The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-01-11

q
t note to Juliann, and she was read
e and equipped for the journey whe1
: Dick appeared at the appointe'
place with broncho saddled 70
!. the journey.
Instead of returning by the oil
Leesburg and Yellow Jacket trail
the party decided to come in b,
Yankee Fork and Jordan creek t.
, throw the elder Shellbark off tn
track. 1t was a beautiful moonligh
evening, and as the party rode VI
the Salmon to the upper ford, they
sans, Zone more river to cross, ant
that's the river of Jordan" ant
! joked and laughed over their sue
cess and the trick they played OF
old man Shellbark.
| On the evening Of the third da,
the party made camp at the mouth
of Jordan creek, above the presen
town of Bonanza, and about hal
way between where the brewery il
now situated and J. G. Morrison's
quartz mill. This is said to b.
the coolest point III the world. Al
yet but little snow had fallen, but
the indications were promising for
a spell of extremely cold weather
Jack had thermometer with him
which he hung to a willow, and
while supper was being prepared he
remarked that he felt it in his bones
that it was going to be frightfully
| cold night. Sundays (omens of q
frigid wane) had been seen dancing
around the sun all the afternoon.
The saddle horses and the pack
mule carrying Juliann's wedding
outfit and homemade trousseau
generally, were tied up to the will
lows and encouraged by a meagre
lunch of grain.
After supper and a sociable
smoke, the boys gathered heap of
wood, intending to keep fire all
night. But the cold increased so
rapidly that the horses were resad-
died and the mule repacked in or
der to be ready to move to a more
secluded place. But all of a sud-
den the thermometer began to show
signs of excitement. 1t took fall
down to 40 below zero, and then
hesitated. Five minutes later it
worked up and took a run down of
60 degrees more; and while the
party were watching it anxiously,
it pulled down to 316 below zero,
and shook nervously. Jack and
Dick were standing on one side of
the fire and Josephus and Juliann
on the other, all holding their hands
out over the blaze endeavoring to
keep warm. Suddenly the woods
roared the trees swelled up for a
second or two, and then burst like
glass and flew all to pieces, scatter
ing the limbs and splinters in every
direction. The horses and mule
stood still as death; and when the
thermometer took another dip down
and tied up at the 4OOth degree be-
low zero, an ague shake came over
the party for quarter of a second,
and then everything was as quiet as
it was before the creation. All four
were frozen solid and cold as Alas
ka marble, and stood there in their
tracks with their arms extended out
over the fire, looking natural as life.
Even the blaze of the fire was frozen
solid, and although it looked warm
and cheerful it was cold as Norwe-
gian ice. 1t was a sad sight, and
one long to be remembered.
CHAPTER THE III.
When old man Shellbark woke
up the next morning after the elope-
ment and discovered that his darl-
ing daughter Juliann had left her
bed and board and gone he knew
not where, he pulled his hair and |
rent his clothes and girted his loins
about in gunny sack and sat down
in the ashes of his once happy
chimney corner.
But the old man was born of a
;ough, hickory race, and he soon got
lis thoughts together, and thought
! minute. Then he thought of Jo-
;ephus, and went out to look for
racks. He found them. He at once
party of six strong
young men (aspirants for the hand
If Juliann }, and two thoroughbred
4emhi linens to do the trailing.
The old man put red paint on his
eft ear and double-barreled shot
Jun on his right shoulder, and
tarted with his party of rescuers.
They reached the mouth of Jor-
Ian creek on the evening of the
econd day, tired and hungry. The
POLAR wane had done its worst, but
t was yet many, many degrees be-
ow zero. The old man sighted the
lorses in the willows, and all dis
Mounted and crept cautiously up
o surprise the boys and Juliann,
nd capture them without firing a
,un.
Throw up your hands !" the old
nan yelled when he saw the group
landing in a circle around the fire.
10 one replied. Throw up your
lands, you villains, or I'll shoot"