The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-10-28
The aiehiia 1aily Gayle gutsdau orue ttobr 2s 1880

the ground In January, and for three days
1 had been hunting for running antelope.
| The sun was very bright, and my eyes
| hurt me. saw specks fceting about; lit
tie chains with small links were constantly
before me- Ny eyes burned smartly when
| returned to the agency.
"Daily while hunting / had seen the
| low, black clouds in the north that indi-
cate the formation or narshaling of the
| winds of the frozen north Daily the south
wind swept them beyond the northern
horizon, but the next morning found them
looming portentously in the northern sky.
On my return to the agency 1 found run
ner had just got in from Belly river, in
! British America, with important news for
me. 1t was necessary that l should go up
at once. / started the next morning Ny
eyes hurt dreadfully.
81 always go to the Belly river when the
snow is on the ground by the way of the
| Sweet Grass hills, and there 1 camped one
night. One side Of the hills is always bare
of snow, and there is spring of good wa
! ter on the northern side of the center hill.
| A strong south wind was blowing when |
started, but by noon l saw the clouds to
the north suddenly rise up. l knew that
the marshRling of the north winds was
completed, and they were eager for the as
sault on the soft south wind
'On came the black cloud. The south
wind still blew iercely, but it could not
stem the assault from the arctic region.
Birds few south before the storm; antelope
and deer were running for shelter. / had
reached my camping ground, and stood
looking far of to the north, seeing the
landmarks disappear one by one as the
head of the blizzard reached them and
shrouded them in its icy breath.
"a calm
'Then, with mighty rush and a loud
noise, the head of the blizzard swept past
me. The air was filed with particles of
ice that cut through almost horizontally
and seemed as if they would never fall
Colder, ever colder, grew the wind, and
denser the air as the ice particles thick
ened-
81 sought shelter in the rocks. BuckIing
the clothing on the mare / turned her
loose, knowing that she would not leave
me. Then ! lay down on my blankets,
and wrapping my beaver cloak around me
tried to sleep.
81 began thinking and could not sleep.
The buffalo had not come south that
winter, and the wolves were gaunt and
hungry. AS they follow horseman over
the plains in the summer. so they do in the
winter, only more of them, and those great,
gaunt, famine breeders, the gray and black
ones, 20 in largely increased numbers. /
had had a pack of them at my heels all
day, and now they cropped up in my
thoughts.
II. "a
dark. Holding up my naked hand l felt
the icy sweat of the blizzard strike
sharply against it. The roar of the wind
still continued. / waited, it seemed to me,
for hours, when l suddenly felt my mare
paw my breast. spoke kindly to her.
saying she had made a mistake. Soon she
paved me again, and arose to find that
all was dark; that 1 could not see the
white mare.
Alarmed, l struck a match under my
cloak and looked down to see the blaze.
saw nothing, but the match burned my
fingers. With desolating dependency
realized the fact that the glare of the
snow encountered for the past few days
had made me snow blind; that was fifty
miles from the nearest house, and unable
to see; that furious storm was raging.
Stupid, almost wild with horror, l
thought l could hear the snuffing of the
wolves and the soft patter Of their feet be-
low the wild shrek of the arctic winds.
was simply benumbed with terror. The
mare recalled me to myself by rubbing her
cold muZzle against my face. She saw that
something was wrong with me, but what
she could not comprehend.
| resolved to saddle her. to feed her, and,
after she ate, to mount and let her take her
own course. So fed her the remaining
measure of barely, and waited for her to
eat. Then l saddled up, and without
bridling, mounted and wrapping my cloak
around me, sat steadily in the saddle,
awaiting the frisky action of the high
strung animal. She stood trembling until
told her to go. Then felt her turn until
the ice drops struck obliquely on my right
side and back, and she rapidly walked off.
Not motion or movement did she make
to discompose my seat.
Wrapped in my cloak, with hood drawn
over my face, warm and encouraged with
hope, patiently sat on the horse. could
now hear the snarling of the wolves, and
my only fear was that they, rendered des-
perate by hunger, might attack the mare
/ dismissed the thought-would not think
of it. If they did attack US We were lost;
if they did not | thought we were safe.
"All day The blizzard ragged and tore
Jelly around and on us. The mare walked
rapidly or cantered slowly On. 1t seemed
to me that we had been travelling for days,
for weeks even, when the mare stopped
and neighed loudly. Reaching forward |
felt the rough stOckade; dismounting J
felt the hinges Of the gate. Loudly l
called. Then l took my rife from the
saddle and rapidly l handled cartridges
into it.
AT last sleepy voice from the inside
called Who is there? / answered Burr;
and | am dead snow blind. Come to me-
They came and | was saved-saved for the
second time by the white mare. Do you
wonder that l, not having the Sioux
maiden, love her marey'
l sat by the bright fire, with my feet
high on a stool, and did not answer-sim-
ply sat and smoked and thought of the
girl, of the man, of the mare.-Frank VIII
kinson, Northwest Sketches.
Undoubtedly.