The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1900-02-15
THE ENDLESS TRAIL
(By Cy Warman.)

J (By Cy Warman.)
This Christmastide twelve years ago
there was an awful storm on the Gunnison
Four prospectors, four burros and their
packs were following a new trail, going
home for the holidays, but the storm
| blinded them, blurred out the TRAIL and
set them milling helplessly in the snow
| hung forest
| They were hardy men of the mountains
but the fury Of that storm was enough to
! chill the blood of the bravest. AS the
! twilight deepened into darkness the be-
wildered burros punched, put their noses
together and refused to go. With these
mule beasts. as with the men, hope died
| with the day. Don't let them STOP" said
| the old miner to the midle aged man, who
| with the help of the young man. had been
| clubbing the poor animals with stout sticks
! for an hour or more.
Placing himself at the head of the party,
| the gray haired prospector now babe them
follow. while the slender man, who till
! now had been leader, brought up the rear.
At the end of half hour joyous shout
| from the pathfinder told them he had found
the trail, and in little while those in the
| rear, even. could see that they were follow
| ing well beaten path. At the end of an
| other half hour the old man stopped; they
all stopped, and huddled together to hear
what the pathfinder had to say. 1--WE are
lost" said the leader.
mol" said the middle aged man.
"Nunsense!" said the young man; 1--WE
are on the trail
YES" said the gray haired prospector,
1.-The endless trail. See! broke this cedar
bough and left it hanging, so, as We passed
little while ago. But we must not stop
lead on, someone who can see, my eyes are
failing me- ,.se.--.5. :. $50. se.e
Now the middle-aged man took the lead,
leaving the trail, and without the fantest
idea as to the direction he was taking,
pushed of into the trackless wilderness.
The snow that had been falling slowly
straight down through the hemlocks began
to come swiftly slanting through the for
est. The wind commenced moaning in the
craigs, while the ears and noses of the
men began to sting and burn. The slen-
der man, who came last, walking in the
beaten trail made by the other men and
the animals mOaned back at the wind and
complained OF being hungry. AS they had
expected to reach camp by nightfall, they
had carried no grub with them, and so
had tasted since morning. The snow was
coming with the speed of an arrow now,
cutting and biting the faces of the men
who were struggling with the storm. The
low moaning OF the wind had grown to q
steady roar. In great flakes and sheets
the snow fell from the branches of the
swaying trees. covering the miners and
their pack animals until they were almost
buried alive. The air was so full of fall
ing snow that man could not see shovel
held four inches from his face When
they tried to speak, they we're obliged to
shout at the tops of their voices to make
each other hear, SO wild was the roar of
the raging storm.
The old man began calling the roll. The
middle-aged man and the slim man an
swered, but the young man did not. They
called his name, loud, many times, listened
and heard only the winds wailing and
moaning In the hemlocks. Keeping close
hov nAu
for their lost comradc, and Id little while
they found him-stumbled over him
sound asleep in the snow. When they had
kicked MIN into semi-conscious condition
tney began looking, or feeling, it were
better to say. for their pack animals. Be-
fore, when they had tried to push straight
through the forest they went round and
round on an endless trail; and now, when
they would beat about in q circle their
rect carried them straight into the storm
swept night. Finally. failing to find their,
burros, they huddled together, silently, and
sank to sleep in the deep snow.
Hungry, cold, utterly exhausted. thew
seemed all of one mind. and there was
nothing heard save the sepulchral voice
OF the old man, saying, as he laid his white
head on the cold white snow: ITO die-to
sleep-n0 more!''
PRESENTLY the old man awoke and called
to his companions. It was broad DAYLIGHT
but still showing. To the amazement Of
all. they were all alive
Ine middie-aged man and the young man
stood up. The old man could not stand
me slim man said 1t was no use. and said
he was hungry. '-1
Ine old man. who was severely frozen
told them to leave him, and trv to And ~
burros or find the trail. ~" 'A0
Inc middle-aged man and the vounp man
set out to look for the pack and IN an
hour were following their own trail-the
endless trafl-round and round The snow
was falling so fast that they could scs er~"
" see, even at midday, to get throuch the
forest. They must have started out late
TOT. while they still had hope of f1ndinr
either the burros OF their companions
darkness came upon them, and they fell
1t was with dificulty that the middle.
aged man persuaded the voun1 ,a
leave his bed in the snow. and m.Ea on
otner hight for life. They were mt o. h,,n
sry as they had been the day before Thav
nao gone less than dozen yards when
.ney heara low moan. They paused. liz
s9sou' nearu II again. looked and found the
oiu lnan ana the slim man Just where thew
mad left them and not more than n I.s.n:.
length from where they themselv.s nsS
slept. The old mans tongue ws. ,,.a,.
ana swollen He could not stand when tha
two men lifted him to his feet. Thew
stayed here all day and that night
On the morning of the third dav II wa.
suil showing They had made no attemnt
TO build fire the first night having sunk
exhausted in the snow and fallen asleen.
The snow would melt with the natural
warmth OF their bodies. and In that way all |
[oelr matches had been ruined. This day |
hey made an effort to 60 on. The young |
man and the middle aged man walked bv |
me side OF the old prospector, supporting |
him with what little strsngth they had. |
rhe slim man followed reluctantly. At the |
snd Of an hour the two men could 70 no |
lArther. The white haired old prosnector l
'ank IL the snow again. saying. g he did /
=: 70 die-to sleep No moro. z