Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1897-06-16
Bob Casey,s Terrible Ride,

And developing in grace.
hob Casey's Terrible Ride,
Some years ago Fort Benton had a
daily mail from Helena. The stage
coach brought 1t 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, a 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
recased 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 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
a 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 reins to
the horse AID bade him go on"
On he did go, but not In the right
direction. The endless march of the
day before was repeated. The weather
was frightfully cold. Here and there,
where a 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 civilization all the 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 of either horse
or boy. A week after the disappear
ance the search was abandoned. The
people had no doubt that boy and horse
had persisted In the storm, and been
covered up by the drifting snow.
But valuable letters belonging to
mining corporation were in the mail
bag, and ten days after Bob had dis
appeared some of the parties interested
in these letter employed Billy Rowe %
go out In search of the bag-not OF
Bob.
Billy went on horseback and rode
far and wide. Passing over some rIs-
ing ground, he thought he perceived
a moving object In a distant coulee,
and went toward it. AS he approached
he saw that it was a horse, slowly
drawing light wagon, and that in the
wagon was seated a small human fg-
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 a 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 near
est place. Here he gave the boy
stimulants, and then went on to Ben
ton. At the hotel the speeches. and
almost lifeless boy was placed In a sit.
ting posture, with his feet in a 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 stlmulants. He re-
covered, but It was found necessary 10
amputate both his feet. A big purse
was made up for him, and he was sent
east to school.