Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-10-24
IN A SNOW PIT.

VII NNN AfNN NNN OF NNNffINHFa IN N.lN
ycnr 1900, peasant named Dmitrl Pa.
lowski Of tho Village N ZoiauInelhof. Gou.
vornomont Rursk, was sent by bis father
TO the city 20 sell som' faicnco vessels.
which were packed away on % s,,dgr The
weather was lno, and b. sped ON DIS way
without accident But scarcely had hc irft
the city when tho sky became overcast
with clouds. a few seconds later % began
70 snow. Tho wind rose stronger and
stronger and soon storm drove with fear.
ful violence across tho plain and began 10
sweep in all directions.
Dmitri was only fow vcrsts from The
village when night fell, but tho snow bad
cntirUly covcrd the knutty Pine houghs
that marked the way. The consequence
was that no became lost Afior Boz had
vainly sought tho right direction for %
long time he ulghted from the slodgC
Tor IN consequence Of tho intense cold he
began to b. oycrpowcrHd hy feeling oi
numbncss For some time ho wandered
At random, leading his horse by tho hri
de but suddenly the snow cavCd beneath /
bis stops, md almost At the same moment /
tho horse and sledgo went undcr All his |
efforts 20 right thum again wcro fruitloss. /
The motel, ns such terrible storms nro call. |
cd ragged moro violently ovcry moment, |
and be was finally forced 90 cling 60 tho /
slodpc. In order 20 Withstand the blasts Il /
wind which were hoaplng tho snow high /
about him
There was nothing for him 20 do but |
walt for daylight 20 be Embarrassed the
horse and tied him 10 the shafts. Then
he laid himself down In the slodgo ns
TRANQUILITY nsif he wcro In bic own cottage
Boiorc siutching himself out be removed
BIZ boots and cnp, which he placed undci
hls head, Russian fashion. Thon hc GOV.
frUN HIuftHfl UIfNt IIa h. L..
In such a way ns 10 protect biz head from
tho wind. Thus be- passed tho night
Whom he opened bis eyes In the morn.
Ing no whs covorrd with snow AZ he
couiocturrd that 10 must already DO DAY,
he took his little willow stick out uf the
slcdgc and began 10 hollow out tho snow
above him. Although &c wns already prot
y solid, no suocoodod In breaking u hole
through H.
Then, raising himself Up ~ high NJ he
could, DO thrust his head out Tho sun
was up but Nc was ~ dim and 40 cnshroudod
In clouds ~ 10 be- almost indlstingulsh.
able Tho motel had not yet nbatcd Ilc
let himsClf fall back into the slodgo and :
undertook 20 enlarge The space about him Il
~ tho natives Of Siberia do when on q ,
journey and Wishing 10 pass tho night IN :
an unlnhAhltcd place. From tho main
aperture he dug little cells In tho snow, I
whose walls he ooycrCd In order tho NOR I
quickly 20 develop warmth and ynpor =
Thus ho again passed some timo In peace y
ON hia slodu Whom no attempted ancw q
20 pat his head out Of hls prison. he struck "
against No dcnso a stratum Of snow that =
IL was impossible for him 10 penetrate Il.
Whom Dml.rl did not roturn ON tho day r
on which he had started for Rursk. his \
father fUnrhodod evil and set out 20 search ]
for him. The local authorities immediate.
ly summoned . number OF peasants, who
were to traverse tho ontiro nclghborhood.
All efforts proved vain, and all returned r
homo with tho firm conviction that the 7
boy had hcun overcome By the
storm and was too deeply buried In the =.
snow over 10 BE- found again II
The weather lnally changed for the bot.
Der, and on tho 9th " December peasant
1f the district resolved 10 10 hunting. As
be- was passing along the edge Of a snow
covered doclivity he noticed that not far
IN hls dog was pressed down fiat on the Il,
snow and seemed TO bo socntng out some
Thing. Approaching nearer, he discovered 4,
that u was the foot Of n horse which lay
nurird Ia the snav, and whose head was
nlIGngv partly deVourcd by wolves lie W
r urncd with all speed 10 H., 'lllago and u
gave Information concerning IL.
Immediately Dmtri's relatives, totcthor VI
with other peasants, hurried 20 tho spot
with ARCS and shovcls. In comparatively
'hort time the body Of the horse was dug 50
'ut OF the snow. Soon aftorwArd tho shafts
appeared. Tho workers rodouhlcd tholr
'rorts and at last struck layer Of hard !,
now spread over sledgc Thoy bored 4,
hole through tho stratum, and, 20 tho
Imazcinent Of all present, warm vnpor a,
'Khalod toward them. ono 81 tho peasants
.nolt hosidc tho opening and pressing his
lace against II looked about inside. A III
man lay on the door " nm leo grave civ.
Ing no Sign 81 life When tho aged father
was npprlsed Of this no went 10 tho tunnel u
which tho ahovels Ind scoopod In tho snow | &
and called In trembling tones, "Dmltrl,
art thou stiii Alivui" Il
Yes, answered half smothorod voice.
Then come nearer the hole, 10 that we +
may help you TO leave this snow plt "
"Hlndly, but have caro- that YOU do not ! u
wound me with your axes q
Some seconds lator hls head npponrcd In
the opening which they had worked with v
might and main 90 enlarge. MS face WINS q,
dcathly pale, but his bearing oylnccd nd. =
inlrnhlo con posture lilo had already closed | II
bis accounts with llfc ~
Twenty hands helped him 90 rise from
tho grave He was vlsibly onfceblod. nnd
bis damp clothes steamed. when DmitfI "
saw his father, he was doopiy affected and
stretched out his hands 20 him first of all
handing him tho little leather pouch T.
which contained tho proceeds OF tho fnionco
hat he had sold In the city. After this
.hoy conducted him 10 neghboring inn,
where he changed his clothes and took
'ono nourl,hmcnt When thoy told him
hat he had passed q days under tho snow.
10 was surprised OF COURSE the timo had o.
.eemed long to him, but he had boon un, 30
'ble 70 measure its duration, for around p,
avn had prevailed the most profound dark. a.
lets and silence Though no had lain on
.hyta almost mntIonlCss and was covered A.
'nly with his kaftuu, he had boon quito Nj
unaffected by the cold A tow DAYS sui Tr
Iced 10 rcstov bis strength At
But similar cases, with fortunate issue. Go
.ro NOT very numerous, for, powerful as a su
fussian peasant H. set sim, as % rule, no
! unable 10 cope with the ley cold of thcso
le'cls' ana numerous bodies uro found
long Tue road aitorsuch "a storm Trans.
Ated From tho German For Romance.