Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-05-18

i SAT uown TO rest with my back
against small hummock, as one stops
by the wayside and leans against a
milestone or a friendly wall ! was
chilled almost to freezing, the north
wind was very cold and ] knew that
must remain only moment where !
was lest the low temperature should
render me insensible. Meantime the
water was draining from my clothing
and was getting breath after my Sc
we're exertion.
1.-THE edge of the foe struck against
the larger body of solid ice. The dogs
seemed to realize the necessity of TAX.
ing advantage Of the situation, as they
darted at full speed from the smaller
foe to the firm ice with the first word
of their driver. had often admired
their intelligence; they would cross
thin ice at full gallop. not giving it
time to yield beneath them, where a
slower rate of speed would have GER
tainly caused them to break through;
and had seen them jump over assures
two or three feet in width and drag the
sledge after them as though dogs and
sledge were but one. In the present
instance they made single bound in
clearing the space that separated them
from the firm ice, and when they
reached place of safety they stopped
as though at the word of command
II sat leaning against the hummock,
watching the dogs and drivers at their
work. While my team was getting to
the firm ice my friends were following
its example, their ice foe having taken
the same course as my own. When all
were over, they shouted for me to join
them, and tried to rise. / made the
effort. and found that could not move,
but for the moment was not aware Of
the cause. Again my friends called to
me, and added the alarming informa-
ton that the foe had been caught by
an undercurrent and was drifting away
fir om the firm ice.
"'Run for your lifer said one of the
party. The foe is drifting awayr
Again tried to rise, but could not.
My strength had fairly returned, and I
knew it was not weakness that held
me back. Another effort, and real
ICED my situation.
II was frozen fast to the foe!
81 tried to shout the cause of my re-
naming where l was, but the words
stuck in my throat. I could hear the
voices of my companions growing more
and more faint in the distance as
drifted away from them. Suddenly 1t
grew dark, and then-I remem bered
nothing more, save an effort to undo the
clothing that held me fast, but it was
impossible to turn or move so as to Sc
cure my release My hands lay at my
side as my limbs were held fast in the
| icy bonds 1t was impossible even to
make signal. A statue could not have
been more immova ole than l was, nor
less capable of making known its con-
dition.
1.-THE darkness that came over me
was the darkness of a swoon, from
which did not wake for hours. Two
| of our faithful Tungusians came to my
relief, ferrying themselves across the
open water upon a cake of ice They
cut me loose from the ice that held me,
and then, as no time was to be lost,
they ferried my insens ible body over
with them to where my anxious friends
were standing.
''They stripped me, and rubbed my
body with spirits and oil, which we al
ways carry on the sledges for just such
emergencies. For an hour and more |
gave little signs of life, but finally was
able to speak, and some OF the spirits
was poured down my throat This
helped to revive me, and in few hours
1 was all right again, though terribly
stiff and sore from my immersion in
the water. They wanted to place me
on one of the sledges, but I insisted
upon walking, as I knew the exertion
would prevent return Of the chill. In
few hours we reached the shore and
fell in with band of wandering Tun,
gusians, who supplied me with dry
clothing and plenty of food We told
them about our adventure and where
we had left the ivory; several of them
started to find it, and by great good
luck they secured two of the tusks and
brought them away."-Thomas W.
Knox, in n. Y. Ledger.