Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1905-12-29
-; -. g.
would go over the trail until the snow

would go over the trail until the snow
settled. .,.r:sa 8; +, s,eef: sssre =, 4 =
Three days later: came a storm Of
sleet, followed by freezing weather;
which put q strong crust on the snow.
Seeing Letters frolic over this crust
gave Ben an idea. =: =: r.. ji::'s =:
II 1'could; send az message for help
by the dog! Why not? He's used to
being sent on. errands:' So he heated
the tongue of q buckle; and burned ON
chip these Words ''tll*.@: ~;>.'>:!
Xmas mail stopped at WHITEWATER
broken leg. Send help. Garry" :~>":
Paper might get wet. This chip
could neither tear nor fade: He tied; it
to Letters neck. Then he tried patient.
u all day to start Letters But Letters
could not understand. although he evil
IDENTIFY tried hard. He was wanted to
60 somewhere so lie went down the
sulch, dp the gulch, out on the trail,
forward" and back ! mile or 80. aad re-
turned. e ~..: = ''~' 49,: .''''..
j Finally near night, Ben osstsnitaatatous:;
" tied up*the chip in rag. put thS
package. In Letters mouth. and or.
dsred: Go. letter.! Co. SCOTS!
Take 1t to SCOTS! Coz H. -
scott was Tia name Of tie postmaajs..
tor where the mail was due. Letters
knew him. He looked grieyed. it'was
such LONG way OF. He seemed e
think for . moment; then he laid down
the rag and put out his paw TOR .
sgood;by shake: - - @'''';
g. Ben shook, then said: : ''aood-by!
Now go. sir! Go to Scott's!" Letters
picked Up the rag. whined mournfully,
and trottsd away oyer the edge Of tho
gully. go
One Observation-Disclosures dog did
not return. He was. gone. Would he
keep on the whole 43 miles! Would
he get through in spite Of tho dangers
by the way?
When two more days and nights
had passed with no rescue, Ben feared
that Letters was dead, and resolved to
start himself the next morning.
'"Bone's: knit all right" he thought,
after dressing his leg. "Daren't try
any weight on It yet, but I reckon
can travel on one foot. Guess can
draw the mail sledge. a few rods at q
time, quite q piece in all day. This
mail has got to 60 on somehow"
Thus resolved, he slept soundly. In
the night he was awakened by q
pounce upon his body. He started up,
grasping his revolver.
why, Letters!"
The dog barked, pranced, rolled over,
stood up on his hind legs, shook hands
and manifested delight In every dog.
gish way. But Ben noticed that he
did it lamely and with nice care. Max.
Ing his fire blaze, he saw that Letters
was badly scratched with sore scars,
besides being very tired
No doubt the dog had been in a fight
with some wild beast day or two ago.
But the chip was gone-evidently Let.
tiers had lost it.
Ben fed the dog literally, and the
two lay down together. They would
start in the morning, and Letters
would help him.
Just after daylight Letters leaped
up, barking, and ran out of sight along
the trail. Ben heard him barking a
long way off. Soon clear "Hello!"
sounded above his bark, and presently
Letters reappeared at the brow of the
gulch, proudly leading three stalwarr
settlers.
Hello, down there!" one cried. All
alive and clipper, eh? That's good,
We feared-Hows this? We expected
to find Dick Garry! Well, well: And
you're getting on fine. Boy, you've
done a big thing; mighty few men
could have managed so we'll"
Ben shook hands all round. Then
came reaction. He buried his face
in mis- hands and sobbed for several
minutes.
Don't. now" "sho!" your hard
times are al; over now, youngster!!"
Take it easy!" With such assurances
the men soothei him until he became
calm
One Of them, busy getting breakfast,
broke out: well, if the youngster
haint kept camp neater'n a we'll man!
Meat hung up, eevrything clean and
handy. no litter. And he. most too lame
to stir!''
''Sho! So he has, But see this here
leg, Bill. II there's doctor can do up
broken limb in a handler job than
this don't know him! Ben, you're a
BUSTER
While eating they told Ben how Let.
tiers appeared at SCOTS, torn and
bloody. They inferred he had met mad
fought off wildcat. The chip which
he carried was read, and three men
started as soon as they could get
ready. Letters wounds were dressed;
he was fed and given a bed BY the
fire; but he soon started after the men,
and kept with them until they were
about dozen miles from Whitewater,
when he dashed ahead alone.
After breakfast one Of the men set
of with the mail. The other two rugged
a litter of two poles, with skins dashed
across them. on which Ben lay com.