The times., 1898-02-21
TWO DAYS UNDER THE SNOW.
A Dakota Ranchman in BliZza rd
i'm the OCen Prairie.
fFrom the New York SUM-

in the Oren Prairie.
fFrom the New York SUM-
at seemed a hard show for my life
when the blizzard struck me in the open
prairie, 10 miles from my house II IL
hadn't been for old Black Eagle, the
Crow Indian CHIEF, the coyotes would
have had the picking of my bones after
that storm said S. ID. Ermentrout, who
was ranchman in Dakota before the
Territory was organized into two States.
at was in February, 1881, and had rid
den in the morning of that day from my
ranch on Snake Creek TO MarStOn station,
q miles away, to get some picks sharpen
ed. There was high wind from the
South in the forenoon. which shifted
sharply round to the Northwest at about
2 clock in the afternoon, about the time
| started on my return, so that | got the
wind in my face both going and coming.
The morning had been warm and sunny.
but with the change Of wind the sky be-
gan TO tnicfen and the air grew pierce
ingly cold. About II miles from my
ranch 1 overlook Black Eagle pIodding
along on foot. carrying the skin and hind
He had been hunting and had lost his
horse in some way, I have forgotten-I
think, though. that ranchman had seiz-
ed it as stolen property. 1 knew the old
man. and told him he could stay at my
ranch over night. Then I hastened on,
for ] had begun to feel a little anxious
abort the weather. The wind had in
creased so that ii was hard work to force
az nd rr-aT TLr 2
was so bitingly cold that I had to bend
my head down to keep my face from
freezing
THE trail lay across open prairies. ris-
ing in low swells. / climbed to the top
OF one hillOck, and from it could see my
ranch plainly. standing against what look
ed like white cloud that filled the whole
northern sky AS L came to the crest of
the next eminence. a quarter of mile
beyond. the cloud had closed about the
ranch. shutting it from my sight, and the
mist drew nearer me, hiding the distant
landmarks one by one while / looked l
recognized the fact that a hard snow
squall. if not an out and out blizzard.
was coming my way fast and my first
thought was TO run before 1t for Mars
ton; but | could see by the speed
with which il was advancing that il
would ofertake me in a few minutes.
A fine snow like mist already was COM
ing with the wind and filled my. eyes and
nostrils when | tried to look to the North.
From the top of the prairie swell behind
me | saw Black Eagle signaling me to
come to him. 1 turned my horses head
and galloped to where the old man was
waiting, standing with his blanket muf-
fed round his head and his back to the
storm. As | drew alongside him and
stopped. he caught the horse by the bride
and ran with him back a few steps down
the slope, which took us little out of
the full sweep of the wind.
g Get off quick Take saddle off, he
said his voice half drowned in the roar
of the wind. His fingers were unfasten-
ing the saddle strap as he spoke. We
stay here. Let 'um horse go. Now
''The horse was restless and trembling
with fear. As 1 lifted the saddle and
blanket from his back the Indian Slip
ped the bride from his head. and the
horse. released from restraint, vanished
from our sight in the flying snow that
now hid every object forty feet away
Off on our right a moaning sound came
to our ears. and the forms of two or
three cattle, part of a bunch running
south before the storm. appeared for
a few moments through the snowmist as
they passed us and disappeared. Had We
been in their way they would have run
straight over MS, not turning to right or
left The Indian did not delay TO look
at the cattle. He was spreading the
skin on the ground and that
done he stood on it to hold it down.
He clutched the two blankets. the one
he had worn and my saddle blanket
tightly by the edges. to keep the wind
from blowing them out of his hands
Now, you get down. quick, he said.
Take your saddle There
al had heard of the Indians way when
overtakeu by blizzard of rolling them
selves in a blanket and lying down on
the open plain to let the snow drift over |
them, making a coveriid to shield them |
from the storm and cold. The thing
had never struck me as inviting or safe |
for white men, at least. however it might |
be for Indians Now | had to try it. for |
there was nothing else to be done 1 |
threw myself down on the antelope skin. |
arranged my saddle behind me for a |
pillow and wind-break, and the Indian |
lay down beside me. We pulled the |
blankets over our heads and tucked them |
closely about our feet and bodies.
sUnr grunted Black Eagle, from his |
pillow formed by the two antelope quar- |
-ers. Let UNI blow; blow himself out. |
We stay till he stop.
''Thc relief from the driving wind with !
is singing cold and suffocating snow /
vas great, now that we were fiat on the |
ground beneath our blankets. AS the I
,now drawn over the crest of the ridge |
behind US fell in showers upon us, the |
blanket became heavy with its weight. |
Nv benumbed toes and fingers began to \
lche and tingle now, and after this came |
! pleasant warmth. The old Indian seem /
ID to go to sleep at once. The relief from
he cold was so grateful that very soon
found myself growing drowsy. With |
hat feeling came q great fear-the fear
# the fate which I had heard and read i
hat people met who let themselves BE-
,vercome by sleep out in the winter cold.
sleep that passed into death by freeZ-
n.y. Then there was the consciousness
hat We were being buried alive-by snow. |
indeed, but who could tell how deeply it
would drift above us? The blankets soon
we're packed and loaded above and |
round us. so that I felt as IL we were
n mold: and the roaring of the storm
low sounded like a far-away zephyr In |
ny ears. ] fought off the drowsiness for
while. but 1t grew stronger. and the
vay old Black Eagle was sleeping beside
ne gave me confidence-and the end was !