Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-08-27
A Close Call.

thC SiOoC W dii dutuulU udl ,dt Inc
Peak. They were resting after hard
days labor, each one smoking his
pipe.
Lets have a story" said Phil
Smith.
swell, suppose you tell it." spoke
Harry Mason.
'Not l. Come Dick, trim up your
ideas a little.''
kind, amt YOU say, Joe, you
can tell the best yarn, know"
''Ea, Ha That's good joke. !"
81 tell you what We'll do, "said Phil,
''lets draw lots.''
agreed !" cried all with the excep-
tioR of Joe Dixon, whose sunburned
face turned pale but he did not
speak.
So Phil reached out his hand and
plucked four blades of grass from be-
hind him-one shorter than the rest
and placed all within his closed hand.
''NOw, boys, draw"
Harry drew first, then Phil. Both
drew long blades.
Next In order came Joe. With
trembling hand he drew. 1t was the
short one.
When he saw that it was the short
one he had drawn, a shudder went
through him.
What's the matter Joe You look
as pale as you had seen ghost" call
ed out Harry.
Nonsense it's the light of the
fire, - said Joe. "Well, as L am the
unlucky one, suppose may as well
begin at once so here goes.
Ten years ago party Of four, like
ourselves, started from Iowa to seek
the mines. They journeyed on, cross
ing the Platte river, and took what is
called the Smoky Hill route. They
had provided themSe YES with ample
provisions, as they thought, and were
in the best possible spirits, Willing
away the time with many a Jest and
song as they journeyed along.
They travelled by day and rested by
night around their camp-ires, telling
stories in turh, each trying to see which
could tell the biggest yarn.
Things went along smoothly for a
few days, There was no lack of fun
while their provisions lasted. But in
taking this route they were obliged TO
cross what is called the Great Ameri-
can Desert, and as there was of course,
no game at hand, they had to depend
upon the dried venison and other pro-
visions with which they had provided
themselves on starting.
"Being longer on the way than they
expected, they were startled to find that
their stock had grown very low-so low,
In fact, that there was but one days
rations left. This was something they
had not looked for Hardships they
had expected to encounter, but not in
the shape of starvation.
Yes, 1t was too true starvation
stared them in the face. They had yet
many days journey before them, and
how were they TO accomplish it with
out provisions and with no hope of get
ting more?
''As they gathered around their fire
to partake of the last portion left them,
not word was spoken. There was no
merry jest nor merry song that night
each man took his position in bitter
silence, and then stretched himself
upon the ground to get what rest he
could find with this fearful fate star
ing him in the face.
Still, in almost utter silence, they
again started on their way by daylight;
no breakfast that morning, nor dinner
nor supper that night. Despair began
to creep into their hearts, murmurs
began to rise, their clothes were begin
ing to grow ragged, their shoes to break,
and fatigue began to tell upon them, in
consequence of lack of food.
Among the party were two brothers,
They walked together side by side
during the day, and slept the same
during the night. Many wishful
look did they exchange. as they
thought of the home they had left but
through all their deep despair they
clHng TO each other. The other two
members of the party soon noticed how
these two brothers keFt by themselves,
as it were, and many an angry scowl
did they cast upon them both.
''At last fatigue, exposure and want
of food Forbade them moving any fur
ther, and one glorious night they gave
up all hope, and one of them declared
that he was completely done out
The moon shone down upon those
wild, deSpairing faces in all her soft
beauty, as if to mock them in their ut.
ter wretchedness. Not aneye was clos
ed that night one fearful thought
was possessed in the minds of all vet
no one dared to express it aloud.
The night wore on slowly, indeed, to
these wretched men. AT last the gray
light in the eastern sky began to streak
with red, and as the sun peeped
through each man rose to sitting pos
ture.
"a fearful gleam shone in the eyes
Of the four men as they gazed upon
each other.
"All friendly feeling was gone they
could think Of nothing but that they
were starving to death.
mo word was spoken, not a breath
heard, until that awful silence was bro
ken by a low hoarse voice, which sound.
ed more like the growl of wild beast
than anything human:
"'Let us draw lotsg'
cat last that fearful thought wa:
expressed Yes 1t has come tC
that one of them must die or all per.
ish They dared not look in each
others faces, sogreat was their horror
He who had spoken tore from his
ragged jacket four strips of cloth. and
one of them being short, he who draws
that one has to be the victim or If the
short one was left he who held it wa:
to be the one.
''That gaunt hand was outstretched
upon its fearful errand; the two broth
ers were to draw last, one after the
other, and no one was to look at hi:
strip until all had been drawn, and theI
it was to be done simultaneously. Tht
signal was to be the dropping of peb
bic.
"All had drawn.
''In breatbless silence they awaited
the signal.
"a tiny sound broke the stiffness
The pebble had fallen, each hand wa!
unc losed, the youngest of the tw,
brothers had drawn the shortest strip o.
I cloth.
"W1tha wild yell the two men graspet
their knives and sprang toward thei
victim.
'.Not so the eldest brother; he plant
ed himself before the younger one t.
protect HIM, weak though be was.
AZ a