The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-02-01


If you fellers have a mind to turn IN
and help-well an good; but, anyhow,
that kids goin' to be saved for his
motherl'
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 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 yet 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 saVed9
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 a chance of his gittin'
home, he'll hang on so we kin git him
home. I'll rig a 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 Copper Creek, an git more fell
lers thar, an meet me an the kid on
the summito' Red Mountain. Their s
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'H 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-saye,
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-
manned where he 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 clock were
at Taylor Creek.
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 a last Injunction.
" 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 | kin
make the next two miles over the sum-
nit the thing done. If it's quiet-like,
mebbe | kin make it. Ii it storms,
God help us! You must be thar at the
summit at midnight If the snow S
drifted bad, Balaam can't make it, an
we'll have to carry the boy. When you
git thar, if it storms, hunt round, an
yer'll find me an Balaam an the kid
somewhat in the snow. Now, pit; an
an IF you ever loved yer mothers
don't goa faiLm
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 a snug
cabin by glowing fire, telling their
story to four fearless, big-hearted
miners.
They all 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
iiculty they reached the foot of the slide
in the time proposed. But discourag-
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
light; the wind roaring far above their
heads as it came sweeping over from
the other side; all brought a swift sense
OF their own powerlessness as against
the appalling forces of nature, which
weighed down and discouraged them
drearily.
One by one they crawled up the fear
full 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 it.
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 4
moment they had abandoned every
hope.
There was no Bill Lewis there.
There was no council held; there was
no time for that; but instinctively 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 4 mile from the
summit, they saw something dark in
the snow ahead
1t could be nothing else. Bat were
they alive or deadp
Good, faithful Blatant no man shall
abuse thee morel 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, hundred feet at time, and
going over the ground several times, I'M
til the animal could pass through, and
then repeating for another hundred fee !.
This he had done in biting blast and
I binding snow never falfer;nr never.