The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-03-24

knew that one could not live long. ex- posed to that piercing blast. Jake had Freddie hold Susie's hand in one of his own and cling to him with the other. Then he quickly ungirted the saddle and removed it and large blanket with it. Kicking the snow away beneath them, he put one end of the blanket on the ground, placing the saddle on the northwest from whence the wind was blowing, and with the two half-frozen children, he crept on to the blanket, drawing the other end over him so as to form a complete roof over their heads.
 "Oh, Pm freezing" sobbed poor frightened little Susie.
 "Dond you go for to be skeered now," said Jake, assuringly.
 "But it is 90 dark and cold" cried both Freddie and Susie.
 "Id will be warmer, soon."
 The loud winds howled about them in resistless fury, heaping the snow almost mountains high in places.
 "But do we have to stay here all nlSnu! reUU1e dSkeu.
 Jake said that he expected they would, but that they would be warmer soon, when the snow had banked over over them. He was busy with some- thing, which, under the cover of the blanket, snow and darkness, the chil- dren could not tell until they heard him crushing his tobacco ill his capa- cious pipe. Jake struck match, and then in their little tent-like house they could see each others faces and note how white they were. The pipe was lighted, and Jake took Susie's lit- tie half-frozen hands and placed the hot bowl of the pipe between them, so that they were soon warm. Next, Freddie's hands were warmed by the pipe. Then 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 droll stories, which kept the lit tie folks laughing so that they almost forgot their danger. When the snow had driited over them until they were almost smothered, he rose and with his long arm made an air-hol The storm howled above them, but snug in their little tent, kept warm by Jake'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 comforta- bly, on the great prairie, with four feet of snow above her, and one of the worst storms that has been known in Dakota tor years raging about her. Freddie's head nodded, and he, too, fell asleep. The sturdy young Ger man sat there with the children, filling his capacious pipe as fast as the to- bacco was burned out. To person who has not tried the experiment it is almost useless to tell the amount of warmth that can be generated by a pipe. Jake always had a good supply of tobacco on hand, and he had little fears of his stock giving out before HUI nAu6s
 Sometime after the turn of the night the storm abated. Dakota blizzards seldom last more than three or four hours. Jake rose to his feet, and push ing the snow away, saw the stars shin- ing through the clouds. An 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 closed his eyes in slumber, but, feeling the responsibility that was upon him, he remained at his post and continued to smoke. Every few moments he examined the little feet and hands to see if they were warm. If he found foot growing colder he held his wonderful pipe near enough to 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 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. It was all she could do to restrain the equally distracted father from going out ill the blizzard to hunt for them. It would be almost certain death to do so, and no one realized this more than Mir. Mills himself. At early dawn, however, they 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 theil sympathy, but dared not offer any hope. No child could live in that nights tempest.
 . As they were making their way Al