New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-12-23
But thicker, thicker, thicker grows

!
Rut thicker, thicker, thicker grows
thesky, s
Till dark above md white below,
Decided drives the faky snow,
and the travellers feel that the awful
peril OF q prairie storm is all about
them. It was a blizzard dread
ful name to a winter journeyer in the
Western wilds.
Night had set in, and the sheeted
snow, hurled furiously along by the
wind, increased the darkness. And
such a blast! How piercingly cold it
was! How the drifts fed before it like
the sands of Sahara!
Harder and harder it blew; faster
and faster came the snow; till the at
mosphere, as far as concerned any
possibility of vision, became an i'm
penetrable wall.
My good friend Archer felt his face
in danger of freezing, but. luckily, he
had taken with him a buffalo-skin
hood and mask, which he now put on;
while he hoped that the warm wrap
pings of the others would be sufficient
to protect them.
Hill and hollow were alike wholly
blotted out, and if any human dwell
ing stood by the way, the very light
from it's windows could no more have
been seen than through a solid plank.
According to Metcalf's calculation
they had come two thirds of the way;
but it was impossible to decide with
certainty in the absence of all land
| marks.
At length the postmaster closed up
to consult. To their dismay, they
were forced to agree, from the changed
nature of the track, that the horses
must have swerved from the proper
course. Still, it was necessary to keep
going, for fla wrong direction meant
death, SO also did standstlll. The
mere chance Of striking the right road
was worth something.
They decided to proceed against the
wind, as their knowledge of the point
from which it blew assisted them in
judging Of the route. This greatly in
creased the trial of the horses, so that
in foundering through a drift in a de-
preston of.the prairie, the postmas-
ter's horse stalled, and Metcalf had to
lend assistance.
Returning to his own sleigh, he
stood for g few moments beating his
benumbed hands, then managed to
ask, as well as the storm would per-
NIT, how the occupants were getting
on. What was his dismay upon find
ing that neither of the old people an
swered him! 1t was evident that the
terrible cold was already mastering
their faculties.
With the assistance of the others,
he proceeded to rub and chafe the al
most insensible couple, till they par
italy recovered from the lethargy
that was sofast overcoming them.
Under the lee of blanket held over
the back Of the sleigh, an attempt was
made to kindle some of the straw, but
the effort proved a mockery.
Again they started, placing one of the
old people in each sleigh for better
protection; but even the strongest OF
the party were confused, and this time
it was concluded to leave it to the
instinct OF the horses to find the way.
This, too, was in vain; and after pain.
fully toiling for hall an hour, they
came to decided stand.
The position of things was now al
most utterly hopeless. Well the party
knew how common it is for people to
be lost in these fearful Dllzzards, and
sink in death a few rods of their own
doors,
His paths, his landmarks all unknown,
Close to the hut no more his own,
Close to the aim he sought in vain,
The morn may find the stiffened swain. -
In an agony Of apprehension for
those he held so dear, Mr.. Metcalf re-
preached himself for thus suffering
them to brave the storm; and he
thought, too, OF those other dear ones
at home, who, though perhaps at that
very moment not far away, he might
never see again.
Another consultation was now held,
and it was determined, if fire could
by any possibility be kindled, that
the smaller sleigh should be burned, in
the hope that life might be sustained a
little longer.
The awful moment of their expert
ence had now come. Beyond this,
should the attempt fail, all must be
blackness and death.
/ While the horses were being unhitch-
ed, the minister fell upon his knees,
there in the wild fierce snow, and Of
fered up to Heaven a fervent prayer,
while the others bowed their heads,
with their hair streaming straight out
in the wind.
In the midst of this strange and SOL
emn scene, there fell upon the ears of
all sound that seemed an an
swer to their applications. What
could it be that so mingled with the
noise of the storm? Louder and loud
er it rose, resembling wild jingling
of bells. =
But bells there and then! Could
such a thing be possible? For miles
and miles around, a church bell was a
thing unknown in that new and rug.
ged country; and thus the listeners
stood awe-stricken, as if in the pres
ence OF some supernatural sound.
Archer Metcalf felt a sudden hope.
"Get in again" he said, "and if the
horses can once more be started, we
will ride for.it while it continues. At
least it tells of sOmethino human