Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-12-24

The night passed away and morning
| came, but no light broke through the
windows of the cabin. Mrs Barnes
woke at the usual time, but finding it
| still dark and perfectly quiet outside,
she concluded that the storm was over,
and with sigh of relief turned over to
sleep again. About eight o'clock,
however, she could sleep no more, and
became wide-awake enough to think
the darkness strange. At that moment
the clock struck, and the truth flashed
| over her.
Being buried under snow is no un-
! common thing on the wide prairies,
and since they had wood and corn-meal
in plenty, she would not have been
much alarmed if her husband had been
home. But snow deep enough to bury
them must cover up all landmarks, and
| she knew her husband would not rest
till he had found them. To get lost on
the trackless prairie was fearfully easy,
and to suffer and die almost in sight of
home was no unusual thing, and was
| her one dread in living there.
A few moments she lay quiet in bed,
to calm herself and get control of her
own anxieties before she spoke to the
children.
willie" she said at last, "are you
awaken"
eyes, mamma" said Willie, ''I've
been awake ever so long; isn't it most
morning?"
willie" said the mother, quietly,
''we mustn't be frightened, but think
I'm afraid-we are showed in"
Willie bounded to his feet and ran to
the door.
"Don't open it," said mamma, hasti-
| ly, 'the snow may fall in. Light a
candle and look out the windows"
In moment the Pickering rays of
the candle fell upon the windows.
Willie drew back the curtain. Snow
was tightly banked up against it to the
top.
"Why, mammal" he exclaimed, $50
We are! and how can papa find us?
and what shall we do?'
1--WE must do the best we cam" said
mamma, in Il voice which she tried to
make steady, "and trust that it ism t
very deep, and that Tim and papa will
find us and dig us OUT
BY this time the little girls were
awake and inclined to be very much
frightened, but mamma was calm now,
and Willie was brave and hopeful.
They all dressed, and Willie started
the fire. The smoke refused to rise,
but pulled out into the room, and Mrs.
Barnes knew that if the chimney were
closed they would probably sutfocate,
if they did not starve or freeze.
The smoke i'm a few moments choked
them, and seeing that something must
be done, she put the two girls, well
wrapped in blankets, into the shed out
side the back door, closed the door to
keep out the smoke, and then went
with Willie to the low attic where a
door opened on to the roof.
1--WE must try" she said, to get ii
open without letting in too much snow,
and see if we can manage to clear the
chimney"
Il can reach the chimney from the
scuttIe with a shovel" said Willie, 81
often have with stick"
After much labor, and several ava
lanches of snow; the scuttle was open
ed far enough for Willie to stand on
the top round of the short ladder, and
beat hole through to the light, which
was only foot above He then SHOW
eled off the top of the chimney, which
was ornamented with big round cush-
ion of snow, and then by heating and
shoveling he was able to clear the door,
which he opened wide, and Mrs.
Barnes came upon the ladder to look
out. Dreary indeed was the scene
Nothing but snow, as far as the eye
could reach, and flakes still falling,
though lightly. The storm was cvi.
IDENTIFY almost over, but the sky was
gray and overcast.
They closed the door, went down
and soon had fire, hoping that the
smoke would guide somebody to them
Breakfast was taken by candle-light
dinner-in time-in the same way, and
supper passed with no sound from tho
outside world.
Many times Willie and mcmma went
to the scuttle door to see if any one was
in sight, but not shadow broke the
broad expanse of white over which to.
ward nj ght the sun shone. Of course
there We're no signs of the roads, fol
through so. deep snow none could be
broken, and until the sun and frost
should form a crust on top there was
little hope of their being reached.
The second morning brok,, and
Willie hurried up to his post of lookout
the first thing. No person was In sight,
but he found a light crust on the snow,
and the first thing he noticed was few
half-starved birds trying to PICK UP
something to eat. They looked weak
and almost exhausted, and a though,
struck Willie.
1t was hard to keep up the courage
of the little household. Nora had open.
ly lamented that tonight was Christina
Eve, and no Christmas dinner to be
had. Tot had grown very fearful abou,
her "waisins, and Mrs. Barnes, though
she tried to keep up heart, had become
very pale and silent.
Willie, though he felt unbounded
faith in papa, and especially in Tim
found it hard to suppress his own com
plants when he remembered tina,
Christmas would probably be passed in
the same dismal way, with fears fol
papa added to their own misery.
The wood, too, was getting low, and
mamma dared not let the fire go out, as
that was the only sign of their exist
ence to anybody; and though she did
not speak of it. Willie knew, too, tina,
they had not many candles, and in two
days at farthest, they should be left in
the dark
The thought that struck him pleased
Willie greatly, and he was sure il
would cheer up the rest. He made his
plans, and went to work to carry them
out without saying anything about it.
He brought out of corner of the at
tic an old box-trap he had used in