The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-08-06

for them to recrOss the river should they
reach it. Again the robbers halted. hud-
died together. looked back. and again strug-
gled on. English. the man of iron. for the
most part keeping the lead. The miners now
knew they were in deadly peril, not from
the robbers. but from the storm. Again the
robber band halted, grouped together. ges-
ticulating wildly, as if in violent argumen.
tative alteration, and again moved slowly
on. The party of miners followed. the
horses fOundering in the deep snow, while
the trail closed like a grave behind them.
About three o'clock in the afternoon, stand
ing up to his waist in snow, English shout
ed to them to approach. Pushing on
through the storm. with their heads bowed
and necks bent. like cattle. shielding them
selves in the fierce blast, they reached the
robber party.
Il tell you h-1's to pay, boys" said
English. "If we don't keep our heads level,
We'll go up the fume like spring salmon.
Which way do you think is the statiOn?"
No one could tell. To add to the con.
sternation, they now found that three of
their party were missing. They shouted
through the storm, but no answer came
back. They never saw them again. In the
spring some Indians found and brought in
a MOTEL book, in which was recorded this
writing Lost in the snow December 10th.
1862. James A. Keel of Macoupin Co.,
Illinois; Wesley Dean of St. Louis; Ed
Parker of Boston," At the same time they
brought in a pair of boots containing bones
Of human feet A party of citizens went
out and found the remains of the three
men, together with large amount of gold.
dust.
English stopped, studied moment, and
then, resolving to take all in his own hands,
said: I'VE must stick together; stick to-
gether and follow me. l will shoot the first
man who refuses to obey, and send him to
hell a-fuking."
Again the robber chief, now in supreme
command in the hour of danger and death.
led on. The band struggled on in silence,
benumbed, helpless, and half dead. Scott
seemed like a child beside his chieftain.
The remainder of both parties were as fee
BILE and as spritless as he. English was the
only one whose spirit rose above the storm.
His whole ferociOus nature seemed aroused.
At times he SwOre like a madman. The
storm increased in fury, darkness came sud-
denly on, and they could not see each
others faces.
English shouted aloud, above the blast,
"Come up to me-" They obeyed, and hud-
died around him like children. There is
but one chance" said he: ''cut your sad
dies off your horses" He got the horses as
close together as possible and shot them
down, throwing away his pistols as he
emptied them. Placing the saddles on top
of the pile of horses. he made each man
wrap his blankets around him and huddle
together on the mass. mo nodding now,"
said English. ''I'll shoot the first man that
fails to answer when 1 call him."
IT, o1o 11o I, h1,f
ing, and this robber chief, this king of men,
in the hour of dire peril and death knew it.
Every man seemed to surrender all hope.
save this fierce man of iron. He moved as
if in his element. He made a track in the
snow around the party on the heap. and
kept constantly moving and shouting.
Within an hour they saw the effect of his
rude action. The animal heat from the
horses warmed their benumbed and stitfened
limbs as it rose from their PROSTATE bodies.
while darkness and the storm reigned over
them. Thus they remained during the
stormy hours of the night. English, shout
ing and swearing through and above the
blasts, tramped in the circular track he
made about them, pistol in hand, to keep
them awake and alive, while he battered
his own body to keep it from freezing.
Thus the terrible night wore Oh until toward
morning, when suddenly English stopped
shouting. and uttered terrible oath of sur
prise. The storm had suddenly lifted like
curtain, and far above in the heavens
moved the round moon on its stately course.
1t was to that band of half dead and we'll
nigh frozen men as pillar of flame to the
children of Israel. They were saved. With
the dawn of the morning the iron man bade
the others follow him. 1t was almost
impossible for them to rise. They fell.
rose again. fell, and finally stood on their
feet; all save one. small German named
Ross. He was dead-frozen to death.
At eleven o'clock in the morning English.
who still resolutely led the way, gave
shout of joy as he stood on the edge of a
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