The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-04-18

form complete roof over their heads.
ooh, l am freezing sobbed poor
frightened little Susie.
"Don'd you go for to be skeered now,"
said Jake, aSsuringy.
'But it is so dark and cold" cried
both Freddie and Susie.
sd will be warmer, SOON"
The loud winds howed about them in
resist'css fury, heaping the snow almost
mountains high in places. =.
''But do we have to stay here all
night?" Freddie asked.
Jake said that he expected they
would, but that they would be warmer
soon, when the snow had banked over
them. lie was Eusy with something,
which, under the cover of the blanket.
snow and darkness, the children could
not tell until they heard him crushing
his tobacco in his capaclous pipe. Jake
struck match, and then in their little
tent like house they could see each 9TH
er's faces and note how white they were.
The pipe was lighted, and Jake took
Susic's little half frozen hands and placed
the hot bowl of the pipe between them,
| so that they were soon warm. Next,
Fredde's hands were warmed by the
pine. Theu he took off their shoes,
Smoking all the while, and warmed their
feet with his pipe. When any part of
their bodies became cold the great pipe
was applied to it, and they were soon
warm.
All the while he was busy telling them
some droll storS, which kept the little
folks laughing so that they almost for.
got their danger. When the snow had
drifted over them until they were almost
smothered, he rose and with his long
arm made an air hole. The storm howted
above them. but snug in their little tent,
kept warm by .Iake's pipe, the children
defied it. Susie at last became sleepy, and
laying her head in Jake's lap, was soon in
the land of dreams. Yes, improbable as
it may seem, she was sleeping comfort
ably on the great prairie. with four
feet of snow above her, and one of the
worst storms that has been known in
Dakota for years raging about her. Fred
dies head nodded, and he, too, fell
asleep. The sturdy young German sat
there with the children, filling his ca
pacious pipe as fast as the tobacco was
burned out. To a person who has not
tried the experiment it is almost useless
to tell the amount of warmth that can be
generated by pipe. Jake always had a
good supply of tobacco on hand. and he
had little fears of his stock giving out
before morning.
Sometime after the turn Of the night
the storm abatcd. Dakota billiards.
seldom last more than three or four
hours. Jake rose to his feet, and, push.
ing the snow away, saw the stars shining
through the clouds. IN hour later he
looked again and the sky was clear. He
knew then that they were saved.
The children slept as peacefully as if
they had been at home in their beds.
Jake never c,osed his eyes iu slumber,
but, feeling the responsibility that was
upon him, lie remained at his post and
continued to smoke. Every few minutes
he examined the little feet and hands to
sec if they were warm. If he found u
foot growing colder, he held his wonder
full pipe near enough 10 warm it. Thus
the night passed away and morning
came.
A more dreadful night was it at the
home of the children. Their parents, In
a state of distraction, spent those long,
dark hours in lamentation and prayer.
Oh, how the mother prayed that her
Heavenly Father might by some miracle
save her lost darlings. 1t was all she
could do to restrain the equally distracted
father from going out in the blizzard TO
hunt for them. 1t would be almost Ger
tain death to do so, and no one realized
this more than Mr.. Mills himself. At
early dawn, however, he set out to find
their dead bodies. The snow was very
deep on level. and in places was drifted
so as to be almost impossible. Several
of his neighbors were out also looking
for lost ones. He told his sad story to
them, and they gave him their sympas
thy, but dared not offer any hope. No
child could live in that nights tempest.
AS they were making their way through
the snow, they were surprised to see an,
object suddenly start up from beneath,
it. 1t was man, and he wore fur cap,
on his head, and had large pipe in his
mouth, from which he was emitting
clouds of smoke.
"Jake, Jake" cries Mr.. Mills, in
widest excitement, "have you seen any
thing of the children2"
''Dey vas he-e, Mr.. Muells," Jake an
swercd, with something very like a smile
on his strong, German features.
"Dead!" gasped the Mortified father.
mo, dey vas all righd, and then Jake
gave haw, haw, which made Mr.. Mills
believe that he had lost his wits. But
when they had dug the children out OF
their burrough, and he found them alive
and actually making a breakfast out of
the remnants of their yesterdays dinner,
the fathers JOY knew no bounds. The
children were taken home, and beyond
having their feet and ears slightly frozen,
were uninjured.
ut was .Take's pipe that done it" said
Freddy to his mother. "I'll tell you, ma,
it's better than stove in bliz1 ard"
When Mrs. Mills heard the story, and
learned how the lives of her dalings had
been saved by the coolress and daring of
the German, she grasped his hand, and,
pressing it to her heart, while her warm
tears flowed down her cheeks, she said:
"Oh, Jake. Jake, 1 owe more than my
life to you. You saved my children. If
they had perished last night I know I
could not have survived"
Jake tried to make some answer, but
he stammered and his eyes became so
full that he had to give it up. Mr.. Mills,
taking his hand, said:
"Jake, only wish knew how to re-
ward YOU"
To this he did not attempt any answer,