The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-03-24

fellow, noted for his industry and steady habits. The only peculiarity that Jake possessed was pipe. The pipe was a monster in size, and the sturdy Teuton was seldom seen with out it. It was rather expensive lux ury to Jake who always had it filled obtain at the little frontier town. But Jake never indulged in any other lux ury, and as he was such an honest, in- dustrious young man, his friends were inclined to overlook this small vice.
 Jake was great favorite with the children of his employer. Mir. Mills had three children: Freddie, Susie and the baby. Even the latter, not withstanding it's tender years, seemed to intuitively read kindness in the face of the good hearted fellow, and he had not been long about the farm- m-house before it would crow at sight of Jake and extend it's small arms toward him the moment he came in from his work.
 "She will go from her mother any time to Jake," said MT. Mills, as he watched the babe sitting on the knee of the hired man.
 Freddie and his sister were equally as fond of him as the baby. Many romp he took with them when his days labor was over, and many the sleds and rude toys which he con- structed for their amusement.
 At work or play Jake seldom was seen without his enormous pipe. It was not always lighted, to be sure, but it seemed to become sort of second nature to always have it in his mouth, and he felt lost without it. The pipe was dangerous plaything for the baby. It burned it's little finger with it more than once, and Mrs. Mills, los ing her temper, declared she wished Jake's pipe was in Guinea. Jake was very sorry at causing the little baby, which he loved, pain, but he stead lastly adhered to his favorite pipe and seemed to have no inclination to ban ish it to that indefinite locality, which Mrs. Mills called "Guinea."
 The first part of the winter of 1887 and 1888 was very mild in Dakota, and the people began to hope that they were to be spared the inconveniences, and even horrors of the "northwestern blizzards." Up to the first of January the winter had been exceedingly mild. One morning MT. Mills, who had had experience with Dakota winters, said that he did not like the atmosphere. His wife wanted to know what was wrong the skies were clear and the snow melting. MT. Mills said that there was a peculiar haziness about the skies which portended Dakota blizzard. Although that was his opin- ion, he was not so firmly established in it as to insist on Freddie and Susie staying home from school that day. They went as usual, and the day promised to be the mildest they had known for weeks. But it was only one of those deceptive days which so often catch the unwary in Dakota. The school-h house was nearly mile from the home of MT. Mills. By the middle of the afternoon MT. Mills be- came so much alarmed at the appear ance of the sky that he despatched the faithful Jake on a swift horse after the children. Jake, as might have been expected of him, carried his large pipe. He reached the school-house, 1T Susie before, started to return. Pa rents frop all directions, alarmed at the possible approach of blizzard, had come in haste for their little ones. Jake was hurrying the horse home ward as rapidly as the poor, tired ani- maj could go, when & heavy gust of wind struck them and almost unseated all three. The horse came to a stand still and shivered. With this gust of wind came a dash of snow.
 "It's growing dark" said Susie.
 "The clouds are rollin' right down upon us," Freddie answered, and so it seemed. In less than a minutes time they were enveloped in more than midnight gloom. Jake spurred the horse and tried to urge him on {; but after plunging forward for few hundred feet in the darkness and drift, he came to 8 standstill, stood shiver- ing with cold and dread, and refused to be driven any further.
 "Oh, what will we do?" cried Susie. 'I am freezing; I want to go home; l can't see l; mamma, mamma
 "Dond cry, leetle gal" ," said Jake, "I will take you home ali right, see if dond."
 It was now so dark that they could not see any object foot away. The brave young German spoke encourag- ingly to the children, assuring them that he would protect them, and at last got them to believe that he could do 90. He dismounted from the horse which could not be driven . rod fur ther, and held each of the children by the hand, telling them not to move a foot. A solid wall of snow was fail- ing around them, and in i've minutes they would be covered. It had grown