The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-06
PART ii.
THE SHADOWS ON TIE SNOW RAyers.

|
Far away from English homes ard
English iircsides, our story takes us, on
dark and cherries night. TO a small
canvas tent, pitched in a gully, on each
side of which frOwning ranges rear
their lofty heads. To this small tent
we come from the dear old land, across
| wild and stormy seas, through gale and
tempest, over tropical waters where the
| blOod-red moon rises from a lurid
ocean. past icebergs looming threaten
ingly near, mid tracks of phosphores-
| cent light cleaning in the darkness of
| the darkest night-to this small tent,
| wherein are centered all the elements
| of passion which make up the sum of
human life in the great world beyond.
Months lily, seasons change, and glow
Ing aspirations fade away, and are lost
forever, in the gulf of time. The drama
of some mems lives is played out upon
many stages; for others, a single scene
upon Il narrow stage sutficeS for the
commencement and the end
A dark, cold, cherries night. The
sOlitudes wear their saddest aspect
The moon is in its third quarter, and
rises late. The wind, shrieking for
freedom, tears about the snOw-clad
hills, and, finding no outlet, robs the
surfaces of myriad soft and graceful
flakes, and, whirling them into furious
eddies, is stripped in its turn of its
stolen treasure by every sharp nook
and crevice it strives to pass. The hills
are here the master of tie gale, which
grows more frantic in its vain cndeav-
Ors to escape into the plains, where it
can revel at its pleasure, with naught
to oppose its supremacy. But the
mountains hold it fast, and laugh to
scorn its wild shrieks. knowing full
we'll that when its strength is spent it
will die away in litful whispers, and
find its grave in the valleys below.
A dark, cold, cherries night With
the exception of this small tent, no
trace of civilization near. Here
Nature reigns supreme. The lofty
mountains, rising range over range,
shut out from the world the gully in
which our scene is laid. And yet, be-
tween this sterile, savage spot and our
lovely Devon lane there is = close
and human connection. Invisible but
indcstructible links Of love connect the
New. The thoughts OF one man at
least, sitting i'll the tent with his face
hidden III his hands, are travelling
toward the beautiful lane in Devon,
which teens with pleasant and one ter
rIbIy bitter memOry-tO the narrow,
quiet lane i'll the garden of England,
wherein were culminated his life's
happiness and his lifc's great sorrow.
Again the scene rises before him.
Again the old familiar faces shape
themselves in the air, and visit him
with loving looks and smiles. Again
tearfully happy face is resting on his
breast, and loving eyes seek his
Again the fond arms are thrown
around him, and L tender form is
folded to his breast And then he
wakes, and, looking up with bitter
smile, shakes of the dream in anger.
Within the tent a party of men are
seated before miserably scant fire.
The canvas-the only roof between
them and heaven - scarcely screens
them from the inclemency of the
storm; and, strong and hardy as they
are, they huddle close together for
warmth, and greedily watch the dying
embers before them. The men are
rough looking fellows, with great
boards and strong limbs. and de-
cided assertion of physical strength in
every movement of their bodies Each
has short, black pipe in his mouth.
which he puffS vigorously and with a
will; and all are alike attired in rough
pea jackets, m0le-skin trousers, and
water tight knee boots; their bihycock
hats are on the ground or on the
wooden benches upon which they rest
at night Although they are in as d"s-
pcrate condition as men well can I've;
although the country for miles around
is knee-deep. and in some places man-
deep, with snow; although a heavy
drift without is raising barriers almost
impassible; although their last handful
of wood is burning on the fire, and
they know they can obtain no more;
although they have not three
days provisions in their tent
no craven fear disturbs them. If they
have to die they will die like men, rs
others have done before them Some
three or four weeks ago they had set
of on the track of party of miners,
who, it was whispered. had discovered
a new gold-feld. Stealing out in the
dead of night, lest they themselves
should be followed. they plunged INFO
q portion of the country which they
did not hope to find other than barren,
inhospitable and incapable of sustain
ing human life. With the indomitable F!
courage and apparent recklessncss
which form part of the gOld-diggcr' !
character, they set themselves the task |
of tracking the men before them and !
discovering the locality of their work
ings. No pluck in the world can beat !
the pluck Of the gold-digger. He snaps !
his fingers at obstacles from which !
other men would shrink affrighted: he |
fights with the barrenness of nature, |
and, conquering, opens up country
which, but for his hardihood and tar- |
ing, would remain, witt its treasure. |
forever shut out from the knowledge 0f |
mankind. There is no pioneer so bra7c, !
so persistent, so enduring. In no age
or country have the nobleE 2tIysicsl |
qualities of man been more 1orthily
exercised. In the Australian =olonfa |
the gold-digger is the pioneer II prog
reSS.
lTo BE CONTINUED