Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-03-09
HOLDLNG DO WV 4 CLAIu IN
4 BLIZZARD.

is llte-there are no dead!
Sir Edrdrd Bui'cer Lytion.
HOLDLNG DOWN 4 CLALu IN
A BLIZZARD.
was setting up type in the Of the Boom
town Spike one bright day in February,
1882, when | heard voice at the window
saying, Hello Seagraves wan to hold
down yer claim ~ The speaker was peer
ing at me through his mittened hands. |
shook my head, but motioned for him to
come in, which he did As he stood be-
fore the rusty cannon stove 1 demonstrated
with him for his rashness.
"Now I'm an honest man, Moore |
don't want to take advantage of any one,
not even drummer for farm machinery
The fact is, I'm dangerous. Why there
amt man in this territory that would ask
me to 80 out on the prairie with him if he
knew my record. I'm sure death"
"What do you mean3 Explain y'rself "
81 will. I've been out on that preGmp-
ton of mine promptly at the end of every
thirty days ever since the last day Of Octo-
ber, and every time it stormed damnably.
The first time it rained, the next time it
showed and blowed like the devil and all
and the last time Murray and | went out to
the claims we spent three days in his twelve
by II shanty with the horses. Why, |
can't go TO Heron or to Belleplain but a ter
rible storm sweeps down on the poor peo-
pie. Therefore the boys fight shy of me-
Moore was whistling through his teeth at
my yarn. He didn't put much Importance
upon it,
ooh l know all about that but don't
scare worth a cent and besides, look at
the sun shining out there Now you get
yer toggery on and wel be off after din
ner. Bailey's going too. Now rustle-Ill
see ye later
This settled the matter and accordingly
got things into as good shape as possible
in the office, and went early TO dinner at
the Western House. The boys at the table
were also talking about going out on their
claims, and cursing Sparks, of the land Of
fee, because of the ruling which obliged
them to be on the preamption once a month,
no matter what the weather might be-
Il guess we're about all in the same fix"
said Adams there's Bailey and Moore
and Shelby, myself and"
"And Seagraves, l said quietly.
"Wh-a-at Not you, Seagraves p
you bet | am
THAT settles my hash if Seagraves
goes, l don't, you can bet high ON that
I'm not ready to turn up my toes for the
coyotes to gnaw."
Gentlemen, I'm sorry for you, but I'm
going to break my record or try a dying.
And about two o'clock, behind Moores
little team, well-nigh buried in blankets
and robes we drew out of the main street
and headed west amid a chorus of wells.
Cit there, Eli !" "Seagraves is sure
death push on the reins, ct c3etera
The sleighing was excellent, and the vast
level plain, as bare as the bosom of froz-
en- sea, was sparkling under a brilliant sun
shining from a deep blue sky. Our course
/ lay straight into the wilderness to the west,
distance of nearly thirty rAiles-an easy
/ trip if the roads were good all the way.
| Bailey and Moore kept up a lively chatter
over their huge buffalo-coat collars, and
when we were about ten miles on our way,
Bailey said, Il guess Seagraves will escape
this time"
! | lifted my head and took look at the
northwestern sky then said "No, boys :;
we're in for it sure"
And we were for, borne on the wing
of the north wind, a great feecy dome of
| cloud, slaty Blue below and silver white
above, was rising, vast, wide as the north
ern horizon, seamless, dim, and noiseless,
sweeping with the speed of a shadow upon
us. The day was yet brilliant but the
| frost-white edge of the cloud had already
slid across the face of the sun, making the
/ depth of the dark blue dome the more ON
inous and stern. 1t would be dark in two
/ hours.
''Well, boys, the blizzard is coming, sure,
and there are just two things to do-top push
on as hard as we can for the claim, or turn
back"
There's no turning back to this crowd, 1"
Moore replied, as he touched the ponies
with the whip. l submitted, though with
some misgivings, am free to confess.
The road was getting worse now as we
were getting beyond the settlers shanties,
and beyond the travel to and from the
town. Houses grew more and more infre-
quent, the wind began to rise, and the snow
to sift along the plain, softly, spasmodical-
ly, yet insiduously, and almost before we
knew it the road was full of drifts Wher-
ever tuft of weeds or a clump of unburn-
ed grass stood, drift had formed, stretch
ing out its solid bulk across our track like a
huge lazy polar bear, over which the ponies
were forced TO draw the sleigh,
The sun was entirely hid soon after, and
occasional flakes of snow struck in the face
like threats, while the wind, growing cold
er, bit most savagely The prairie was
burned bare here, and the sliding snow ran
like tongues of flame here and there, or
spread like silver-white ocean foam up the
side of some smooth, blackened knoll. We
passed many shantes, but they were emp
ty, for the most part, the owners having
moved back east for the winter. The far
ther we went to the west, the wilder and
more bare the prairie became soon We
would be outside the line of actual settle
ment Bailey was intending to get OIL at
a point about five miles before we reached
Moores claim. His claim lay four miles
due south from a certain corner stake
which we were to pass very soon, but as
we were approaching the stake Moore and
| deteremined TO keep him with u.s. and not
allow of his making the venture at night,
Accordingly MORE pulled up short, and we
both looked immovably at our friend, Bal
ey was a brave man when there was any
thing depending ON the venture, but as he
rose to his feet and looked around him he
hesitated.
1t was a fearful scene. As far as the eye
could penetrate, the stability of the prairie
seemed changed to the furious lashings of
a foam-white waste of waters, Great
waves of snow met, shifted spread, raced
like wolves, joined again, rose, bufIeted
each other till puffs of fine snow sprang in
to the air like spray, only to fall and melt
in the sliding streams All was unreal,
ghasty. No sky but formless, impene-
trable mass of flying snow no earth ex-
cept when a sweeping gust laid bare long
streak of blackened sod that had the effect,
the terrifying effect, of a hollow, fathom-
less trough between the kissing waves, and
over all the night and tempest were speed
ing like the fight of twin eagles.
Our companion set his teeth, and made
as if TO spring out and set forth. "Sit
down" we shouted. "Do you intend to
commit suicide Z" And, with a laugh at
his relieved expression, we pushed the po-
nies ON toward the west
1--WE must be merciless now. We are
too far on to turn back, and if we are not
DELAYED we can reach the shanty before
deep night, shouted in the ear of ouI