The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-22
(copyright, 1896. by Bret Harte)


With the iulling of the wind towards
evening it came on to snow-heaviiy'
in straight, quickly succeeding lakes
dropping like white lances from the
sky. This was followed by the usual
Sierran phenomenon. The deep gorge
which. as the sun went down, mad
lapsed into darkness, presently began
10 reappear: at first the vanished trail
came back as wildly whitening
streak in the night; then the larcnes
and pines that assembled from II IKE
buttresses against the hillsides gllm-
mered in ghostly distinctness, until at
last the two slopes curved out Oh the
da,-lxness as if hewn in marble. For the
sudden storm, which extended Scafcely
fxvo miles. had left no trace upon the
steep granite face Of the hlgh CliiAS
above; the snow slipping silently from
them. left them still hidden IN me on
scuritv OF night In the vanished laho-
ecane the gorge alone stood out, set
in a chaos OF cloud and storm, through
winch the moonbeams struggled IN
effectually-
Ii was this unexpected sight winch
burst upon the occupants or large
covered .station wagon, VINO hdu
CHANGED upon the lower END OF the
gorge. Coming from a still lower aitl-
f1,de they had known nothing OF the
storm which had momentarily ceased
b,-t had left a record of intensity IN
nearly two feat of snow. For some
moments the horses fioundered and
struggled on. in what the travellers
believed to be some old forgotten dflIt
or avalanche, until the extent and
freshness of the fall became apparent
To add to their difficulties the storm
recommended. and not comprehending
its real character and limit they dld
not dare to attempt to return the way
they came To go on, however, was
Impossible. In this quandary they
looked about them in vain for some
other exit from the gorge The sIdes
of that gigantic white furrow teTmln-
ated in darkness. Hemmed in from
the world in all directions it might
have been their tomb.
But although they could see nothing
beyond their prison walls they them
selves were perfectly visible from the
heights above them. And Jack Ten
book, quartz miner, who was sinking
a tunnel in the rocky ledge of shelf
above the gorge, stepping out from his
cabin at 10 o'clock to take look at
the weather before turning in, could OBJ
serve distinctly the outline of the black
wagon, the laundering horses, and the
crouching figures by their side, scarcely
larger than Digmies on the white sur
face of snow, a thousand feet below
him Jack had courage and strength
and the good humor that accompanies
them, and ne contented himself for a
few moments with lazily observing the
travellers discontinue. He had taken
in the situation with a glance; he would
have helped a brother miner or noun
taineer although he knew that it could
hox he ink 11y-lx 10 ho
brought him into the gorge in a snow
storm, but ii was very evident that
these were ''greenhorns'' or eastern
tourists, and it served their stupidity
and arrogance right He remembered
also how he, having once helped an
eastern visitor catch the mustang that
had "bucked him. had been called
my man." and presented with S.
he recalled how he had once
spread the humble resources of his
cabin before some straying members
of the San Francisco party who were
opening the new railroad, and heard
the audible wonder of a lady that a
civilized being could live so "coarselyr'
With these recOllectiOns in his mind
he managed to survey the distant
struggling horses with a fine sense of
humor, not unmiXed with self
Righteousness. There was no real dan
ger in the situation: it meant at the
worst a delay and a camping in the
snow till morning, when he would go
down to their assistance. They had d
spacious travelling eQuipage, and were,
no doubt, we'll supplied with furs, robes
and provisions for a several hours
journey; his own pork barrel was quite
empty and his blankets worn. He half
smiled, extended his long arms in a de-
cided yawn, and turned back into his
cabin to so 10 bed. Then he cast a
final glance around the interior. Ev-
erything was all right; his loaded rifle
stood against the wall; he had just
raked ashes over The embers of his
fire to keep il intact till morning;
grizzly bear, two-thirds grown, but
only half tanned which had been given
TO him by a young lady named Mig
giles" when that charming and historic
girl had decided to accompany her
paralytic lover to the San Francisco
hospital. was missing that evening. It
had been is regular habit to come to
TIE door every night for some sweet
biscuit or sugar before going TO its lair
ia the underbrush behind the cabin.
Everybody knew it along the length
and breadth of Hemlock ridge, as well
as the fact Of its being legacy Of the
fair exile. No rifle had ever yet been /
raised against his lazy bulk or the
stupid. small eyed head, and ruff OF
cireiing hairs made more erect by its
well-worn leather collar. COnsOling
himself with the thought that the
storm had PROBABLY delayed its re /
tiirn. Jack took off his coat and threw /
il on his bunk. But from thinking !
of the storm his thoughts naturally re- !
turned again TO the impeded travellers /
below him, and he half mechanically |
stepped OUT II his shirt sleeves for a |
final look a them.
But here something occurred that |
changed his resolution entirely. ne /
had previously noticed only the three !
foreshortened, crawling figures around /
the now stationary wagon bulk. They /
were now apparently making arrange
mems 20 Camp for the night. But an /
other figure had been added 10 The |
group and as It stood perched upon
Wagon seat laid on the snow Jack (
could see It's outline was not bifurcated /
like the othersi But even that general /
suggestion was not needed; the little
head, the symme trical curves visible
even al thai distance were cutie
enough TO indicate that it was wom-
an, The easy emile faded from Jacks
face. and was succeeded by a look of
concern and then Of resignation. He
had no choice now; he must so. There
was woman there, and that settled
II. Yet he had arrived at this con-
cIusion from no sense of Sallantry. nor,
indeed. OF cllivalrous transport. but as
q mater of simple duty to the sex.
He was giving u his sleep. was go
ing down a thousand feet f steep trail
10 offer his services during the rest of