The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-01-04
4 FIERY BLIZZARD.
Experience Of o Party Of Hunters
in the Desert.
The Searching Swirl Of the Sand
Bisss-Esek 50 tbs water
Hole.


rapidly frosa left 70 right A long
shees - wha. At first seemed pnrpse
fame. something Ike bill on IRE
where the rays Of the sun t9acheG q,
Ieared FROM fbe earth. and shos with
the sueed Of race horse across the
long exparse Of wina-7wept sand 10
was q raytess cHrtafa Of dust Moth
ing fSyGnd Il was visible. ETen the
air and the beavens grew taky, IS The
blaegersng curtain lifted itseh IKE
wal stretching UP from the ground
into the etouds, before the aze-struck
syes q the startled men In front o.
this frowning horizon quick flashes 81
Eght shore for a. instant upon 81
vsutis ep3rai columns. which spraug
100 seet n the air, rs II by magic, and
Their. o1rijng into fantastic iorDs.
merged instantly into dense masses Of
cloud. Ard ali the while the air
shriekeI and f8oeaed like an animal
in pain. The elzshing clouds would
lar one against the ether, a. IN some
fearful gorge Ia the ArctIc seas the
gyez. ICE Goes are hurried one upon an
ether. And these walls Of sand. in
stfnct with life and commotion,
wbiried and cireled around them,
coming every instant nearer and
nearer.
BACK 20 the water hole, shouted
foot. They turned to retrace their
steps. All around them vas black
me-. and sand. The wind in the rush
ing c,ouds OF dust deafened the air
with IL elemental eaHn0nade The
men we're bafiied Ia their last hope.
The direction Of the water hole was
lost They were AZ the mercy OF the
storm.
"Don't separated shouted Foot.
"Join hands and stay together.
The tempest q sand burst upon
them now with intense violence. IL
swept in binding sheets into their
faces. IL penetrated their ears and
nostrils. and parehed their lips with
its burning particles. Their clothing
was scarcely any defence against the
subtle and penetrating dust which cut
70 the skin with q sensation Ike the
thrust Of innumerable needles. The
air vas filed with whirling masses Of
gritty. powdered earth The ground
waved in little pillows Of sand.
Whichever way the hunters turned
they we're met BY q whiFsw!nd against
which il was impossible 70 make
hsadxay. To stand still was death.
They would have been buried alive in
q few minutes. Yet how eoald they
walk on. They were clearly thu
center Of q circle 10 which the
storm conveyed from ali directions.
II looked a. II the desert forces had
ronspired to oYerwkelm and destroy
them. While Foot wss ia q measure
familiar with the terrible agitations
which 1T times convulse the desert,
the fearful experience was new ~ his
companions. They had never be-
fore seen anything like it. ltshocked.
alarmed and bewildered them. They
felt themselves assailed by forces i'm
pAlpabie and irresistible. The earth.
the air. and the heavens were eonted-
Grated against them. Yet they pushed
back inch BIZ inch in what they sup
posed 10 be the direction OF the water
bole. To reach il meant safety. II
they failed OF that haven Of shell
Ter they must inevitably perish mis-
srably In the desert And so they
toiled on through what appeared to
them ages OF doubt. uncertainty, and
mistrust. But they made little pro-
gress. Struggle as they would they
could not combat the deepening
currents of sand. which, like All inn
nense food dashed on them its shested
volumes Of dust
: And so the hours went by. Their
shrOats were parched-a consuming
thirst assailed them The dust-laden
air had choked thesr lungs and almost
stifled respiration. Their eyes we're
infamed and almost sightlsss. Their
feet sank ankle deep in the soft, shift
ing sand. while around and above
them whirled the black, dense canopy
which bailied all their efforts b pens-
trate and pass.
And now young Hughes, unable
longer TO maintain the desperate strug-
gle, sank helpless upsn the ground
Ills frame, delieately nurtured, was
not built for work like this. His can
teen was exhausted; his parched and
swollen tongue vaiRly appealed for
water. His comrades had given him
the last drop Of their own supplies,
But Foot never lost courage His
gigantic frame and indomitAble heart
seemed ~ take ON new capacities for
assistance as the situation grew more
aud more meRacing. The faint
ing form OF the exhausted
boy was thrown across his shoulder,
and with this additional burden he
kept his place at the head OF the little
file OF hunters. slowly breas,ing the
storm. Every step they now TOOK
was made against the fierce drift that
nearly lifted them from their feet.
Every breath they drew was ehoked
with dust still they struggled ON. A
few hundred yards away from the
water pool was a little sand dam
which had attracted their attention in
the early morning. They sad ieuly
stumbled upon this IL was pure ac-
cidcut for they had long since lost &C
cuFate knowledge of the route they
were pursuing. They could not tell
until this fortunate discovery was
made. II they were going in
the proper diection. Bat now they
were suddenly fun of hope The dis
royery Of the little sand dune bad
converted them from despair 70 hope
fulness 1t would afford them al
least partial shelter from the wave
like drift OF the sand and il gave them
the assurance that the life sustaining
water was but q few yards away
Pushing close up under the lee of the
cone like deposit, they felt q sense ot
almost instantaneous relief as the
dust-laden wind swept over them
The terrible drift. at ali events RC
ionger beat In their faces. filing theil
ears, nostrils and eyes with the grit
that pierced them a. With the thrust
OF needles Ordinarily they wogl,
have regarded their condition now a,
desperate bat it vas ia SO many ~
spects. an improvement Hpon that 81
a few moments since. that thew fei'
the sand dune t. be as in reality Il
was. a positive hcuelaCtiou
And here they rested for a while
their hearts ki0dGus every instant
with new hope They hat only frN
hundred yards more 81 drift and SAND
o. hrht before reaching their hsveT
81 safety In il true the air was Still
full 81 hlacknes~. the wind s;i
s,-rrcChca and whirica in spiral col
umus If dust. the dfiit Sljll rose anl
heat upon their breasts. bat then
hearts were lighter and : new sense %
energy and strength vitaliEei theii
frame They had only 20 make on,
more desperate effort and their work
Of redemption from terrible peri
would he complete
Little Hughes lay upon the ground
drawing his breath in quick. painful
gaSp>. Every nerve was strained
every muscle quivering. The heat and
tat,gtc hal rendered him nearly in
sensible His lahoring lgurs Ver,
only Htfuily doing their ofhce.
We must get this boy - water Al
once Foot 1t NAV be death - ~.
tempt Il, bat it is certainly death for
him 60 remain here,