The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1890-02-13

slcet. Another and more furious sweep
of the hurricane came almost Immediately,
and this time the rack was lifted com
pletely off the sled and overturned with
hay and riders
Fortunately, there was considerable
drift of snow beside the road, and
neither Dick nor the younger children
were hurt by the fall. They had all,
with common impulse, jumped from
the top of the load as it careened over.
aud so fell, or rather tumbled, outside
the sweep of the rack.
As they scrambled to their feet the
stiff wind was so filled with hay and
snow that they could scarcely distinguish
each other The rack turned bottom
side mp, and, rs it was built in the shape
Of u figure four" quail-trap, held most
of the hay securely beneath its frame.
Dick still held to one of the lines. and
the horses stood shivering with fear and
cold, for the temperature had suddenly
dropped far below the freezing point.
Get behind the rack out of the
windl' he screamed to the younger ones,
who were clinging to each other in the
cndcavor to stand up before the raging
wind. They obeycd him, and, hugging
close against the framework, found them
selves protected from the cutting blast,
but snow and slcet whirled over the top
and about the ends in binding scurries.
Dick knew instinctiycly that to at
temp. to get those children on the bare
sled and to drive them to place Of safe
t,., Al II
In the first place, it would require all
their strength to cling on. Moreover.
they could not endure half.hour even
of such exposure to the storm. With
/ darkness coming on and the air filed
/ with driving snow, there was the barest
| possibility of his being able to find IL
house--it could only be found by run
ming against it or intoa yard-even if he
should be able to drive aud keep the
children alive all night
His plans were quickly made, and a
man of twice mis- age could not have
made them with greater good sense or
have shown brayer spirit in their exc
cuton.
He stripped the harness from his
horses and turned them loose. Then,
without waiting even TO see which direc-
( iion the animals took, he ran to his
brother and sisters.
AlthOu IN it had been so warm when
I they started from home, their mother had
insisted that Jcunic aud Carrie should
dress warmly, and take cloaks and com
tortcr' 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 horsc.blankcts upon which
the children had fortunately been sitting
when the load overturned.
/ While digging for them he had pre-
pared u 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 "cuddle
close together and never peep outside"
till they heard him call them.
He said that he would 90 and bring
i them something to eat ms soon as he
could get back from Mr.. Waldeman' 5
across Gull Lake, and then after the
blizzard was over they would all go
home
He knew the snow would drift over
them IN a very few minutes, and be
licvcd 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 uhabated
fury for two or three days, and chat there
was little likelihood of their being able
To Outlast such storm. Therefore, his
only hope was to reach help if possible,
aud get it to them the moment it should
be possible to breast the blizzard.
Gull Lake lay over mile distant, di-
rcctly TO the southeast 1t was one mile
and - half across it,and on the other side
lay Wdldemans ranch, n large group of
buildings, dwellings, barns and shedding
for stock, enclosed by large yard which
stretched along the lake shore for forty
rods or more.
Dick hoped that he might be able to
reach this ranch and to lind it.
Buttoning his overcoat tightly about
him and pulling n 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
Hcarly lifted him OIL his feet at every
step, and cut the backs of his legs and
the sides of his cheeks icily.
lie soon found it impossible to tell
whether hc was going directly with the
wind or not, rs it blew in changeful gusts
and whirlcd violently about HIM. But
there WAS u mile OF lake shore in front,
and ne reached it at length and found
himself upon the ice.
II had now grown dark, and amidst
the pitcny bmckucss 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
t. 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 oc-
casionally blew over his head, and the
/ bitter wind pierced every part of his