The Dickinson press., 1893-12-30

'A the huge open
fireplace IN the living room. drinking |
their coffee after Il late dinner. The |
lights We're not lii and the family sat i'll |
the hickering light of IL big fire of |
cracking pine logs. which threw out |
quaint shadows in every direction. This |
party WAS ,llr usual one that yearly
gathered at Jack kalston'S to spend the |
Christmas holidays with him and his
family AS they sat in the cheerful
warmth and glow of the fire they list
cncd to the fearful storm that roarcd
outside. A blizzard had been raging for
The past three days, the wind howled
and Sllriekrd through the mountain
peaks. driving the fast-falling snow be-
fore it and piling it up in immense
drifts against every obstruction. 1t
was Il bitter, biting, cold wind, too. as it
tore through the valley like demon
seeking whom it might destroy. doing
its utmost to completely bury the house
from view in the snow: but. sheltered
as it was by two giant rocks, one on
each side, with the mountain side ut its
back, the house was safe i'll its snug lit
tie spot even from the storms greatest
fury. The inclcment weather had kept
| the men indoors. and they We're grum-
Dragged about the amount of game
uley would have bagsed had they only
~ecn able to get out.
Say, Jack, it's some time yet before
midnight. Can't you spin us yarn?"
finally said Bobby Caruthers. after
long pause in the conversation.
We'll, l was Just thinking" said
Jack. "of just such Il night as this,
fifteen years ago. when. if it had not
been for the pluck Of that little woman
yonder. i would not be here tonight to
see the New Year come fn." and he
saZed fondly at his wife, who still
looked like Il young woman as she sat
in the tlickering light, although on one
side sat her son, Il fair young giant, and
on the other her daughter, beautiful
girl just blOssOming into womanhOod.
Lets have it," came in a chorus from
the party.
well, fill your pipes, and I'll tell
you my story. You see, fifteen years
ago l wasn't as prosperous as | am
now. / was just starting out ranching.
had only been here some three years,
then. and where this house now stands
we only had a small log cabin Young
Jack over there was only six years old
at the time and Miss Edith was trotting
round, young tllrce-ycar-old. The
winter had opened badly: snow had
come very early, and With it bitter cold
weather. We had plenty of fuel, so we
managed to keep warm enough. The
cabin was in the same spot as this
house now is, so the two big rocks
helped to keep off the fierceness of the
wind; but we We're completely buried
under the snow so that we had to dig Il
tunnel from the front door out into the
open air. Myself and all the boys were
kept mighty busy taking forage out tc
spots where the cattle could get mt it
and so not starve to death. Well, one
morning. about two weeks before
Christmas. after It heavy snowfall. ]
started out With all hands ON one OF
these trips. intending to gather all the
cattle together as much as possible. and
to build some large hay stacks SO that
they would have plenty of food fol
some time: also. as our grub was get.
ting very low. we We're going to push
through to Dolores to provision up fol
the rest of the winter in case VIC
couldn't get through again for some
time. l also wanted to get the Christ.
mas presents for the kids: so l told the
little wife not to be anxious if didn't
slow up for several days.
We'll. we all started. only leaving
one of the boys behind. who haG been
sick and wasn't quite we'll yet. We
had the dcuc2's own job fixing up the
cattle and getting through the Dolores.
1t took us over Il week. and .c"eral of
the boys were badly frust-bi..pn We
.. were ready i'll 4 few lays to push back
J. again, but another heavy snowfall
came. and another. and another. until
: really it seemed to be showing Ill the
| -, H., 1,1. h1-o
until Christmas came and IL Gre I was
snow- bound i'll Dolores. getting more
and more anxious about the folks al
home. knew their grub must be
getting low; and besides. here WA.
Christmas day. and nothing for the kids
WAS nearly wild. can tell you. We'll
two day; before New Years there wa
let-up. and l made up my mind t
- pH>h through NJ amy cost. l coul
ins only induce one of my mon to com
as asr with me; the others tlitly refused. The
said II would be sure death; that III
other storm was coming up-this tim
nd regular blizzard. At any rate, W
n. started on our 1ifty-nlilc ride. II
trails We're simply one succession
.... immense drifts. 50 we made nigh
Slow progress. is We lad to lead a pa,
horse. After one days riding we Ii:
"l' only gone twenty-five miles. and Il he
storm WAS coming up: and it proved
regular shorter, too. We dug hole
the SNOW and lay down for Il few hou
sleep. for we We're dead beat; but
w;l> so cold that we We're only al
TO get about forty winks. and start
- again. SO as not to freeze TO death.
Ppm The storm increased, getting wol
INN INN and worse as we Went on: the sno
Dpm driven by the fierce wind. cut our fat
SPIN like so many needles. while the bit
to cold seemed to numb every faculty a
, oil to be slowly freezing out our very liv
My horse then gave Out-couldn't INC
rest another step, SO let him go and mou
J. | ed the pack horse. Night Then ca