The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1902-08-07

feet ut sixty below and colder, how
ever. as be quickly discovered.
He came round sharp turn Of the
creek to where he 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 silencel II only he had q comrade
whose feet were not freezing, he
thought, only such a comrade to start
the nre that could save him!
Then his eyes Glanced upon another
high.water Judgment Of twlgs and
leaves and branches. IL he could
strike n match all might yet be well.
with stir fingers which he could not
bend he got out a bunch Of matches.
but found 1t impossible to separate
them.
He sat down and awkwerdy shifted
the bunch about on his knees until he
got 1t resting on his palm with the sui
phur ends projecting, somewhat n the
manner the blade of n hunting knife
would project when clutched in 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 30 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 fame burned
into the flesh of his hand, and he H.
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 stubbed his toes
once on buried log, but beyond pitch
ing him into the snow and wrencbing
his back, it 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 camp
Of moose hunters somewhere above the
forks Of Paul Creek. He must be
somewhere near II, he thought, and IL
he could find 1t he yet might be saved.
Five minutes later he came upon 1t,
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 in
him, and he sprang to his feet. He was
thinking quickly. What IL the matches
did burn his hands? Burned hands
were better than dead hands. No
hands at all were better than death.
He dQundered along the trail until he
came upon another high-water lodg-
ment. There were twigs and branches,
leaves and grasses, all dry and waiting
the fire.
Again he sat down and shuhled the
bunch Of matches on his knees, got ii
into place on his palm, with the wrist
Of his other hand forced the nerveless
fingers down against the bunch, and
with the wrist kept them there. AT the
second scratch the bunch caught fire,
and he knew that If be could stand the
pain he was saved. He choked with
the sulphur fumes and the blue fame
licked the flesh of his hands.
At first he could not feel II, but 1t
burned quickly in through the frosted
surface. The odor of the burning flesh
Ibis hesh-was strong in his nostrils.
He writhed about in his torment, vet
held on. He set his teeth and swayed
back and forth until the clear white
fame Of the burning match shot up.
and he had applied that flame to the
leaves and grasses.
An anxious ave minutes followed, but
the fire gained steadily Then he set to
work to save himself. Heroic meas
ures were necessary, such was his ex-
tremity, and he took them. H8na
Alternately rubbing his hands with
snow and thrusting them into the
flames. and now and again beating
them against the hard trees, he re.
stored their circulation sufficiently for
them to be Of use to him. with. his
hunting knife he slashed the straps
from his pack, unrolled his blanket and
got out dry socks and footgear.
Then he cut away his moccaslns and
barred his feet, But while he had taken
liberties with his hands he kept his
feet fairly away from the fire and
rubbed them with snow. He rubbed
till his hands grew numb when he
would cover his feet with the blanket,
warm his hands by the fire and return
TO the rubbing.