The Grit-advocate., 1904-01-01

nave 20 Struggle with her giant forces
or her more terrible moods, get in the
habit of using big words for very
small experiences. Every fall in the
mercury becomes a cold wave, and
every decent. ordinary storm is dubbed
IL blizzard As Il matter of fact, the
genuine Western blizzard, when the
air is full of singing, singing. frozen
particles. blowing six ways to a Sun
day. when Il man can't see six feet in
front of him. when all landmarks are
lost. and all signs fail. is something;
of which the Eastern States are bless
edly ignorant. Such an one came with
i'll the experience of the Rev. John
Eastman. of South Dakota and he has
never forgotten it. nor is he likely to.
Mr. Eastman is a member of the lnde-
wakantan Sioux, an Indian with ali
the Indian stOciSm. which belittlcs
hardships for which the white race
would find few words strong enough.
Yet his description of that nights ad-
ventures are thrilling enough to prove
that the word blizzard is not one TO be
lightly applied to any little fourinch,
we--bchavcd city SNOW fall.
1t was one Saturday evening when
Mr.. Eastman had been sitting coZily
in front of Il cracking fire after din
ner. thinking over his sermon for the
following day. He was tired and the
warmth and quiet were very grateful.
But he remembered that his horse was
tired, too He had driven him twenty
hnt II
blankcted And so. though lie did not
usually attend to the animals until
just before he went to bed. he decid-
ed to 20 out and make them comfort
able early. and be done with chores
for the night
1T was only a step from house to
barn" says DR.. Eastman. Il did not
think il worth while TO take Il lantern,
but | did put on an Overcoat when !
saw how stormy it was outside. 1t
was a black night and there was n
blizzard on. The wind was in my face
and the fine hail stun- like shot from Il
gun. 1t fairly bit my checks. so that
rs | crossed the garden l turned to
have the wind at my back and get my
breath by walking backward few
minutes. | saw the light i'll the house
glowing family through the slcet. as
| walked Then for a few minutes
bent my head and butted into the
storm. When turned again for breath
ing space l could not see the house.
Neither. though knew l had not gone
far enough could | find the barn. l
realized that | had gone wrong some
how. but it was not for some minutes
that | understood that the situation
was serious and began TO look for il.
should have thought l could find my
way to it blindfo!ded. but here l was
zig-zagging back and forth and get
ting nowhere.
Il don't know how long cruised
around aS Il dog would search a trail.
| 1t probably was only Il few minutes,
| hut it seemed an hour. 1t was the
| longest part of the nights experiences.
| | was slow t. confess to myself that.
| keen as | believed | was i'll prairie
craft. l was really lost. and could not
help myself even a little bit. | sup
| pose l went around in a circle. but
| there was 10 proof to my mind of the
| fact.
| "Thc place was the prairie at Flan-
| dTtau. where l now live. 1t is as level
| as this floor. and is now well settled.
| but then it was miles to any other
house. Every inch of the prairie was
| like every other inch. When l knew
| was lost l made up my mind to be
as long as possible in freezing to death
l gave up trying to find the barn and
| just walked without thinking where
was going l kept saying: Walk, walk,
walk
THAT was easier said than done.
haven't said anything about the cold.
But it was cold. 1t was the most aw-
| full cold a man can feel. But l well
coined every twinge as an assurance
that l was holding my own. fighting
off the numbness that would have
meant death My feet l kept alive
by running every little while. or
course, I went With the wind good
deal. I realized that l shouldn't. and
called myself a coward and forced
myself as Il moral duty to face it. And
l fancy it was this moral duty that
| saved my lifc-kept me ngntlnS some
: thing all night. though for that matter
| l fought myself. calling myself fool
all the time. l pounded myself and
occasionally even kicked myself.
'Some time in the night the temper
ature must have moderated. AT any
lnte, the snow began to stay where it
fell. I have about given up all hope
of living when suddenly 1 noticed it
was harder to walk through the snow
Then l began to feel sleepy. 1t grew
on me and | thought l would lie down
and rest. for l was very tired. But
rebellcd against this as a piece of folly
I kicked myself and again called my
self fool.
"Then the first l knew I was down
on my hands and knees in the snow.
| guess did not much realize my dan