The morning times., 1896-01-19

barrier OF The Rock
les the north wind came sweeping, bearing
before it great drifts OF snow that eddied
and swirled about the cabs or the two
locomotives, hut with no sign as yet OF
banking up on the track.
The engines, putting and blowing, made
brave way against the blizzard ana from
the cab OF the foremost the engineer looked
out. keen-eyed against the blast, though
the bits OF ice in the wind stung his face
ike the fiicks of Il whip. The fireman,
swart with coal dust and stripped to their
undershirts even in that temperature,
steadily kept the fires going, and now and
again bent low to the furnace doors to
melt from their hair the icicles formed OF
the perSplTation which ran from their open
pores and froze as it ran.
IL the smokinC-room of the last sleeper
ut the train little Dicky Culver duZed as the
night fell. arousing himself now and again
TO look out with great weariness upon the
white waste. Little Dicky Culver had ar
rIved at TIE dignity of Il vacation and had
taken it in Il trip to Chicago.
It's dcvilish queer taste al this time of
year" Fcssendeu had said to the boys at tue
Cub. after night OF seeing Dickey off, but
aman mu ST take his va cation when II comes,
and ! suppose we all feel "a longing to get
back into the world once in while. know
! look forward to a reinCaruation myself
some day"
Dickey had his vacation, at all events, in
bis own way-whiCh is the only proper kind
OF way-and now he was on his way back to
san Francisco, finding the road almost in
terminabie in the wintry weather. You see,
there is always so much to look forward TO
for a Californian who comes back.
Night comes down fast upon the Laramie
plains when comes bearing a blizzard and
as the darkness closed III the wind arose,
moaning shrieking the chorus of the
lost. 1t dashed particles Of ice against the
double windows OF the car, aud there was
shvery feeling III its million voices, though
no touch Of 1t came iutu the snug smoking
compartment of the sleeper.
The porter came in presently, touched n
button aud lighted the incandescent lights.
That shut out the sight of the sweeping
drifts of the blizzard. but could not smut cut
the meaning of the wind or the beating OF
the ice particles against the windows.
IT'S ii beastiy night, porter DiCkey said,
in sheer desperation for some one To talk TO.
Oats right, boss. Hits the wust run
I've had this fall
He went out. feeling the same human crav-
ing for company in the storm, that Dickey
did. but finding il more To his liking i'll the
porter of the next car forward. Then
niCkey doZed again.
He was the only passenger in the car, as
it CHANGED. aud winter travel over the
1atlllC rlllTi aus Is GrtdFE buSlntSS- even
when there is plenty OF company. Pres
entity he shook himself together and lighted
IA cigar. Then be looked out into the dark
ness. There was curve i'll the track
Just there and he saw the two brave engines
beating their way Into the teeth Of the
wind, fighting it down, and the long train,
like great serpent OF fire, defied before
him. Then the engines vanished INTO
cloud Of steam, lurid with their own pass
INC 10
darkness.
III l were in San Francisco tonight"
said Dickey. thinking aloud from Il kind
of hungry desire TO hear voice. even
If his own. 10 drown the wailng of the
wind, Il would give a dinner at the
Freuchmans, and l would have all the
boys | could Get-aud there would be a lot,
for it is long ways from pay day. These
fellows at the east may be ahead of us
IN some minor matters of civilization, but
they do not know how to eat. / haven't
had square meal since l left San Fran
cisco"
1t viii be observed that Dickey Culver
had prorrunCed case of nostalgia, and
the surroundings were favorable TO its
perfect development. The Californian
who does not develop homeSickness on an
eastern winter night is no true child of the
Eun-and surely he must become utterly
homoslck when he faces wyoming bliz-
EdTU. even from Ile sslit SItIltT hl ii W
dow Of a vcstihuled Pullman sleeper.
i wonder" he went on. still thinking
aloud aud pcering out into the darkness,
whether there Is any soul abroad on these
plains tonight? / suppose not The
people who live here must have sense
enough to keep to whatever houses they
have ou such Il night as this. II seems
10 me we are going slower aud slower.
J suppose Two engines can pull US along
al right. hut il would be something fright
ful to become Suowbound in such a desc
Iatiuu as this"
The axics creaked and strained. the
wailmg of the storms voices was un-
Ceasiug. hut the engines beat their way
forward steadily. They seemed almost
10 bound into the darkness. to advance by
a succession Of leaps, aud in the train
behind hem the passengers were preparing
Tor bed as naturally as though they had
been safely in their own widely scattered
humes-au tut little Dickey Culver. alone
in the last sleeper. He smoked his cigar
md looked out into the darkness.
Overcome presently by nervousness he
arose from his loungiuE chair in the
moKer aud walked to The rear door of
lbc car He could see no more Than from
The window of the smoker, but it rested
aim to get a new aspect Of the darkness.
Fhc wind was wailing here, too, and The
lartIe rC the ice against the glass was even
hJTC start liusr- II SCENE u aitntsl 20 stIiht
him IN the face.
As he stood there he CHANGED TO glance
hown at the snow driftcd into the rear
vestlhule Of the car-and then with an
exclamation he thrcw-npcn the door
IT was as though hundreds of little knives
were cutting the flesh of his face, but
be had seen that in his downward glance
which made him careless of bodily pain.
The little curly head of a child was there,
int I,, nd no pm
through the fierce blast of the wind a
ragged form huddled close against the
door. The form almost fell into his arms,
but there was a tearing of the frozen
garments loose from the floor of the
platform as he drew the child in and
quickly shut the door. He lifted the child
In his arms stepped back into the smoking
compartment and rang the bell for the
porter The form was that of a little
girl. possibly six years old, with tear
drops frozen upon her face, and it was
go still and white that. as the light fell
upon il. Dickcy thought he had taken it
out OF the blizzard only TO give il into the
hands of an undertaken at the next sta
tlnn.
He rang the he'll again. chafinG the
child's hands meanwhile and striving to
ftart again the flow Of her feeble life
current AS n reporter DIckey had been
through many curious experiences, but
this was new. 1t does not fan TO the lot
Of San Francisco newspaper men to re-
vIve those perishing of cold.
Again lie rang the bell and this time
the porter came. Perhaps he thought 1t
was time "his gentleman" was going to
bcd--or, possibly. the other porters were