Evening journal., 1909-01-06
The Snow Peopl ;.
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GorlglnaLl

lOrginaLl
A blizzard on the plalns--I have
seen one; never wish to see another
All day that terrible whir OF snow. II
It had ceased occasionally to give the
brain a rest. 1t would not have been
so hard to bear. but It never ceased.
We saw only ourselves; there was
nothing else to see but the boundless
plain. and that was shut from our
vision by the snow. We were prepared
for the storm. having wagons, tents
and the wherewithal TO make hot cof-
fee, and should have considered our
selves we'll Off. We would have been
had it not been for that terrible, never
ceaslng whirl
The next morning the storm abated,
and we moved on. About noon we
came upon a sight TO freeze the mar
row in our bones six heaps Of snow,
a body underneath each. the remains
Of campfire in the center. We
brushed the snow from the heaps and
The woman was wrapped in all the
blankets that the party had possessed.
| put a pocket mirror TO the mouth Of
each person. and the woman alone re-
sponded. showing a faint film on the
glass. We poured whisky down her
throat and chafed her She opened
her eyes and in a short time could
speak TO US. but we waited till the
next day for her story:
1--WE had horses and a wagon.
don't know where the horses are now.
When we saw the storm coming we
thought the hrst thing TO do was to
get firewood, but since there was none
we broke up the wagon
81 don't remember much Of what hap
pened All know is that now and
again my husband came TO me with a
blanket. l closed my eyes to shut out
the whirling snow that was making
my brain sick, but they wouldn't let
me keep them closed. They kept shak-
ing me TO keep me awake. saw
them putting on the fire the pieces Of
the wagon, but they used them spar
ingly.
presently saw a flock Of white
wolves circling around us, and It seem
ed that the men were keeping up the
fire to prevent tkelr closing in and de-
vouring us. Occasionally one Of the
men would seize a flrebrand and hurl
Il at n wolf They were circllng, al
ways circling, to tire our brains.
closed my eyes again, and when |
opened them the wolves were gone,
but something far more terrible had
taken their places. Snow people were
whirling where the wolves had whirl-
ed. Oh, how cold they looked out OF
their dreadful eyes. They instead OF
the wolves were now trying TO tire us.
Every now and again one Of the
snow people would try TO seize one
Of our men. but he would take up a
frebrand, and that was enough. The
snow man would withdraw / saw
one Of our men stagger away from the
fire A snow woman took him and
pressed her lips tight to his. Then
she opened her arms, and he fell frozen
stiff.
after that the snow people circled
nearer. l saw our men come and stand
around me- You may think it was to
protect me from the wind and the
drift No; It was to keep Off the snow
people I was sitting by the fire, so
that the men inclosed both me and the
FIRE / fancled the snow people want
ed me, for they were all looking at
me out Of their Icy eyes and beckoning
to me. There were four Of our men
around me, and each seized a firebrand
and advanced a few PAGES back to
back. The snow people could not
stand the heat Of the brands and. fled
with u shrek
$50 wild, so weird, so terrible, was
the Shrek that I closed my eyes ana
put any hands TO my ears. When
looked again the men had lowered the
brands, and the snow people were
whirling more frantic than ever.
"a horrible old snow hag beckoned
20 one of the men. leering at him. He
went lOWdlu MtAs f1li ntAeNN hAAAlf tAAAA
l saw him whlrled or up into the sky.
Another woman sang beautiful song
no such heavenly melody have ! ever
heard-fxing her eyes on one Of the
men who were left. He, too. sue
cumbed and went toward her. She
folded him in an embrace. and ! saw
that he had been frozen. Another Of
our men went short distance from
the fire to bring some spokes to burn.
A snow man seized him, touched his
heart with his icy finger. and he fell,
like the rest. without bending Joint
''From this time the snow people seem
ed changed. They were no longer hor-
rible. They were beautiful The mems
apparel seemed TO glisten like icicles in
the sun; the women's dresses trailed
far behind them. each q myriad of
snowfakes. saw now only one Of our
men. He came 10 me and threw
blanket over me. He was my husband
Then he stopped and kissed me-. l saw
him soon after, standing 10y the fire,
which was now nearly out. The snow