Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-02-15

with driving snow, there was the barest
possibility of his being able to find a
house-it could only be found by run
ming against it OF into yard-even if he
should be able to drive and keep the
children alive all night
His plans were quickly made, and a
man of twice his age could not have
made them with greater good sense, or
have shown drawer spirit in their exc
cution.
He stripped the harness from his
horses and turned them loose. Then,
without waiting even to see which direc-
ton the animals took, he ran to his
brother and sisters.
Although it had been so warm when
they started from home, their mother had
insisted that Jeanne and Carrie should
dress warmly, and take cloaks and com
forters with them. These they had put
Oh before the storm came, and Dick,
after digging in the hay for few min
utes between the boards of the rack, dis
covered the horse. blankets upon which
the children had fortunately been sitting
when the load overturned.
While digging for them he had pre-
pared ''nest, as he termed it, for the
three small ones, and he now ordered
them to get in there while he tucked the
blankets around them. Frightened and
hushed by the terrific storm, they obeyed
without murmur, and the brave young
fellow told them that they must "cudde
close together and never peep outside"
till they heard him call them.
He said that he would go and bring
them something to eat as soon as he
could get back from Mr. Waldeman's
across Gull Lake, and then after the
blizzard was over they would all go
home.
He knew the snow would drift over
them in very few minutes, and be-
lieved that if they kept quiet their
breath would warm the ''nest," and no
doubt keep them alive for many hours.
/ But he knew also that such billiards
have been known to last with undated
fury for two or three days, and that there
was little likelihood of their being able
to outlast such storm. Therefore, his
only hope was to reach help if possible,
and get it to them the moment it should
be possible to breast the blizzard
Gull Lake lay over a mile distant, di-
rectly to the southeast. 1t was one mile
and half across il, and on the other side
lay Waldeman's ranch, large group of
buildings, dwellings, barns and shedding
for ctn ri l,-, 1o,. ! IL, L
stretched along the lake shore for forty
rods or more
Dick hoped that he might be able to
reach this ranch and to find it.
Buttoning his overcoat tightly about
him and pulling a Norwegian cap"
which he wore tightly down over his ears,
he set out, going directly with the storm,
which came from the northwest
He started at a stiff run. The wind
nearly lifted him off his feet at every
step, and cut the backs of his legs and
the sides of his cheeks icily.
He soon found it impossible to tell
whether he was going directly with the
wind or not, as it blew in changeful gusts
and whirled violently about HIM. But
there was a mile of lake shore in front,
and he reached it at length and found
himself upon the ice.
1t had now grown dark, and amidst
the pitchy blackness of night and the
thick drift of snow he could no longer
make use Of his eyes. In fact, he was
obliged to shut them and allow himself
to be carried over the ice by the wind. A
part of the time he was able to keep his
feet, but often he was thrown forward
and actually blown over the rough ice
for rods. The skirt of his overcoat &C.
casionally blew over his head, and the
bitter wind pierced every part of his
body.
1t was a rough and terrible experience
getting across the lake, and he was glad
he had not attempted to take his broth
ers and sisters with him
When he at length reached the south
ern bank, he was so chilled and ex-
hausted that he could scarcely keep his
feet at all. The bank was high at the
point where he reached it, and ne knew
it could not be opposite the ranch fence,
as the high bank was west of that. So
he turned, and alternately walked and
crawled eastward, guided in that direc-
ton by the wind.
For long time he forced his way
along the edge of the ice, which was
swept bare, guided by the sense of feel
ing and the direction OF the wind, but at
length he stumbled against something
and joyfully discovered it to be fence.
As it afterward proved, it was an ex-
tension of the cattle-yard, a corner of
which was built down into the edge of
the lake to afford water for the stock,
and had he missed it by even a few feet
he would undoubtedly have persisted
The discovery of it gave him new life
at once and aroused all his faculties. He
climbed over the fence so as to get inside
the yard, and then, by feeling, followed
it until he came to connection with the
cattle-shed.
Once in the shelter of these, he whipped
his numbed arms aud stamped his chilled
feet until circulation partly restored,
then felt his way along to the barn, and
at length managed to reach the ranch
dwelling guided by the glimmer of light
which he could see through the storm.
He was welcomed and warmed and
fed, and promised that by every possible
effort that could be made the men should
help him to rescue his brother and SIS
ters.when daylight came
Dick found that he had escaped with
only a slight frosting of his face and fin
gers, but his anguish on account of the
little ones he had left buried in the hay
was intense He did not sleep at all, but
walked the floor of the ranch kitchen,
where he was allowed to keep a roaring
fire all night Every few moments be
would go to the windows, scratch the
frost, and endeayor to peer out into the
storm.
He could gather no encouragement un-
til daylight, when he discovered that the
snow was no longer falling, and that the
sky would soon be clear.
He reused the ranch hands at once. as
two of them had agreed to 90 with him.
In short time the men were up. Some
hot coffee was drunk, a jug of it was
filed from the pot, and a sharp-shod
team was harnessed The horses were
hlindfolded, their heads wrapped in hlaJ1.