Morris tribune., 1895-10-23
CHAPTER VI.

The blizzard ragged for two days. The
wind hurried the dry, powdery, crystal
line flakes along over the exposed and
farstretching prairie in one dense and
cloudlike sheet, making it impossible
for any one to see five yards ahead. And
still it was paradoxical thing when
one came TO think of it, that the sun
shone brilliantly down all the time, and
lit up that ghostly but tangible atmos-
phere Of snow till it became instinct
with rings Of prismatic coloring and
sparkled as il it were shower Of ine
diamonds. This is perhaps the ono
great redeenling feature in this great
lone land III the long winter time
what indeed may be said to give it
life peculi arly it's own, for We're there
no shading in natures pictures then
would the comparative effects of light
and color be meaningless. No matter
how the blizzard RACES, no matter how
the quicksilver sinks in the thermome
ter-30 degrees, 40 degrees, so degrees
below zero-and over the silent and IL
lmitable stretches of snowclad, wind
swept prairie Jack Frost securely reigns,
the all enl:vening and encircling sub
generally shines down uninterruptedly
from cloudless sky through it all
CHASTITY and desolate indeed would be
that oceanlike surface Of rolling prairie
without its cheering rays a shipless sea
in a region of eternal twilight would
not be more weirdly melancholy.
In Gabriel St. Denis room the Off
Ger, the sergeant, the private and the
scout passed the time as they best con'd
Inc 01sacas and the scout had doubtless
the best of the situation The first men
toned was so happily constituted by
nature that he never felt the leaden
wings of time He could like thought
reader, when he wishes to receive all
impression or brain wave allow his
mind to become perfect blank, in
which he existed in an almost trance
like state. Generally speaking, this was
Jamie's normal condition, only it need
ed no great exercise Of will power on
his part to arrive at this happy state
there were seldom any thoughts to ge;
rid of in his brain. And as for receiving
impression unless they were unpleas
ant ones-it would have required mora
than the hypothetical surgical operation
associated with Scotsmen to inoculate
him with one Tt would have required
Soma violent shock TO the system some
thing of the nature Of wood or iror
brought III forcible contact with hi
bulletlike head-to arouse in him tbs
faintest suspicion of intellectual activi
ty. He would lie on his back, stretched
on a buffalo robe in front of the stove, |
for hours at O stretch and gaze vacantly
at the ceiling. The only part of the day
in which he seemed to evince any inter
est was mealtime
On the day of their coming the scout
had been summoned to the kitchen by
Jeanette shortly after midday, and
coming back he had spread the table
with snow white cloth and brought
in, much to Jamie's surprise and de-
light, dish of hot potatoes, some
cold venison, a cish of steaming ant
juicy bear steaks and large dish OF
pancakes with maple strip. On this
occasion Jamie showed signs of return
ing consci ousness such as he had never
before been seen to exhibit. Moreover,
he was heard to exc aim as he rubbed
his hands together, well, I'm darned Y
After this mental feat and for the next
30 minutes his mouth was too full to |
permit of his entertaining the company
with any further exhibitions of his con-
versational powers They all sat down
at the same table together, for on the
prairie this is the usual way. The meal
passed in comparative silence; the SER !
geant seemed to be engrossed with his