Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-02-02
ERECTING TO Death.
A Nights Experience In the Lumber
Regions Of Maine.

was q long Journey, Out the slelShlnS
was like glass, and | had one of the best
horses that ever stood inside the thills.
On my second day out the Thermometer
stood at 20 dogs. below, and was inclined
to go lower. | knew | would reach one
Of those queer little villages common to
the Maine backwoods early in the even
ing. There | intended to stay all night,
and drive on next morning Ia the house
Of the agent of the lumber property,
twelve miles further along. reached
the village and found that there was no
tavern there,
This, Of course, upset my plans. So
] ate supper in the village and started on,
intending to proceed to the agents the
nme night. Ii was a starlight night,
but the air was filled with that peculiar
frozen mist frequently noticeable on very
cold nights. As we neared the river this
haze became denser, until finally it was
with difficulty I could see anything ahead
OF me. It was like passing through a
storm of scaly ice. Suddenly, as | wa
thinking that we must be almost on the
margin Of the river, there came a crack
hing sound, a loud splash of water. and
phe next second my horse vas founder
ing about in water, which also covered
the sleigh, the robes and myself up TO
my waist.
ssThe water splashed about soon
drenchel the rest of me, and in less
time than | can tell il | was coated with
. rapidly thickening armOr of ice. i
-. ...II. lau-t ,,.,1t la,u H,na-
dered at least a minute in that hole before
he knew exactly what had happened.
When the situation did come ~ him he
became quiet, threw his fore feet up. and
lodged them both in the ice with a con-
eerted blow ike a trip hammer. The ice
was thick, but beneath that blow an i'm
mense cake was broken off and was car
red down in under he edge Of the ice
below. Tie horse swan onward, drag
ging the sleigh with it through the rap
idly freezing slu h. Once more he
pounded the ice alead Of him with his
powerful fore feet, and again the ice
yieldsi.
During all this time | was shouting
for help. l u sht, at the first break,
have turned ami leaped back to shore, but
hal not collected myself in time. Ii was
now too late. and even if it had not been
j was 50 stiffened by the casing Of ice that
] couldn't have moved TO save myself
from death The horse kept ON. and,
TRANCE a. the story seems, broke a chan
mel for fifty feet acr,ss that river, and
drew the sleigh ont safely on the other
side. And he didn't tarry when he got
there. but started off at the top of his
speed toward our destination. He soon
struck the road and away we went. !
knew that although n danger was e.
capped. "A greater vas before Us, and ]
Sdrged the horse ON with my voice. Ny
robes and clothing had frozen 81 solid
that il | hal been encased in iron | could
not have been more motionless. Ny
horse was a jet black, but his icy coating
made him stand out. even in that frozen
mist. like a spester horse. | could net
move even nv hands. We were not vet
half way Ia the agents house when 1
found myself growing drowsy. ! could
no longer Use my rslce. The clatter Of
the horses hOors and the cracking Of the
runners on the Ice soundeti Il me like
thunder clapS aHd weird. hidcous cries.
knew that | was freezing, but ] laborCSl
hard to rouse nav will and fight with il
against Jay fate. The stars looked like
great caals Of fire. although before they
could bc @ tmt ainly through the
peculiar haze. The trees, with their
branches covered with snow. took on the
shapes Of gigantic ghosts. still ! pre-
served III NV power IF reasoning.
Finally | lelt myseu growing ~lrljciuusy
warm. \ l~aRggor, such - Ur Quincy
might have described. wph attending
visions Of loyelmess, took possession cf
me. heard HE most delightful music.
Still | made one mental effort IN shake
Off this fatal spell. and that Was all.
If don't know how far | vas from tue
agents house when | iroze 10 death, but
the next thing | remembered | wa sui.
fering such ]tprturrS ~ a victim Of the
rack might feel. Tie never felt worse.
Suddenly, at my feet, the pricking 81 a
million needles assaulted my flesh. Tor
turing me at that spot "A lusmrnt, until |
writhed in agony, il dashed quickly up
my leg. stopped an instant, rs il gloating
in ms misery. and llen crawled with
that awful pain slowly upward. until il
seemed that tiny lct- of the hrrreSt flame
were being blown into my iSHly. heart
and brain. sr intensity OF this agony
was not constant. II il had l-en | would
have lied again in short time. Ii came
in wares, 50 to speak. Each wave va,
a llttlp less furious than it, predecessor,
until at last the storm WA, passed. and |
found myself a weak, speeehlcss, limp
and helpless mortal, lying ou q robe he
fore the ireplaccof my friend, the agent.
He had brought NE back ~ life.
When I was strong enough io hear il,
hc told me that he was awakened IA the
night by the peculiar and loud neighing
Of a horse. He looked ont Of the window
and saw "A sight that startled him,
ghostly horse and sleigh and driver in tho
road beforr hi, door. he recovered him
self and went down. Then he discovered
that the driver was dead. lie quickly
carried the driver INTO the house, laid
him on the lmpr before the Fireplace, and
recognized me. Knowing HAT even II
was not lryund all aid. nothing could IL
done for me until the robe and clothing
were thnwe,l. he made the fire blaze and
hurried Ia the rescue Of the faithful and
intelligent horse that had reasoned with
itself that il must stop at the first house
49, H. -...lA. -..It l.-l Nl.l