The sea coast echo., 1897-09-11

to the country to know that ne could
be in danger from blizzards.
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 wandered
and wandered, and found no way out
of the desert. The blizzard increased
in intensity, and as Bob was we'll
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 a dreadful day, that seemed to Bob,
and doubtless to the horse, too, longer
than an ordinary week. AT last night
came on; and just at this time Bob
and his horse struck q considerable
patch Of tall grass, the tops of which
came up through the snow. Here Bob
decided to camp for the night. He
could ut least feed the horse with the
grass, though there was no food for
him.
Though the storm still ragged with
unabating fury, Bob succeeded In
making fire by pulling and. mating
the tall grass, and got through the
night alive.
In the morning the sun shoDe
brightly, though the fine, powdery
snow still filed the air. Bob could
not make out where he was; nothing
was plain to him excep: 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
to find the way. Mounting his seat,
cold and very hungry, he gave the
rains to the horse and babe him ego
on.
On he did 60 butnot in the right di-
rection. The endless march of the day
before was repeated. The weather was
frightfully cold. Here and there, where
bunch of tall grass came through the
snow, the horse stopped to 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 civilizntion oil tie time; the
horse supporting life by browsing the
grass, but Bob slowly growing weaker
and freezing, for the weather continued
intensely cold.
Meantime the people Of Benton had
started out to search for The missing
boy. The whole region between Sun
River and Benton was thoroughly
searched, but no trace found of either
horse or boy. A week after the disap-
pearance the search was abandoned.
The people had no doubt that boy and
horse had perished in the storm, and
been covered up by the drifting snow.
But valuable letters were in the mail
bag, and ten days after Bob had disap-
peared some of the parties interested
in these letters employed Bill Rowe to
go out in search Of the bag mot of
Bob.
Billy went on horseback, and rode
far and wide. Passing over some rising
ground, he thought he perceived a
moving object in distant coulee, and
went toward it. AS he approached he
saw that 1t was horse, slowly draw
inga light wagon and that in the
wagon was seated small human fig
ure. AT length Billy saw that it was
Bob Casey and the mail-wagon.
Bob seemed to have settled down to
sleep; but now and then he would
straighten up, grab the reins, and at
tempt to guide the horse, only to drop
back into his seat q moment later APP
parently unconscious.
Rowe overhauled them and shook
the boy. He could get no answer, but
at any rate the boy was alive. Rowe
wrapped him up anew, and started
for Twenty eight Miles Springs, the
nearest place. Here he gave the boy
stimulants, and then when on to Ben
ton. AT the hotel the espeechless and
almost lifeless boy was placed in sit
ting posture, with his feet in tub of
cold water. He could eat nothing, but
light stimulants were forced down his
throat, and in that position he slept
for thirty-six hours, being occasionally
aroused for the stimulants.
He recovered, but it was found
necessary to amputate both his feet
A big purse was made up for him, and
he was sent East to school.
Seven Wolves Bagged by Youngster.
A son of James Writer had remark
able experience the other day with q
large she wolf. The boy lives in On
tario Township, Illinois, and is but
fourteen years old. He left home on
horseback. taking and axe and dog,
thinking that he might find q squirrel
or two in the timber. After he had
gone some distance, the dog charged
toward hollow log and began barking
furiously, but did not dare enter. The
boy, getting off his horse, kneeled and
peered into the cavity, and saw glar-
ing out upon him the fierce eyes Of q
large wolf, around which were six pup
pies. She snapped her teeth vicious
ly. The boy, with rare courage for
one of his age, hastily sharpened some
stakes with his axe and drove them over
the entrance to the log, the dog mean
while keeping the wolf inside. After
having imprisoned tho animal the boy
mounted his horse, rode quickly home