oh, hov
long before they reached it
They had hitherto been warm enough
But when they turned the summit, tn
cold west wind chilled them through
There was no snow falling, but the win
was driving and swirling the recent sno,
in small cyclones of arctic horror aroun
their shrinking forms. In moment the
had abandoned every hope.
There was no Bill Lewis there.
There was no council held; there wa
no time for that but instinctively ever
man rushed forward for some slight she
ter. Onward they went, at times easil
and rapidly over the hard, old snow, an,
then struggling through deep drifts, unit
some half mile from the summit, the
saw something dark in the snow ahead.