The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1906-01-11
How Adam Nu9ent
Brought the Mail

STEADY, pups, steady! Bide quiet
a bit til the storm lifts"
A winter gale was blowing. Drift
ing the snow into mountains Of fleecy
Wilderness, wherever 1t encountered
an obstacle to its headlong drive, 1t
eddied and twirled it aloft in dense
clouds. Sunset hour had passed, twi-
light had 'deepened, and the darkness
Of the long night was rapidly drawing
rear.
Under the shelter of naked pin
nacle of rock, known far and wide as
''the devils thumb" lad scarce IL
years of age crouched, holding two
| shaggy black dogs in leash. Beside
him, and upturned SO that 1t might
lean against the side of the rock, rest
ed his catamaran; and dashed thereto
was his only remaining bag of mail.
| together with his snowshoes. A rife
was slung across his back by thongs
Of seal hide, and drawing his spotted
sealskin cap more firmly down over
his head and ears, he waited for the
storm to cease. Farther progress, un-
der the conditions which had suddenly
overtaken him, was dangerous, IL not
impossible.
Adam Nugent, though but youth,
was courier, or mail carrier, in the
far North, and to his care was entrust-
ed the safe delivery of the mail from
outport to outport, over distance Of
full sixty miles. In summer he Jour
neyed with his shaggy pony and the
| kxv,n xxrI,A lad n-f 1,x,k xxrlkk h n
coming Of October this means of trans
portation was discarded for the more
sure-footed beasts now restlessly nos
ing about his feet. He was alone, ex-
cept for the companionship of his two
dogs, and had reached the most DESC
late portion of his route. Between
Cremaillere and Rose Blanche, not q
foot of the ground was tillable, and his
route, striking inland across the PENN
sula, carried him too far from the sea
to bring him into any Of the little fish
ing villages with which it's shore was
dotted. So he was compelled to travel
this desolate, rocky plateau, which
was most fttingly named 1.-The bar
rens."
For a distance of fifteen miles one
little hut alone broke the severity of
the landscape, a rude shelter built by
the government for the protection OF
the couriers, and it was in an effort to
reach this hut before the close of the
day that Adam had journeyed on, in
stead of remaining at the little village
of Pouchette, where he was strongly
advised against leaving. Adam could
Judge, as well as the jewellers in Pou-
Ghetto, that, from prevailing atmos-
pheric conditions, heavy storm was
impending, and he knew, too, the Sc
verify of the awful northern "dwy," In
which every particle Of congested
moisture, falling in almost impalpable
powder. clouds the sight and impedes
the breath. But he had miscalculated
the possible time of its arrival; SO,
upon reaching "the DEVILS thumb" just
as the full fury of the storm broke, he
determined to secure himself and his
dogs from further danger, and, under
the lee of the rock, await the cessation
of its violence.
Down, Hector, down! Duke, lay
closet" he commanded. "'Tis safer
We be in the lee than in the open.
There's nowt to fear, saving starving
and freezing, and us have froZe and
starved afore, pups, and lived TO see
this day. And so twill be again." he
muttered, rs he pulled the dogs closer
to him, and their warm bodies might
add to the protection Of the thickness
of canvas wrapped about his legs
Crouching low, he saw the outlines
of his catamaran lose themselves In
the drifting snow. First the lower
runner, then the platform, and finally
its upper runner disappeared, and only
the two upper stakes, leaning against
the rock above him, remained to show
that his catamaran was beside him
Between these upper stakes he had
dashed the mail bag, so that 1t formed
a roof, and, little by little. its leather
sides sunk under the weight of snow
and forced him into still more crouch
ing attitude. The air grew close and
warmer. He realized that he was shut
! in from the fury OF the storm, and, al
though he would suffer much discom
fort, his life, as well a. that of his
dogs, was saved.
Taking a hard biscuit from his
! Jacket pocket he munched 1t. giving
: now and then a small portion to eacf
of his dogs. who. eagerly devourins
] them, nosed his mittened hands fol
more. Patting their broad heads. h