The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1902-12-23

A feeling of coming calamity oppress-
ed her. She felt lonely and desolate. To
occupy her mind, she commenced put
ting the children to bed, lit becomes
dark early in the day in these high la
titudes) and then spread the table, pre-
pared supper for her husband and wait
ed. The fire had almost died away she
replenished it; opened the door to look
out; a great bank of snow fell into the
room; the storm had nearly ceased but
everything looked so dark, cold, lonely
and cherries, she shuddered, closed the
door and weeping went to her bedside,
knelt down and sobbed out an earnest
PRAYER to the Omnipotent, to spare the
father of her babies.
For hours before, away up on the
plateau that divides the valley from the
one in which the town is situated, a
man and team had been persistently
battling with the storm. The horses,
wearied by their all-day wallow through
the snow, were completely tagged; first
one would slip off the beaten track into
the deep snow and fall, and then the
other; sometimes both were down and
then the driver would step out, breast
the snow, stamp it down about the
horses, get them on their feet, and with
words of encouragement, induce them
to made another effort. Night had
come. The snow still continued falling
in great, thick flakes; the sleigh was
half full. One horse was PROSTATE and
refused to rise. The other trembled
with cold, WEAKNESS and fear. The
poor driver, wet by the snow, half-frozen
and hungry, was as exhausted as his
team. He waded out ahead of the
horses, uncertain if he should desert
them and make one supreme effort to
reach the valley alone or, return to the
sleigh and lie down to the alluring but
deadly sleep.
The standing horse snorted. The
man looked up, and there, away down
in the direction he must go, are black
objects approaching struggling through
the snow. Were they wolves? Surely
they must be no human being would be
out such a night, and in such storm.
Hurriedly he turned about for the rifle
in the sleigh but the quick motion was
too much for his exhausted strength and
he tripped, fell, rolled over into the
snow drift, unconscious.
The dark objects slowly, steadily
worked up towards the team. They
could not be wolves or the standing
horse would scream with fear and en-.
deavor to kick loose from his PROSTATE
mate and escape. Heseemed to recognize
them. He whinnied. They came closer
and surged up around the deserted
sleigh. 1t was the Indians from the
valley, searching for and determined to
find and rescue their benefactor and
friend from the Ice-King's grasp.
They picked up the sleeping farmer,
shook him, rubbed his limbs with snow,
brought him back to life and conscious
ness and, bundling him up warmly and
safely in their buffalo robes, placed him
in the sleigh.
Their coming seemed to re-invigorate
the horses they tramped the snow down
before them, got them on their feet and
then quickly led them down the hill to
home and safety.
Scarcely had the good woman breathed
out her fervent prayer for help and pro-
lection for those near and dear to her,
when a stamping and tramping of feet
was heard the dog jumped up, barked
quick, sharp, joyous the door flew open
and her husband staggered in covered
with ice and snow, follow by happy
group of smiling Indians bearing his
gifts in their hands.
There was joy and gratitude in that
household on Christmas Day, and we
may be sure that the faithful Indians in
their warm 'tepees" were not forgotten
or unrewarded.