The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-02-07
UNDER THE SNOW.

lowski of the village of ZoiQuifielhof,
gouyernement Of Rursk, was sent by his
father to the city to sell some faionce
vessels which We're packed away on &.
sledgc. The weather was fine, and he
sped on his way without accident But
scarcely had he left the city when the
sky became overcast with clouds. a few
seconds later it began to SHOW. The
wind rose stronger and stronger, and
soon storm drove with fearful violence
across the plain and began to sweep III
all directions.
Dmitri was only Il few versts from
the village when night fell, but the
snow had entirely covered the knotty
pine boughs that marked the way The
consequence was that he became lost.
After he had vainly sought the right
direction for long time lie a1ighted
from tho sledge, for i'll consequence of
the intense cold he began to be over
powered by Il feeling of numbness. For
some time he wandered at random, lead
ing his horse by the Bride but sudden
ly the SHOW caved beneath his steps and
almost ut the same moment the horse
and sledge went under. All his efforts
to right them again were fruitless. The
mctel, as such terrible storms are called.
ragged more violently every moment, and
he was finally forced to cling to the
slcdSc III order to Withstand the blasts
III wind which were hcapiny the SNOW
high about him.
There was nothing for him to do but
wait for daylight. So he embarrassed
the horse and tied him to the shafts
Then he laid himself down in the sledpe
as TRANQUILITY ms il he were i'll his own
cottage. Before stretching himself out
he removed his boots and cap, which he
placed under his head, Russian fashion
Then he covered himself with his caftan
and lay down i'll such Il way rs to pro-
tcct his head from the wind Thus he
passed the night.
When he opened his eyes in he morn
ing, he WAS covered with SHOW. AS he
conJcctured that it must already be day
he took his little willow stick ont of the
sledgc and began tohollow out the snow
above him. Although it was already
pretty solid, he succeeded in breaking Il
hole through it.
Then, raising himself up as high as
he could, he thrust his head out. The
sun was up, bnt ii was so dim and so
orslroudcd i'll clouds as to be almost i'll
distinguiShable. The metel had not vet
abated He let himself fall back into
the sledge and undertook to enlarge the
tpace about him as the natives of Siberia
ITO when on Il journey and wish to
PASS the night i'll an uninhabited place.
From the main aperture he dug little
cells i'll the SHOW, whose walls he COW
cred Ill order The more quickly 10 develop
warmth and vapor Thus he again pass
cd some time i'll peace on his sledge.
When he attempted anew to put his
head out OF his prison, he struck against
so dense -. stt.rcarnp, of SHOW that it was
impossible for him to penetrate it.
When Dmitri did not return on the
day on which he had started for Rursk,
his father foreboded evil and set out to
search for him. The local authoritiess
immediately summoned number of
peasants who We're to traverse the ell
tire neighborhood. All efforts proved
vain, and AL returned home with the
Sr1n conviction that the unfortunate bov
had been overcome by the storm and
TO be found again
The weather finally changed for the
better. and Oh the 9th of December Il
peasant of the district resolved to 90
hunting. AS he was passing along the
edge OF SHOW covered dcclivitv he no
tlced that not far off his dog WAS pressed
down flat on the SNOW and seemed to be
scouting out something. Approaching
nearer, he discovered that il was the
foot OF Il horse which lay buried in the
snow and whose head WAS already partly
devoured by wolves. He returned with
all speed to the village and gave infor-
nation concerning it,
Immediately Dmitri's relatives, to-
gether with other peasants. hurried to
the spot with axes and shovels. In ii
comparatively short time the body of
the horse was dug ont of the snow.
Soon afterward the shafts appeared.
The workers redoubled their efforts and
ut last struck IL layer of hard snow
spread over Il sledge. They bored Il hole
through the stratum, and, TO the amaze
ment OF all present, u warm yapor ex-
hailed toward them. One of the peasants
knelt beside the opening. and pressing
ms face against it looked about inside.
man lay OH the floor of an ice grave,
giving no sign of life When the aged
father was appraised of this. he went to
the tunnel which the shovels had scoopcd
Ill the snow and called in trembling
tones. "Dmitri, art thou still alive:''
Yes, answered half smothcred
voice
Then come nearer the hole, so that
We may help You to leave this snow pit. "
Gladly But have Il care that you do
not wound me with your axes. :