The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-04-10

SUIT. We followed 1t several miles, but
could not get a shot, and finally we lost
sight of it It was two clock in the
afternoon and our long walk had given
us good appetites. We were lust about
to partake of our lunch. intending, when
it was finished, to start at once for
home, when few fakes of snow struck
me in the face. The day had been so
bright and clear up to this time that
the possibility of storm had not en-
tered our minds; but it was now evident
that one was impending. Looking to
the northwest, dark aad heavy cloud
was seen, viii h, while we gazed upon
it, rapidly increased in size and soon
spre ID over the sky, yelling the sun
from view, and throwing q dark and
threatening shadow over the landscape.
1t seemed only minute or two until
we were standing in the midst of a
driving storm, which each moment in
creased in violence The air grew per-
ceptibly colder, and, although warmly
dressed, our teeth were ehatterng with
cod.
Il had heard of the dreadful storm
called the blizzard, which lie ps like a
tiger from It's lair, carrying death in its
path, and I knew instinctIvely that we
were in the midst of one. All / had
learned conc rning them flashed
through my mind. remembered that
a stage-driVer had frozen TO death aud
was found slit ng upright upon his
coach. | knew that a farmer going
from his house to his barn only few
rods-had lost his way in one of these
storm, and was found dead within a
lew feet of his door. Only tie previous
winter, four mon had started for their
homes from a lit lie town, while the
weather was mid and pleasant, and
ne er reached them alive, having been
overtaken on their way by blizzard. ;
''I was not certain just where we
weps, but l knew it must be several
miles to the nearest house. While l
stood thinking of these things and try
ing to decide what we had better do,
the storm had grown so v olent that /
could hardly see Charlie, who stood
trembling by my side. | hurriedly ex-
PLAIN d to him tle natur1 of the storm
and our dangerous situation. Clearly,
our one hope was to keep moving. To
remain where we were was to die
speedily of cold We took each other
by the hand and started, keeping the
wind at our backs, one direct on offer
ing as much hope as another, it being
impossible TO face the fur Gus gale. For
an hour or more we stumbled blindly
onward, going we knew not where.
We talked but littla, the roar of tie
storm being so great that our voices
could hardly be heard The snow soon
grew so deep that it was difficult to get
through the DIR fits. Our strength was
rapidly failing, the cold was SO severe
that it penetrated to the bone, and the
fury of the tempest increased with
every moment What hope could there
be for two b 'ys 10 upon the trackless
pra RE in such a storm as this?
''Charlie soon grew so much exhaust
ed that he could scarcely move, but to
stop was certain death. I urged him
onward, although my own strength was
also nearly gone. At last we halted,
unable to proceed further. We rested a
few moments, when took few cps
for" ard, dragging my almost senseless
companion after me. Suddenly the
ground vanished under our feet and we
shot downward and struck upon what
seemed to be tn roof of a house, from
which We slid to the grouni. The album
dance of snow prevented our be in
jured by the fall. When we recovered
from our surpr Sc and looked around
we found we were standing by the side
of a lit house. Tie wind could not
rea h us where we were and the out
lines of the build NC could easily be
seen. Walking around the house we
came to door, carelessly fastened, and
were soon able to enter.
eve were saved, at least for the pres
ent, for | recognized the cabin as be-
longing to my friend, French Joe.
Sinking down upon the floor we rested
for time, and Thea, much refreshed,
commenced 10 eXanr&le into the situa-
ton. AS our eyes became accustomed
to tSe semi darkness of the hut we
could see that very little snow had pen
etrated through the walls. Nestled as
it was at the foot of an almost perpen-
dicular bluff, it was protected from the
Storm, W hich swept harmlessly over it.
Clearly, so far as protection from the
wind was concerned, we were safe
Thus shielded, We became more COM
Portable, and, by exerc sing at lively
rate for few minutes, soon grew
warm.
'We were very faint with hunger,
Id 4
fresh ourselves with our flneh With
out stopping to consider that we might
be kept pr soaerS for several days, we
were so improv dent as to eat nearly all
the food we had brought with us. We
still had the game we had killed, which
consisted of half a do en- quail. five
prairie chickens and three rabb ts.
These would sustain life for some time,
so we had no fears of starvation. We
then proceeded to make an examination
of the contents of the hut, and found, to
olr de light, that it contained quite q
number of art cles likely to be Of sery-
ice. There was chair, bench, a
small table, little piece of sal, pork, a
bunk containing lew Blankets and a
tick filled with hay, an axe, and, best
of all, an old cooking stove. A long
rope VIII CHI Joe used IN lasso;hg cattle
hung on the wall.
"a further search revealed about a
peck Of popcorn, a sack of coarse salt
and little corn-meal.
1.-The weather had grown so cold that
the hut was no longer comfortable, and
a re was the hrst consideration. We
had matches, thu bench was split in
pieces, and fire was soon roaring in
the old stove. AS we would need more
fuel, took the long rope from where il
hung, knotied it around nv waist, and,
bidding Charlie take hold of it and pay
out slowly, started for the corral, only
few yards distant. found it without
much difficulty, and, guided by the
rope, made number of trips from it to
the Lut with entire safety. In an hour
or two we had ra Is enough in the house
TO keep a fle for a week. Choppine
them into he proper length occupied
us until darkness came on.
During the night we took turns in
keeping up the fire, each sleep ng fol-