The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-08-15

ever uh ne quickly uncovered
He came round a sharp turn Of the
creek 20 where be could look ahead for
a mile. But there was no help, no sign
OF help, only the white trees and the
white hills, the quiet cold and tie bra
zen sllencel II only be had comrade
whose feet were not freezing, he
thought, only such a comrude to start
| the ire that could save him!
Then bis eyes Glanced upon another
/ hlgh-gater Judgment OF twigs and
leaves and branches II he could
strike a match all might yet be well.
With stf fingers which he could not
bend he got out a bunch OF matches,
but found It impossible TO separate
them.
He sat down and awkwcrdy shufaed
the bunch about on his knees until he
got It resting on his palm with the sui
phur ends projecting somewhat IN the
manner the blade Of q hunting knife
would project when clutched I'm the fist
But his fingers stood straight out
They could not clutch. This he over
came by pressing the wrist Of the other
hand against them, and so forcing them
down upon the bunch. Time and
again, holding thus by both hands, he
scratched the bunch on his leg and
finally ignited IT, But the flame burned
into the flesh Of his hand and he in
voluntarily relaxed his hold. The
bunch fell into the snow, and while he
tried vainly to pick it up, sizzled and
went out.
Again he ran, by this time badly
frightened. His feet were utterly de-
void of sensation. He stubbcd his toes
once on a buried log, but beyond pitch.
ing him into the snow and wrenching
his back, 1t gave him no feelings.
His fingers were helpless and his
wrists were beginning to grow numb.
His nose and cheeks he knew were
freezing, but they did not count. 1t
% was his feet and hands that were to
save him If he was to be saved.
He recollected being told Of a camp
of moose hunters somewhere above the
e forks of Paul Creek. He must be
somewhere near 1t, he thought and if
he could find it he yet might be saved
Five minutes later he came upon it.
e lone and deserted, with drifted snow
sprinkled inside the pine bough shelter
= in which the hunters had slept He
sank down, sobbing. All was over
In an hour at best, in that terrific tenn
perature, he would be an icy corpse.
!, But the love Of life was strong fl
/ him, and he sprang to his feet. He was
thinking quickly. What if the matches
+ did burn his hands? Burned hands
e were better than dead hands. NJ
+ hands at all were better than death
+ He foundered along the trail until h
8, came upon another high-water lOdg
ment. There were twigs and branches
s leaves and grasses, all dry and waiting
b the fire
IS Again he sat down and shuffled tn
= bunch of matches on his knees, got
e. into place on his palm, with the wris
It of his other hand forced the nerveles
e fingers down against the bunch, ant
1t with the wrist kept them there At th
v second scratch the bunch caught fire
" and he knew that if he could stand tn
pain he was saved He chOked wit
n the sulphur fumes, and the blue fam
a licked the flesh Of his hands.
y At first he could not feel it, but
ii burned quickly in through the froste
S, surface The odor of the burning fies
Iy his flesh-was strong in his nostrili
He writhed about in his torment, ye
lie held on. He set his teeth and swaye
is back and forth until the clear whit
as fame of the burning match shot VI
a and he had applied that fame to til
ly leaves and grasses.
is An anxious five minutes followed, bl
ne the fire gained steadily, Then he set
rb work to save himself Heroic mea
ures were necessary, such was his e,
sh tremity, and he took them.
IS Alternately rubbing his hands wit
e- snow and thrusting them into IL
IT. flames, and now and again beatin
is them against the hard trees, he T
lis stored their circulation sufficiently fl
1iiVlIi " NC VI use 10 ulll. w llu II
I'd, hunting knife he slashed the stral
IS. from his pack, unrolled his blanket M
re, got out dry socks and footgear.
at Then he cut away his moccasins al
as barred his feet. But while he had take
Mt liberties with his hands he kept h
of feet fairly away from the fire al
rubbed them with snow. He rubb
N till his hands grew numb, when
ng would cover his feet with the blankt
ed warm his hands by the fire and retu
by to the rubbing