Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1902-07-31

into his wide mouthed outside pocket I
before he slipped on his mittens in de-
spair, and started to run up the TRAIL
One cannot run the frost out of wet
feet at sixty below and colder, how
ever, as he quickly discovered.
He came round a sharp turn of the
creek to where he could look ahead for
mile. But there was no help, no sign
of help, only the white trees and the
white hills, the quiet cold and the bra
zen silence! If only he had a comrade
whose feet were not freezing, he
thought, only such comrade to start
the fire that could save him!
Then his eyes CHANGED upon another
high-water 1odgment Of twigs and
leaves and branches. If he could
strike q match all might yet be well.
With stiff fingers which he could not
bend he got out bunch of matches,
but found it impossible to separate
them.
He sat down and awkwardy 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 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 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 fame burned
! into the flesh Of his hand, and ne in
| voluntarily relaxed his hold. The
! bunch fell into the snow, and while he
tried vain1v to pick it. uD, sizzled and
went out.
Again he ran, by this time badly
frightened. His feet We're utterly de-
void Of sensation. Ee stubbed his toes
once on buried log, but beyond pitch
ing him into the snow and wrenching
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 We're
freezing, but they did not count. It
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 Greek. He must be
somewhere near it, he thought, and if
he could find it he yet might be saved.
Five minutes later he came upon it,
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.
J, But the love Of life was strong il
: him, and he sprang to his feet. He was
8 thinking quickly. What if the matches
: did burn his hands? Burned hands
e were better than dead hands NJ
I hands at all were better than death
I He foundered along the trail until HI
), came upon. another high-water lodg
ment. There were twigs and branches
S leaves and grasses, all dry and waitin!
b the fire.
S Again he sat down and shuff1ed tn
bunch Of matches on his knees, got
:. into place on his palm, with the wris
1t Of his other hand forced the nerveles
e fingers down against the bunch, an,
IT with the wrist kept them there. At til
', second scratch the bunch caught fire
W 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
n burned quickly in through the froste
S. surface. The odor of the burning fes
y his fesh-Was strong in his nostrils
He writhed about in his torment, ye
le held on. He set his teeth and swaye
is back and forth until the clear whit
IS fame of the burning match shot vi
a and he had applied that fame to th
~ leaves and grasses.
is An anxious five minutes followed, br
1e the fire gained steadily. Then he set
cb work to save himself Heroic meas
ures were necessary, such was his e,
IN tremity, and he took them.
s. Alternately rubbing his hands wit
e. snow and thrusting them into th
It. flames, and now and again beatin
IS them against the hard trees, he r
lis stored their circulation sufficiently fl
them to be of use to him. With b
ID, hunting knife he slashed the straI
Is. from his pack, unro1led his blanket ar
'e, got out dry socks and footgear.
at Then he cut away his moccasins ar
as barred his feet. But while he had take
It liberties with his hands he kept b
Of feet fairly away from the fire ar
rubbed them with snow. He rubbe
n till his hands grew numb, when ]
ng would cover his feet with the blanke
cd warm his hands by the fire and retu1
by to the rubbing.
ch For three hours he, worked till ii
tut worst effects Of the freezing had be.
he counteracted. All that night he stay.
by the fire, and it was late the next ds
lid when he limped pitifully into the can
al on the Cherry Greek Divide.
in In a months time he was able to
he about on his feet although the to
ow were destined always after that to