Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-03-28

| hurry Oh snow. IL pelteu the snow
| into my face like bits of steel. and
/ blew through my sweater to my damp
undershrt, freezing the moisture on
its way until. as l moved. | could feel
| the cracking OF my shirt, like break
! ing glass. was chilled in an in
| stant, and commenced to get back into
my heavier clothes lying on the sled,
They were frozen stiff, and got them
| PARKWAY on when ! was seized with
| dizziness and had to fall onto the
sled Mr.. Porter noticed my condi.
ton and came to my help, and 1t took
/ all of our united strength to get me
| bacl, into my frozen clothes.
But the mischief with me had been
done, was chilled to the bone with
the wind and my frozen clothes, and
| the snow | had eaten had so chilled
/ my stomach and lowered my circula.
tion, that | was unable to rally and
generate more heat. tried to start
my team. but my legs were unsteady.
My tongue thickened until spoke
like a drunken man.
After a few impotent efforts to get
the dogs started, lost my interest in
the work and incontinently decided
that the dogs couldn't pull the load
[ called Porter and told him, in slut
tering phrases. with unsteady lips,
that | couldn't get along any further
and wasn't going To try That the
load was too heavy. the storm too
great and that would throw my load
OF in the snow and let the dogs get
me back to the ship
Porter tried to argue with me. but
with tenacity and withall stupidity
chat know now resembled nothing
else so much as the obstinate per-
verslty of drunken man. | Insisted
that | couldn't and wouldn't go any
farther with the load
Porter had all he could do with his
own team and was really as badly done
as myself, and SO even were the Rus
SLAMS, for the wind had continued with
Hnceaslng violence, darkness was set.
tling down. and the bottom had drop
ped out of the thermometer.
As Porter objected to dumping the
load, my team was unhltched and
hooked up to his sled, thus giving
him a double team, and my loaded sled
was left beside the trail | then ac-
companied Porter. riding on the sled,
lying fiat on my stomach with my face
buried in my hands to protect my
checks and nose from the cold.
Porter would allow me to ride in
hat fashion as long as he dared and
would then drag me to my feet and
make me walk awhile. My mind was
numbed and dead to outward eyenis,
though | was seeing brilliant pan.
Drama. all by my lonesome Forgot.
ten incidents of my past life rose be.
fore me with all the vivdness of real
ity- If had ever forgotten a nickel
that owed. | remembered 1t then.
Outwardly | was feeling comfortable,
and was firmly convinced that If Por-
ter would Just let me alone and let
me sleep, would be all right please
so way and let me sleep" was all my
hearts desire.
Ii was after one of these doing
periods on the sled, that opened my
eyes to look down a vista of frozen
fairy land that is lndelibly lngrayen
on my memory. | was aroused by
Porter Juggling at my coat and shout
ing Bob, get up here, you must walk"
raised on my elbow and looked
around me with surprise. The dogs
had stuck with the load In some rough
Ice back of huge Iceberg. The wind
had died away and the moon was
shining The berg was broad at the
bnse and had huge spire pointing
upward for perhaps hundred feet.
At the bottom OF the spire 1t rested
IN some cross cakes of ice, piled to-
gether In such manner. that n hole
was left through the center. 1t re-
sembled the pictures we see of the
Eiffel tower, with its slender shaft
and four supporting columns at the
base. Blinking my eyes in dazed sur
prise, looked through the opening.
A magic easement
Opening on the view
OF desoate fields of ice and snow.
saw the sphinx and pyramids of
Egypt moulded in everlasting snow
and ice. high forms and oddly comfort
eJ shapes cleaning and glistening in
the pale moons light. while the wind
| on the distant mountain peaks swlrled
The snow Into fastastic images. that
waved huge arms in beckonlng lnyi-
tation.
Ny head sank down again between
my hands, and was a boy at school
| again working away on problem in
long arithmetic with a slate that was
cracked and pencil that screeched.
"Herel" Wake up! Wake up, You
must walk"
So Porter again dragged me to my
feet and again we were under way.
! Some little time later. rounding a
point Of land. the ship was in sight
a mile away, her stripped spars gis-
tenlng in the moonlight with their
weight OF frost AS our progress was
slow and the mile represented almost
an hour Porter thought | had best
walk ahead and get aboard ship as
soon as possible | dimly compre-
hended what he said and | started
out, though my feet refused to track
| and | could see as many as six ships