The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-08-31
you stop at Martins and bring me out
my felt boots he's been mendipo,"


my felt boots he's been mending?"
Certainly" the farmer answered.
But 1t looks as If you wasn't going to
need them much longer"
I'm not SO sure of that" the agent
said, taking survey of the sky. It
was lovely blue except near the SIN
where whitish rays shot downward to-
ward the southern horizon. Suns
drawing water all day. and I'm afraid
It's weather breeder"
Il hope not. March is an uncertain
month anyway. Well, get up, Dan.
Come, Jerry"
What lovely day it was. As far as
| the eyes could see, the prairie stretched
like a floor, broken only by few dis
taht groves of cottOnwOOdS and Dob
lars. The grass was short and brown,
fading into misty. violet haze in the dis
lance Great tumbling weeds rolled Iaz-
lily over the ground In the softly stir
| ling air, and the Broken Bow trail
| stretched off to the west like streak
| of warm sunshine
L wish l was going with you to-mor-
row, father" Teddy said, as they drew
up at the barn.
Il don't like leaving mother alone so
long Mr.. Redmond answered. 1--WE
got to start early and won't be home
till night, and it's pretty lonesome for
her. 1t amt as if there was neighbors
handy"
Il wouldn't leave her either the boy
declared. eagerly.
Mr. Redmond got off early the next
morning. Teddy watched Dan and Jer-
ry trot down the trail and across the
prairie till they were out Of sight. Just
a little disappointment covered his
round face, but he would not let his
mother see it.
The station agent had given him a
ball Of strong Irvine with which to re-
place the clothes-line and other frag-
ments Of rope and string that formed
the wire" Of the North Dakota and
South Eighty Telegraph Line This he
promised himself to do In the after
noon.
| Mrs. Redmond was deep in prepare
lions for the expected visitors, and
Teddy worked faithfully, carrying wood
and water, securing tins and the old.
| fashioned copper candlesticks, and pol
ishing the few silver spoons, which
Mrs. Redmond brought out from their
place of safe-keeping in an old trunk,
till they Shone like new.
| He quite forgot about his telegraph,
and it was not till sudden blast of
wind swept around the house, rafting
the windows, that he went to the door
and looked out.
The warm, spring like air had grown
| icy cold, and over in the northwest d
strange looking bank of gray clouds
was coming nearer and nearer. He
could see the tops of the distant cotton
wood trees bending and shivering in the
wind that was hurrying along in furi-
Gus gusts before the cloud.
Its a blizzard, Teddy" bis mother
said. She shut the kitchen door, and,
holding her apron tightly over her head,
looked anxlously along the TRAIL IL
do hope your father hasn't started yet "
'Td better get the cows in, l guess"
Teddy said. You come help me, moth
err"
The cows had been turned out In the
little yard adjoining the barn. They
seemed to know that something unus-
ual was happening. Huddled together
in the most sheltered corner they shiv-
cred before the cold wind and lowed
mournfully.
1t took but few minutes to drive
them into the warm barn; then, fasten-
ing the door securely, Teddy and his
mother ran back, hand in hand to the
house.
They had no time to lose. The cot
tonwoods along the fences were bending
and cracking, and the grey cloud was
close on them. a driving mass of sharp,
icy particles of snow that cut their
faces like sand. Snap, Teddy's dog,
slipped In after them, and crouched,
whining and shivering, by the stove.
Mrs Redmond looked at the clock
with dismay. 1t was nearly five O'Clock,
and already SO dark that she could
hardly see the figures.
From the windows they saw the tunl-
bling weeds now racing madly across
the fields, but the driving snow soon
shut out everything like white wall,
and the wind shook the house till the
floor trembled.
To fully realize what a blizzard is,
q person must live in the West, and see
the bare, level prairies with hardly a
tree for miles, not hill to check the
wind except the low sand bluffs along
the rivers.
Many of the settlers plant what are
called "wind-breaks"- is, large
groves of cottonwoods. pOplars. or will
lows. These are generally planted OH
the north side Of houses and barns, and
are of considerable use in breaking the
violence of a moderate gale.
But blizzard! Nothing can stand
up against it. Cattle huddle together
with their heads from the blindin.,
snow and often die from exposure II