Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-01-24
THE TRAIL OF THE
RUNA WAY. FLOCK.
By Charles Tensey Jackson.
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4 T an "Old Settlers Picnic'' in west
"A ern Nebraska I heard the fol-
lowing story from one of the hale
pioneers, as we sat in the shade of
white-topped prairie wagon: came
out to the North Platte country in the
early seventies, where my sister had
been some months teaching the first
school established in the country. It
was held in a one-room sod house
about a mile west of the 'town"
across the trackless prairie, the loca-
$ion being central one for the great
er number of pupils, as the settlers
then lived mostly along the river bot
toms and the sloughs.
Things were booming when L came,
green from the east; the season had
been remarkable for the beautiful
golden autumn weather, which lasted
far into December, so that the week
before Christmas there was no snow
whatever. This surprised me, as had
heard SO much of the fierce billiards.
and "northers" on the North Platte.
= used to call at the little schoolhouse
every afternoon, and walk home with
my sister across the prairie, gazing at
the gorgeous sunsets that seemed to
ill the world with radiance; there was
not even tree to break the circled
line of the far horizon.
just before Christmas came a cold
spell, and after that the prairie lay
black and lonely; the pools and
courses of the shifting river among
the sands were ice-locked, and the
few sheepmen who had been induced
by the open weather to leave their
} fiocks on the range were now driving
them to the bottoms and the south
hills in expectation of a storm that
would cut us off from the world. But
every one was cheerful. The stores
were bright with holiday goods and
crowded with farmers and their
wives; grain was coming in at the
elevators; the overland trains were
regular, and the expected storm did
not cause alarm.
1 had promised to obtain some
greens for 4 Christmas celebration at
my sisters sod schoolhouse, and one
afternoon I drove out with a wagon
and mule team toward the river. Now
in that country of sage-bush and
buffalo grass Christmas green's were
scarce, and although I crossed many
gullies and wandered several hours,
the best I could get was sumac ber-
ries, some gray, feathery grass and a
few enormous "tumble-weeds," which
might be decorated with ribbons.
All the afternoon there was curl
Gus depressing silence in the air; I'M
broken clouds hung like pail of gray
fl ON horizon to horizon, and distant
noises came with peculiar distinct
cess, although there was not the
slightest breath of wind. AS / drove
.homeward, I noticed that the cattle
and horses, which usually were scat
tered widely over the range, nibbling
st the frosty stubble, had gathered
round the south sides of the straw
sheds and corrals, and that many COW
eys of prairie-chickens were winging
~ the river thickets. The weather
aad become very much colder, and
still the temperature fell.
When drove up to the house where
any sister and I boarded, on the west
ern outskirt of the village, our host
came out into the yard.
''While you're hitched up" he said,
you'd better drive on to the school
HOUSE, duQ get the ScnOOlIna am ana
all the children that are coming this
way. There's going to be blizzard
ut won't come before four o'clock"
I replied. "I'n go then"
"You drive right on now, young fell
low," he said, with a glance at the
leaden sky. Tell her to dismiss the
school and hustle for town. Can't
take no chances with this weather."
Being tenderfoot, replied, 'All
right" But his precautions seemed
foolish, for~the little sod schoolhouse
. was in full view of us, and could be
reached in less than Is minutes easily.
As trotted the mules over the
prairie, suddenly noticed that the
air high above me seemed filed with
flying, swirling snow. Then the
brown horizon and a distant settlers
sold house with the smoke curling
above it were suddenly blotted out by
a white, impenetrable curtain. 1t
came swiftly trailing nearers hiding