Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-06-06

bronchos had passed over one of tn
many graves which mark the failur
OF some hardy pioneer on these in
termiuable prairies, and my bugg,
had crashed against the small monu
ment that some mourning friend o.
relative had placed at this savage, soil
tary resting place.
y tell you, Harry, my boy, I neyel
want again to experience such an un
comfortable feeling as that which
flashed over me on my discovery
This obstruction really appeared Il
me to be the mark of my own end.
am willing TO admit that ii was with
something of the unreasoning power
of a maniac that l lifted and pulled
at the blackboard, until with a shout
Of widest joy, l raised ii over the
obstruction and jumping into it,
whipped up the fainting bronehos until
] had driven far away from the lone
~, soul-harrowing locality.
''But now / saw the strength of nv
bronehos was fast waning. and.
threatened by this new difficulty. mad
" urged them on, shouting and ours
ing, crying in my despair. Slower,
slower became their pace, while about
me the storm ragged and snarled. re-
ceded and attacked, hurting the bat
tering ram of its power dead in the
breasts of the mean, little. feeble
team, and many, many times bringing
them TO a dead stop.
II think / must have become
maniac as at last / saw one stumble
and fall, with his hoof caught in some
orifice in the ground, while the other
sank slowly, patiently, into the snow.
his life going out in his last struggle
TO rise.
Il remember indistinctly of sitting
by the side Of the bronehos with that
awful storm beating about me, and
laughing and chattering as I toyed
with their ears, or playfully tickIed
their sides with the broken butt Of
the whip. Then I remember Of i
springing to my feet and gibberinp as
I ran. making wide circles about |
them, dashing up to their heads as I |
have done in my school days, waving /
my arms to scare them into a scam
per.
Then as the fatal warmth began
stealing over me, sank into the /
snow and tossed handfuls Of ii at the
seurrying clouds and flying sleet.
When / opened my eyes | believed
myself in dreamland. About me was
every evidence of comfort and refine
nent. The delicious sense of warm
'ur coverings impressed me, and |
'aised myself slightly to take in more
II my surroundings. As | lifted my
yes they Toasted on the fairy who
lad provided my dreamland with all
hese comforts She was darkly. radi-
lntly beautiful, and l reached out my
rms TO bestow shower of affection
tie gratitude upon her. Then / re-
allied the storm, saw again my dead
cam, myself running in madness
bout them, and how | had sunk in
Exhaustion into the snow. And is this
Ieath?' / cried TO the beautiful spirit
.anging over me. No. she answered,
you have been saved, and will, hope,
Don be able to arise
1T is useless 10 dwell on my re-
overy to full consciousness, the
lyriad Of questions asked and the an
wers returned to them. NY escape ,
! easily explained. You know, Harry,
ow it was almost impossible in those /
avs to obtain lumber for the con- G
truction of houses on the immense 8
rairie lands of the west, and how, q
ven in the present day, houses are I
uilt by cutting long strips OF sod n
rom the buffalo-tramped earth, laid +
! layers to the desired height, and I
overed with a roof of thatch so Z
Iosely woven as to be impermeable I
, the rains of summer or the SHOWS Il
winter. Rough as they are in lt
xterior, many Of them are the homes /
wealthy ranch owners, and are
lied with all the comforts to be $
'und in the most palatial residences
the city.
Well, in plunging through the
riffs my bronchos had at last fallen
J the yard OF one of these sod I
wellings. Frank Coleman, the pro-
rietor Of the ranch, pushing from the
arm through the banks of snow
capped before the door. saw the dead
.am. Shouting encouragement TO |
lie driver he knew must be some c
here near, he worked his way about [
ntai BE discovered my unconscious
'rsn partially covered by the drift. I
hen, with the fairy upon whom my I
YES had opened, he carried me into
be house.
You now know enough l am not
Ding to tell you how my fairy be
anne my wife We occasionally visit :
he ranch on which my father-in-law,
Ir. Coleman, has since constructed !
ne of the most handsome residences
! the west. and then we live over
hose scenes.
Wei, going, old boy? Glad to see
on at any time, and my fairy may !,
erself tell you the rest of our story.
''Oh, yes / obtained the affidavits