The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1891-12-24

could get to it was that if l could hold
out I might git somewhere near town
the second 'ght i knowed couldn't
git out O the woods in one days goin',
an they was no use tryin' to travel at
night among the trees. So, the days
bein' short, l reckoned on about twen-
ty mile the first day; then sleep till
day break, an then the best l could do
towards the other thirty miles.
l1nowed I'd be in the open when the
second night came on, an If had luck
| might strike trail, an mebbe git
help somewhat. 1t was close figger-
in, though, an made up my mind the
one sleep 'ud be all I'd git, an the Sec
ond day I'd have to 90 till dropped, if
it took me way inter the night. l could
steer by the stars knew, if once got
away from the trees.
Long towards night I'm darned if
the old man didn't git plumb crazy.
He hollered an yelled an struggled SO
toget off N the sled t l was afraid he'd
break the fast'nin's, but Andrews had
tied him pretty close, an he didn't have
sense enough to try to unite the knots
had to tie his arms, though, an tell
We twas somethin' awful. Thar l was,
miles an miles away I'm anybody but
a crazy man, riskin' my life to save his.
an skeered to death for fear I'd be as
crazy as he was in few minutes
a tyin' him up to keep him I'm gettin'
away / got him fast, though, an gave
him dose O laudanum that Andrews
had give me for him, an after little
he Gained down an went to sleep.
II went along till twas too dark to
see the way any further, an knowed
Id got to camp out. They was a good
many wolves round, toe, m heerd
'em gittin closter and closter. l
warn't afeerd Of 'em s longs was
awake, fur l knowed how pesky cow
ardly tn. critters are, till they ketch
a Teller down, but was skeerd for fear
they'd jump on MS alter we'd gone to
sleep. So l built up rousin' good
fire. That took time, but made it O
brush an chopped up a young tree t l
found, for logs, an in about two hours
l was ready to turn in. Then | stripped
an rubbed myself as we'll $ could
with whisky and dressed an wrapped
up well, n lay down.
well, slept tolab BILE sound till nigh
day break, though l had to git up
couple O. times n feed the fire Them
blame wolves was too close to be conf
table. / cd see em in the dark, smell
in and yelpin' round. but they was
more afeerd O. the fire n I was O.
them.
''Soon as twas light got up n het
some coffee an took a bite, n started
l was goin' by the compass, O. course,
but couldn't 60 in the dark, for not
seem the way.
Ye may think talk too much bout
the way felt, an mebbe another man
wouldn't ha' been skeerd like I was,
but | was almost frightened to death
for those two days. knowed, though,
t the only thing to do was to push
ahead. n did. The ole man had woke
up, an it seemed to me like he was a
little more sensible n he was the day
before, but he lay quiet, m l didn't
dare to say nothin' to him fer fear t
he'd start in yellin' again. He didn't
though, N then got skeerd again fur
fear he was dead.
The fust thing t give me any cour-
age whatsomever, was about dark
when struck trail t l knew must
lead to Minneapolis. l reckoned had
nigh twelve miles more to 60, but the
goin' was heap easier, ma had some
hope O meetin' somebody or comm to
a house where l co uld git horse.
LAS it turned out was plumb wr ong
all round. ! was on the right trail, to
be sure. but | was more'n sixteen mile
away FIN town. | reckon I'd travelled
over forty mile, but I'd lost morn'n l
thought then, by not goin' dead
straight. Then, stead O. hav:n' less to
fear, Id heap more. travelled along
pretty we'll for an hour or two alter
dark, n then got SO dog tired took
a big snifter O. whisky. hadn't took
any afore, fur was afeerd O the stuff,
never bein' used to it, an KNOWN
t'would help me awhile an then leave
me worse off. But / reckoned I was
so near gone, an so close to where I'd
git help. twas time to take it. Thar
was wrong again. The duned liquor
spurred me up for mebbe an hour, an
then ind O lost track O the time an
didn't seem to know much about any
thing, an bimeby l keched myself
thinkin' it didn't make much differ
ence anyhow. Id got ter die some
time. an might as we'll lie down
and be quick about it, an as fur the
ole man. thar wasn't much show fur
him anyhow.
~ dunno how it vast l ketched my
self up again; but knowed enough to
know twas cold an me bein' so tired
that done it, n says to myself: Joe,
you've got to git thar fust, n then's
time enough to die. l studied on it fur
a minute or two. and come to the con-
clusion t Id got to hurt myself some
how, SOS the pain would keep me
awake, n l caught my little finger
nail in my teeth N bit it off. Well,
had plenty O pain then, and jumped
ahead like tired OK when you CAD him
deep.
That lasted me for mebbe half an
hour, but couldn't tell nothin' about