Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-04-01
Audubon County
Early History
HON. III. f. ANDREWS


the night we entered a patch of brush
and small trees and decided to stop
and rest being weary and hungry. Mr.
J Jenkins seemed i'm worse plight than
myself and complained that his feet
hurt him, suspected they were froz-
4 en-, which afterwards proved true.
We gathered fuel and started fire
4 and Mr.. Jenkins proposed to take off
his boots to examine his feet, but
prevailed on him not to do SO. We
improvised a bed of brush and dried
grass and he laid down and slept while
tended the fire. Towards morning
| the clouds parted and lsaw the dip
per and north star and fixed the di-
rcction in my mind. When morning
came it was still cloudy and the sun
was obscured all day. Mr.. Jenkins
awoke very much discouraged, com
planned of his feet and doubted if we
ever got home again. | tried to en-
courage him and pointed out the di-
rection | thought we should travel.
He disputed with me and said he
thought we should travel in nearly the
opposite direction.
| said: "There is north, pointing in
that direction. He had no idea that
) knew the direction better than he did
and he replied: "And who in sir,
) told you that was north?" thinking to
HOY al; 7 fol "a
: of my seeing the north star while he
slept and he cooled down again, but
2 was not convinced, was Respondent,
7 said we were lost beyond hope, that
+ no one would know where to look for
us, and if they tried to find us there
: was hardly a chance of success and
that he believed we must perish.
| urged that we should succeed by
t travelling the course | suggested He
admitted that he was in doubt as to
: the course we should travel, but final
ly said he would follow me that day,
: but did not hope to succeed, We took
up our march toward the east, as it
: afterwards proved, after eating lit
: tie food which we still had. We come
out on What must have been the di-
vide between the East and West Bot
t ma waters and here Nh jenkins re
4 belled and became more contentious
I. than before. lie said we were travel
ing in the wrong direction and nsis-
e ted on changing our direction along
t the divide, which was toward the
n north west.
a | was confident that he was i'm the
) wrong and that we We're travelling in
n the right direction. but plead with
5 him in vain. We shook hands and
parted; each pursued his chosen
t course alone, until nearly out of sight
e of each other. Turning to take d
+ parting look ! observed him wave his
n hat and made a similar response, an(
e waited for him to return. When he
q joined me he said that he had forgot
l. ten the promise made to follow me
|. apologized and said he would make
n his word good. We proceed again Sc
n veral miles, until MI. Jenkins CON
., tinued to become more discouraged
If and complained. | carried his rifle tC
> relieve him, took him by the arm tc
d help him along and tried to encoul-
j age him to proceed.
is Late in the afternoon While cross
n ing Slough his feet became tangled
t in the long grass, matted down by tn,
snow and he fell. There was heav,
n SNOW fall over foot in depth, which
$, made heavy travelling | offered tt
said it was useless, that we were los
a entirely beyond recovery, that i
: would soon be night, that his feet wer,
used up, that we were without foo(
II or lire and we must perish, that h,
u might as we'll stop where he was as t,
! punish himself by attempting to trav
If el farther. / stopped down and stlucl
him smart blow with the back O
~ mp hand on his face. The effect wal
e, instantaneous. He sprang to his fee
l. like steel trap and demanded why
Y had insulted him. / told him it wa
e to show he he was not SO near dead a
I'd he imagined and that had proved it
X He accepted my explanation and w
n again proceeded. Upon reaching TIL,
v top of another ridge ! thought tn
surrounding country and lay of til
l. land seemed familiar.
4 The snow covered hills presented
T. different appearance. but | believed
e, we were in the vicinity of our cam
/ and SO informed my companion. / re
d, collected my dog, fayorite whit
g hound named "Zack" which was a
n the camp, and told Mr. jenkins tina
T. if could make ''Zack' hear my voic
a he would come TO us SO began t
Ut shout and halloo, long and loud am
N repeated il. Not long after | hear
Ita. Mo-