The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-07-10
Bob Casey,s Terrlble RIde,

BOD CRBeyB Terrible RldeS
Some years ago Fort Benton had
daily mail from Helena. The stage
coach brought it three days of the week
and on the alternating days the mail
sack was brought on horseback or in
light wagon. The wagon was driven
by young boy, Bob Casey by name.
This boy knew the road perfectly, and
was warmly dressed, and perhaps his
people were not old enough to the
country to know that he could be in
danger from billiards..
One Friday morning, an hour after
Bob had left Sun River Landing for
Benton, blizzard of the widest de-
scription set in. In few moments the
road was obliterated and rendered ex-
actly like all the rest of the boundless
plain. Bob had no idea which way he
was going, and decided that his only
chance was to give the horse his head
and let him go where he would. The
mail was small and the wagon light
and SO was Bob-and he had no doubt
the animal would pull through some
where.
But before long the horse was as
hopelessly lost as the boy. He wan
dered and wandered, and found no way
out Of the desert. The blizzard in
recessed in intensity, and as Bob was
well wrapped on his seat, he could do
no better than continue to sit there
and keep the horse going.
This he did throughout the whole
Of dreadful day, that seemed to Bob,
and doubtless to horse, too, longer
than an ordinary week. At last night
came on; and just at this time Bob
and his horse struck a considerable
patch Of tall grass, the tops of which
came up through the snow. Here Bob
decided to camp for the night. He
could at least feed the horse with the
grass, though there was no food for
him.
Though the storm still ragged with
unbating fury, Bob succeeded in max
ing q fire by pulling and mating the
tall grass, and got through the night
alive. In the morning the sun shone
brightly, though the fine, powdery
snow still filled the air. Bob could not
make out where he was; nothing was
plain to him except that he was far
from the road to Benton, and that not
single familiar object met his gaze.
but he still trusted to the horse tn
find the way. Mounting his seat. cola
and very hungry, he gave the reins to
the horse AID bade him "go on"
On he did go, but not in the right
direction. The endless march of tbe
day before was repeated. The weather
was frightfully cold Here and there
where a bunch of tall grass camn
through the snow, the horse STONED tn
browse, and Bob let him do so as often
as he wished
Another night came, and another
day, and days and nights after these
and still Bob and the horse and wagon
wandered, getting farther and farther
away from civilization all the time. +bo |
horse supporting life by browsing the |
grass, but Bob slowly growing weaker
and freezing, for the weather continro5
intensely cold.
Meantime the people of Benton bo5
started out to search for the missing
boy. The whole region between srn
River and Benton was thorougbI,
searched, but no trace of either horse
Or boy. A week after the disappear
lnce the search was Abandoned Tbo
'eople had no doubt that bow and borso
lad persisted in the storm. and been
covered up by the drifting snow
But valuable letters belonging to a
corporation were in the man
Tag, and ten days after Bob had dis
Ippeared some of the parties intersstad
n these letter employed Billy Rowe y
% out In search of the bag-not a
Billy went on horseback and roas
ar and wide. Passing over some ris-
ng ground. he thought he perceived
moving Object in a distant oo,,isS