The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1891-01-01

II
further effort to talk. The going Wa
heavy, but not especially %. for the
way lay through the forest and was moi
drifted- -Four miles brought Us to the
burnt land, long, wind.swept space,
where there were Just enough fallen
trees along the roadway 70 catch the
driven show. It soon appeared that the
road here was succession OF drifts, NOT
deep but solid, and that II any teams
had been over 1t during the day, thei1
tracks had long since been filed In.
Indeed, could see In the bright star
light that fne snow, almost like Toe
dust was moving swiftly over the
great white surface spread out before
us. The horses could no longer trot.
but settled down to walk. the wind
whistiing through the harness and blow.
ing their names and tails till thev pro.
jected almost horizontally. How cold
It was! In the northwest the bright
disk Of Venus shone with wonderful
splendor, and the pitiless wind seemed
to come straight from the star. There
seemed TO be q merciless glare In the
i splendid planet and ffonged for cloud
to cover IT from sight. ! shivered under
all my clothing and began to feel un.
easy for my companion.
Are you cold9' / shouted, for the
wind rendered 1t useless to speak in an
ordinary tone, mufiied as we were, and
not facing each other
She answered tbatshe was, whereupon
! told her to get rs low down In the
sleigh as possible, which she did, and I
pulled the robes over her head, she
nesting very close to me. Somehow
this was not altogether disagrecable,
and In my imagination ! began to pict-
ure what my companion was like
concluded that she was young and
beautiful, without any reason whatever
except that 1t would be vastly more
pleasant to be taking care OF such q
girl than OF one who was old and ILL
favored.
The wind-swept stretch OF road was
six miles long, and when we had gone
about third Of the distance the horses
stopped. Looking ahead ! found that
the drifts had dcepened and that they
were standing in 1t up to their bodies.
| urged them little, but soon saw that
1t was Of no use. They only plunged
in a manner to .endangAr themselves
and the sleigh. There was but one
thing to do-get out an6 break road.
Telling my companion to crouch low in
the sleigh | covered her we'll with the
robes, and going in front Of the horses
began to tramp down the snow. The
poor animals stood shiyering in the
wind, and / worked with all my speed;
yet 1t was more than an hour, Judge,
before. had track made for them.
When I returned to the sleigh was
thoroughly heated, and as wet from per-
spiratioh as IL had been plunged into
water. i knew ! was running a fearful
-risk1 sitting down in that piercing
wind. but there seemed to be no alter.
native; SO, protecting myself as we'll as
possible from the blast, which seemed
to grow In strength, / urged the horses
along 4As=they proceeded slowly my
companion threw the covering from her
head and said:
You must have got heated. working
as hard as you did, and you will take
cold unless you take something at once.
II you sit there till the cold strikes you
you will die"
The voice seemed to have o trace of
tears in it, but that was doubtless due
to the fact that she herself was far from
comfortable.
II do not think there is any danger"
I said
But know there is" she answered
Then throwing down the robes she
steed up in the sleigh and added; ."Gixe-
me the reins G:s down there out of
the wind and co~er yourself up
II will do nothing of the kind" re-
piled. II
"Youmust," she insisted, "or you will
die"
At this moment shudder passed
over me, and / realized what truth
there might be in her words. She di-
yined the reason for my silence and said:
You know / am right. Oh, why will
you not do what ask?n /.
But you"
'Never mind me, will be all right;
besides, it will only be for little
while"
A second ehudder, worse than the
first reused me thoroughly to my dan
ger, and, protesting that 1T was only for
minute or two that l would avail my
self OF the shelter Of tho sieigh-box,
crouched down and allowed her to cover
mo over. ! was soon shaking like one
in an argue-ft, growing hot and cold by
turns. How terribly slow We seemed to
be goingl Two or three times tried to
rise and take the reins. but was unable;
and my companion assured me each
time that she was not cold and was do
ing famously-the excitement kept her
warm, she said. did not believe her
then, and l know now that what she
said was not true-that she suffered
terribly; but did not know until they
told me, weeks afterward, at the hotel
in Brenton. that she took off her own
wraps to make my covering heavier;
for l was insensible when they lifted
me from the sleigh. l remember when
the grinding of the runners ON the
drifts seemed to cease, and have con-
fused recollection Of the quicker tink-
ling of the bells ac the horses struck a
trot, when the woods were reached
again; but, Of the remainder of the
journey remembe; nothing.
When, three weeks later, weak from
fever, ! employed my first conscious
minute In inqairing after my companion,
the nurse told mo that she had driven
the horses into Brenten at a gallop. Not
knowing about the two roads, she had
naturally enough followed the straight
one. and so for fourteen miles had
driven alone through tho forest, with
mo lying unconscious at her feet The
hostler of the only hotel that BrAnton
boosted was at the door looking for the
mail-stago when he saw team coming
down the forest road at a terrific pace,
woman standing in the sleigh and ply
ins the whip with all her strength. She
had drawn rein before the door. and
springing out, exclaimed:
Never mind mel See to him!" and