The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-03-09

LUCN WcTC hOb W8aOCus WtA'-
might, l resolved to assuna@ tie offer-
sive, so, having recharged tac mag'-
zine, / peered cautiously over the top
of the box. There was rot g. live wolf
in sight, but there were Sc seral desd
ones in the rear of the sled. To these
the driving snow was fast giving sep
ulture. Confronted by the assurance
that, in case any of the brutes should
return, they would find a cold lunth
to hand, l pulled down the hood aud
lay with chattering teeth, listeningio
the wind which from time to time bo-e
the distant howl of wolf family 10
my ears. AS grew warm / also grew
drowsy, and finally dropped into
sound slumber. How long / slept !
could not even hazard a guess, bn l
was awakened by the jolting ofgthe
sled. Scrambling hastily out of the
bag, found to my intense surprise
that the sled was running down an n
cline with the speed of the wind. IN
inky cloud lay across the face OF the
moon and darkness was over all the
snowy waste, while the blizzard RACED
more furiously than ever. | looled
ahead into the darkness for horses snd
driver, but found neither. Holding ny
| breath and the top of the tailboart'
awaited the end. I had not long to
wait. With a sudden burst of sped,
the sled dipped down n sharp inclhe,
the runners seemed to leave the. wand
for an instant, and then came 'atrash
aud phenomenal display Of stellar
groups as shot forward and batgcd
my head against the dash board.
"Well where in thunder did you
come from?" were the words that
greeted me as opened my eyes
YEARLY and caught II glimpse of sun
light streaming through a window and
pair of bushy black whislIers above
me, out of the upper part of which a
pair of keen blue eyes gleamed in tho
xindest manner was still dizzy and
faint and there was a singing in my
ears like that of "a vibrating telegraph
wire, yet sense enough had beer
spared to me to recognize in the speak
err honest old Bob Flavin, whom haC
taken so much trouble to look up.
| answered Bob's question by asking
another. How in thunder" CRIED
did l get here?"
| ."Well. po.-',. safu Bob. cts just this
way: | was lying on my bunk last
mig t, listening to the blizzard as il
yelled all sorts of things at me down
the chimney, when, all of sudden,
felt the old shcbang shake as if ;
landslide had struck it. Then above
the bowling of the wind heard the
cry of human being in distress--just
once. l jerked open the door and got
| a Whit of cold air that nearly took
my breath away. ! hadn't taken three
steps when | stumbled agains. some
thing softlille that made me Jump
mighty high. Well, | just got iold of
that something and carried it in by the
fire. You were pretty timber It first,
bit | put some snow on the lack of
your neck and poured about pint of
post-traders' whisky down your throat,
and held other inducements to You to
stay awhile longer with us--ant here
you are"
When Bob had finished speaking /
saw quite plainly how it had al! hap
pened. The tussle with the wslves
had taken place near the brow Of the
high bluff at the DO tom of which Bob's
ranch was located. The storm, which
had ragged with hurricane force at the
summit OF the bluff. had thrown the
sled down the slope, and start was
all that was necessary. | had COM
p!eted the trip without further assist.
ance, and aside from stiff neck and a
bump on the head was not much the
worse for the shaking up.
Later on Bob informed me that he
had found my horses early that morn
ing, bumped up UNDER fhe lee of the
ranch barn, and that they were now
safe and snug in the warmest stall in
the corral stables. ] stayed with Bob
for II few days, resting up and keeping
him company during succession of
billiards. that made travel simply i'm
possible, and, when the weather finally
moderated, fixed mp the broken sled
tongue and. accompanied by Bob con-
tinued the journey to Fort Lincoln,
which | reached just one week behind
time. Larry Vat, in Detroit Free
Press.