The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1905-12-14

About ten minutes later the boy
glided up TO the window, opened IL
and called out, Pap says all of you
come over quick, bring lots Of snow
Shovels and couple of blankets.
Let some of the women get one of the
bed rooms warm and make some hot
soup and coffee" Ii don't take
much time for us old fellows whose
lives are full OF tragedies and start
ling episodes, TO get ready for almost
any kind Of contingency; and before
the boy had stopped talking, more
than two dozen Strong and wiliin.
men and several Of the other sex. not
always the weaker Sex in a mining
camp. were gliding over the interycn-
ing half mile. Ii was beautiful
morning after the storm and in the
light, crisp air of that great altitude
every object stood out as clear and
distinct as If all nature rrjoiccd. and
no thought of death was possible. The
green branches Of the many pines
were heavily weighted with the late
ly fallen snow, and the level cxpansc
or Meadow Lake with its white coy
cring Glistencd in the bright sunlight
like an immense mirror.
Not a word was spoken nor a sound
heard in the still air, except the
swish OF our snow SHOES, as we
glided rapidly toward Cartons cabin.
This was built, as have said, a lit
tie distance from the more thickly
settled part OF the town although
now very many Of the smaller cabins
were buried out of sight and upon
our arrival. nothing could be seen to
distinguish its position. except huge
mound of snow and the ends of two
snow shoes; presumably where the
chimney was. Two dozen willing
hands were soon hard at work. clear
Ing away the huge drifts, and as soon
as the chimney was uncovered we
found, as we feared and expected.
that the space around il had been
permitted 10 lie and harden. 1t was
but too plain that what had fallen
during this previous storm had rapid
ly filled the small space below the
chimney cap, and the cabin been her
mctically sealed. AS soon as the
opening was made, couple. of us
climbed down. Poor Carlton stood,
leaning against the bricks of the
chimney; fully clothed, even TO his
blue army ovcrcoat. and the air was
thick with close, foul OdOr. There
were no matches in the cabin or m
on his person, He had evidently slept
long ana souudly and realized from
Ills sensations when he awolic and be-
came partially con acious that he was
hciEg smothcrcd, That he had become
hrwldcrcd and had wandered aimless-
ly around the cabin WAS evident by
,hc articles strcwn upon the floor. and
when he finally found the chimney,
had been too weak 10 make the
ascent and had gradually fallen into
his last sleep.
We Judged he had been dead for
forty-cight hours or more, and as the
storm was raging so fcrccly ut that
time, 1t Is Ivy ~ means certain tina T
lie could have been RESCUED, had his
| cul.,t,on been known.
The lody was wrapped in blankets
anu N'''sN'''E 'lllNu W ilif Hbttl,
ana prepared at once for burial. The
| grave was dug near an old pine tree
| through twcnty-four feet of snow.
and steps had to be cut TO lead down
10 the ground. There WAS no minister
IN the camp, but one of the women
brought CIT Il prayer book and the
burial service was read and pr0babl
each one of us sent up some sort of
a prayer, that he might make hap
by landing on the other shore.
Over hundred men and women on
snow shoes accompanied the body
from the hotel to the grave, the wind
singing soft requiem as we laid the
body away in that great white scpul-
cher and commented upon the sngu-
lar fatality that had CARED him safe
~ through years Of bloody strife TO
at last meet his dearn in that strange
manner S-U1 feet above his home Of
early G5,s IN the rocl:-bvurl shores
of the Atlantic.