The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-03-14

Then, having every reason to believe that
| must be prisoner for many long days,
| began to take an inventory of stock, rs
it were. There was good bed of skins
and blankets, several cooking utensils, a
table and several rough stools, clock, a
dozen or more books, about thirty can
dies, with tea, coffee, sugar, pork, and
flour in quantities to last me several
weeks. could not have been better pro-
vided had planned for the avalanche to
come. There was lean-to at the back
end of the hut, and / looked into this TO
find it full of fuel felt much more
hopeful after had taken the inventory,
for could not help but feel that it would
be long before saw daylight again.
For several hours after the accident
the cabin sent forth suspicious sounds.
The snow was settling and packing above
it, and rafters and logs cracked and
snapped in way to keep me on thorns.
II the weight on the roof proved too
great should be crushed or smothered
the moment 1t fell in. 1t was after 3
o'clock in the afternoon before felt safe
But very little snow had come down the
chimney. l reasoned from this that it
had been covered by rocks or limbs. If
such was the case and the fire refused to
burn, | should be hard pressed with
plenty of raw provisions at hand. / fell
all the gravity of the situation as threw
on some light wood and made a blaze. 1t
was a hard fight for half an hour
Some of the smoke certainly found a
way to escape, but some was driven
back. However after time the heat of
the fire brought down great deal of water
| pnttph thof I pn,t11 har11ty lyaa,, IN
flame going. and about 80 o'clock the
cabin was cleared of smoke. While
could not for an instant believe that the
chimney showed above the snow, was
satisfied that some way had been opened
for the smoke to drive away. may ex-
plain here that great mass of tree tops
lodged ou the roof before the bulk of
that snow came, and these held the snow
up so that the smoke went sailing about
in hundred channels.
got myself some supper, wound up
the clock, and sat down for smoke and
a think. The hermit had two pipes and
a large stock of tobacco, and lonely as was
my situation feeling of gratitude to
God for the comforts at hand was upper
most in my mind. / was now perfectly
satisfied that was buried deep under
the snow, and that my rescue would be a
matter of weeks. The first move was to
write out statement of the accident,
and this placed where it would be pre-
served and found in case of my death
Then began daily journal, and mapped
out programme to be followed A
weeks Imprisonment would be nothing,
but after that it would not do to let the
mind dwell on the situation. You see,
the horror of it was the stiffness. The
idea kept coming up that was buried
alive, and it was an awful thing to think
Of. The hermit's clock was an old fash
ioned one, with loud tick-tack, and
after the cabin got through settling un-
der the weight of the snow every tick
sounded almost as loud as the blow of a
hammer 1t was so warm that needed
only the smallest fire, and when | went
to bed at 3 o'clock there was no need of
even single blanket for cover.
was up at an early hour next morning,
having slept like log all night, and
while eating breakfast was startled by
sounds which believed to be the voice of
a human being. thought l could hear
groans and means and cries for help, and
when I opened the door the sounds
came to me more distinctly 1t might
be that the hermit, caught under the
snow, had succeeded in tunnelling his
way to point from which could rescue
him by digging, and | had no sooner
despatched my breakfast than set about
making me a shovel to dig with. l found
hatchet. and with this sharpened
board, and the snow l dug from the
doorway hcaped up in the fuel room.
I haA A;0srinp. half
hour when | made the discovery that the
first rush of the avalanche had brought
down great lot of small trees, bushes
and rocks with here and there large
tree They had been piled up helter-
skelter, but they held up the mass of
snow so that with a little digging l
could run a tunnel in almost any direc-
tion. Great care was necessary, how
ever, as the burden above was very
heavy, and the displacement of a sup.
port might bring down great weight of
snow.
After l had run the tunnel straight out
from the door about twenty feet turned
to the right, made m way under lot
of rubbish, and after going about thirty
feet came upon the body of an Indian.
Here the limbs and sticks made a sort of
bower, under which he lay, and / knew
that 1t WAS his voice had heard calling
There were no Indians about US except
hostiles, and Just before the snow came
they had killed two men belonging to
our camp. We had no fear of them after
winter set in, knowing that they stuck
close TO their villages. Here was a red
skin, however, in full war paint; but l
had no sooner found him than saw that
he was dead, though his body was still
warm, He had been mauled in Il terrible
manner, both legs being broken, his head
all bloody from an injury, and his right
arm doubled under him as if broken. |
could see the butt of his rifle
sticking out of the snow, but when
l pulled at it l found the barrel
missing. 1t had been wrenChed off. |
got his tomahawk and knife, however,
together with powder horn and bullet
pouch, and when had pulled the body
along and crept beyond it caught sight
of moccasin in the snow and dirt 1t
took me an hour TO uneIrth the body,
which was that Of second warrior.
The lie had been crushed out of him in
a second The mass of rock which had
come down with him had broken every
bone in his body, and great share of
his face had been ground off His rifle
l could not find, while both knife and
tomqhawk were broken. While search