Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-08-01


seiged him with questions as we sat at the
table.
81 dunno" he said, sswhut we kin do. In
fact it pears right smart ter me like we
can't do nothin' but starve it out"
1--WE might manage to get down to the
valley" I suggested.
ssNot likely to,'' Brady replied, s'wlth
them gorges jam full er snow. Why, some
Nv 'em air fifty feet Deep Reckon we're
gone up on any SIGH hope es thet''
''I'm in fer tryin' it, anyhow, Jerry said.
ssWe mout make it."
1--WE kin try it, the old man said, ''but it
won't do no good.''
The storm ragged, if possible, with greater
violence than ever, and the snow swept
along in such cloud that it was almost i'm
possible to fight our way through it. But
we struggled and toiled slowly on, only to
find that our effort was vain and that a
passage was entirely out of the question.
It was twelve o'clock when we reached the
cabin again, and we were a blue lot of ten
derfeet indeed.
oval, boys" Brady remarked. sswe're
showed up here fer Their winter, I Judge, an
though we've got plenty er gold, s'pect
we'll git monty hungry. Gold hain't much
good to er Teller when they hain't nothin' he
kin buy with lt.''
But when a week had passed and we sat
down to the table to partake Of a scanty
0Fc3kIaSG composer Oh GQ0 remnants Oh our
provision supply it began to look quite blue
and I, for one, thought great deal of my
old Eastern home and of the well filed
larder that the home folks always kept We
ate in silence, for our condition was becom-
ing too serious for laughter, and even Andy
felt that the time had come to cease his
Jokes and stories. When we had finished
our breakfast. Carter leaned back and SAID:
'Boys, somethin' has got ter be done.''
al a wit Il, urlJ hoy
piled, s'but the question Is, whut."
ayes, whut?" we repeated.
s'Wal," the old man observed, ssthar
hain't but one thing to do, an that is ter try
| Their pass ergin. They amt nothin' in these
die2ins ter eat, an our only show is ter git
down Their range"
ssThen it's my ijee," said Jerry, shat we'd
es we'll give up to die. fer Pm er goat eff any
Twin critter kin git down ther range in this
snow.''
cit pears monty hopeless" the old man
said, shut it won't do to set here an starve
ekin try it, an somethin' may come outen
it,
We sailed forth, and for hours beat our
| way through the drifts. Our progress was
| slow, and the farther we went the worse il
| became. At last, tired out, hungry and al.
most frozen, we were compelled to abandon
| the struggle and seek the cabin for shelter.
As we sat about the fire that night we
talked but little, and as we became thor.
oughly warm we sought our hunks and fell
to sleep. The old man was always the last
to retire, and when / turned in he was still
sitting in the corner smoking his pipe
+ had been in bed an hour probably when
| was awakened by a strong draught of cold
| air, and springing quickly up I behcld a
| sight that stiIled my heart for the time
The door stood wide open, and there before
| the fire sat the old man fast asleep, while
/ hofo hin, SfOOd a hn hoo inc OF int boo
IF embracing his prey. For q second was
stunned by the sight, but quick as a flash I
resolved to act, and snatching my pistol
from the floor, took aim as best could in
| the dim, glimmering freight, and trembling
with fear lest I should miss my mark by one
inch and send the ball into the heart of my
| friend, or lest my ball should not prove
| fatal and we should have battle with an
enraged bear, I pulled the trigger with a
| trembling finger, and there was sharp re-
port, an unearthly growl, and the bear fell
dead just as he had laid his paws around
the old mans form.
It was q terrible moment to me, and was
| greatly relieved when saw my compan-
ions gather about and realized that the old
man was safe.
During the two weeks following we lived
very comfortably on bear meat, and be.
coming better reconciled to our lot We
passed very pleasant time. One day /
asked the old man where he supposed the
bear came from, and he replied:
81 dunno. but reckon he must a been
showed up in . cave summers close, fer
don't think he could come much distance.
Likely he got hungry ernuf to force his way
into our cabin with the lice o. gittin' some
thin to eat, and got eat hisself instid."
oval, it was lucky fer us he come" Jerry
replied, s'or we'd or been er past eatin' long
| afore now"
| The weather turned warm then and the
| snow thawed out so that we were able to
reach the post We soon forgot our adj
venture and in the spring returned to our
| mine and went on with our work.
| T. p. AoNTFoRE