The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1885-03-14
FIGHT FOR LIFE.
A Thrilling Story of Winter Life In
Dakota.

connection with my farm.
AT two o'clock | started off for my
fifteen miles drive due north. Every
thing went well at frst-the team
logged along at good pace, know
ing that they were going home, and
| hardly noticed that the wind had
clouds ahead of me. | felt sure that
this indicated change in the wealth
er and made up my mind to get home
as quickly as possible.
The horses responded to my call in
q cheerful manner, and ratified along
at good pace. suddenly remem-
bered that had brought no overcoat
or rugs with me, and had even ne
elected to bring my gloves. The
clouds in the north suddenly began
to rise and grow blacker and blacker,
and cool wind came sweeping down.
In a few minutes the whole sky was
overcast with dense clouds, and a
fine dusty snow was soon filling the
atmosphere and sitting into every
part OF my clothing. | was convinced
that this was blizzard" and from
its appearance it promised to be one
OF the worst kind. Every minute the
sky got darker and the wind blew
fiercer, and every moment the cold
increased and the binding snow
came thicker. | was now thoroughly
aroused to my danger. i knew that
il did not reach some house in a
short time that | should be lost on
the prairie, and probably freeze TO
death. | could not locate my exact
position from memory, and to see
was impossible, as in the binding
snow could barely find the track
before me. ] reekoned that at the
rate | was travelling | must have
come ten miles out of the fifteen, and
| knew there was no chance OF being
able to reach home that night, Tor
even if the team could have kept the
track l should have frozen in the
wagon.
The wind was now bowling and
shrieking like thousand demons,
and every demon voice in that i,ar-
ful wind seemed to scream out for the
possession OF my little lost self
The terror OF my position seemed
shivering and shaking in the storm |
remembered that new danger had
arisen, for the next feeling would be
a sense OF calmness and repose, indi-
eating sleep, and before it was ever
lasiingly too late / made up my mind
to get out OF the wagon and try to
walk by the side and lead the horses,
so as 10 keep myself awake. But an
other danger now arose the snow
was drifting into every little hollow
and piling against every little ridge.
The horses were quite blinded by the
storm. and refused to 90 ahead. They
turned around with their tails to the
wind, and tried to run with the storm.
Ny fingers were numbed by the most
fearful pain | had ever experienced,
and my ears We're singing with the
frost.
There was no time to be lost. Seiz-
ing hold Of the horses heads | held
them while trying to remember about
what part | was in. The extreme
peril OF my position seemed to quick
en- my faculties, and judged that |
must not be far from a certain hay
stack that had seen in a slight hol-
low and drove past in the morning.
As the darkness Of the night had not
quite set in, | thought | could per-
haps manage TO discover that hay
stack, and then | could pull out
enough hay to cover myself, or per-
haps creep into the stack itself. 1t
was last desperate effort, and |
made up my mind to try it.
BY carefully leading the horses
along the ridge, | tried to note every
little hollow on the left hand side.
For long time discovered nothing
to reward me for my effort, and the
night was fast coming on, while the
cold grew more intense and the wind
howled fiercer than ever. Suddenly
| thought | noticed slight lull in
the elements, as though something
had broken the force of the wind for
the moment, which could only be
caused by some building or hay-stack.
| Immediately led the team to what
| hoped was the hay-stack, and was
delighted to find that | soon ran full
tilt up against the very thing | was
looking for.
BY dint of very great effort | man
aged TO unhitch the horses and let
them run loose. thought it was
only fair to give them their full lib
erty and let them run home if they
could find the way.
And now the main trouble arose.
! found could not pull out enough
hay to make covering for myself,
and my hands were becoming SO be-
numbed that | was hardly able to do
anything. By this time the darkness
of night had set in, and to the othe-
terrors was added the certainty tha'
| must soon succumb to the fatal
drowsy feeling that was stealing over
me. | wanted to get on the lee side
OF the stack and lie down out OF the
wind and sleet. 1t was by most
determined effort that | reused my
self and strove to think how | could
save my lie. Again the exigency OF
the danger seemed to sharpen my
wits, and | saw that my sole chance
lay in setting fire to the stack and
warming myself by its flames.
My fingers were so benumbed and