New-York tribune., 1909-12-12
Drawing BY c E Chambers

- n
times II ever IN the history OF the world a hu-
man being had been more cOnsunnately snowbOund.
Often he stood just outside the door of the winter
CABIN and cOnlectured upon the approximate depth
of that blanket Of which rose tier upon tier
toward every fractional point of the compass. And
the silence of it, IL was awful There were times
when II oppressed him almost beyond endurance
Tie had grown into the habit OF quoting 70 himself
Silence IS the law of Nature sound the breaking OF
the rule and-oh, how at times he did wish some
thing would happen TO break the rule
tie was N a saucer OF the Bitter Root Range. He
called II cup. instead of a II deep
enough surely He had STAYED on and on with the
one man who was 20 take winter charge of the mine
and It's appurtenanCes, and then. SIN weeks ago he
had sent that one man on errand TO the nearest
pOStOiilce. which was sixty miles away. And then
the snow had come. the second day after Idaho
Petes departure. II had come with a vengeance
too and It had kept coming for solid week, not
the way snow falls IN the East, but Just II has
fallen time after time among those Bitter Root
Mountains. Garfield knew. before the end OF the
first twenty-fOur hours of stOrning that Pete would
not be able TO return 10 him and that he was himself
hopeless prisoner but he made the best of IT, lust as
he had made the best OF everything IN life always
There were times when he Chuckled over the pre-
dlcament IN which he found himself and then the
majesty OF that profound silence by which he was
surrounded oppressed him anew Mountain peaks
tOWeret above h1n everywhere he looked. He knew
that beyond them. somewhere. there was life and
laughter that were making love 70 women and
that women were respOndIng-and there would arise
before ms vision face that ured him with pleading
eyes He would imagine that he could hear the soft
tones OF her voice uurnuring sweet messages OF
lCt anu IilLL ana nope OF confidence and
atty But sne was three thousand miles away from
him, as the crow flies. million-ten million-nles
away, whenever ne considered the utter npOssbilitv
OF getting 10 her.
A Nd tomorrow viii be Christmas Davl" he told
himself aloud, continuing the thought that had
brought him outside the door of his cabin and 7
promlSe1 10 eat my Christmas dinner with her and
10 tell her all about the mine with us possibilities
and promises. And She win be looking for me ex-
pectlng me, longing TOR me, Curse that silencef 7
WlSh could break II, ia like 10 shatter II into a
million pieces II has taken upon itself shape and
lorIll, outline and substance Silence Huh 7
never knew the meaning Of the word before | never
did Then, IN desperation. he lifted up his voice
and yelled. "WhOOp-EEEeeeE-aht" and the hills
seemed 70 trenbe under the weight Of that terrific
sound, the distant peaks 70 totter heneath il mao
nlned. as II was by the frozen air IN which no r-t
Gle OF moisture remained. Garfield lodged into the
cabin and closed the door He put his thumbs into
his ears.
That what get Tor rneddIinq. he rnutteret as
ne emerged again upon the open. 81 sure cant
grub with Katherine Tomorrow that's a cinch as
Pete would say. I've got 20 cook nv own dinner
eat II alone. make sOOQuV speeches 10 myself bar
up my stocking beside chimney that even Sants
Claus couldn md II he tried-and do the whole
blessed Chrlstmas show IN solitude, Gee but wish
could transport about SIX people OF nv acuuaitc
q this place IN a balloon or sometime Nov ;f I
their astral bodies. and Eh, Why not Wbat's+o
prevent Ia like 70 know BY Jove. III do it,"
A PLAN suggested by. his thoughts bad tal-e-
form. tie yelled another Whoopeel" and for
got 70 dodge the thunder of H. The Cyrear Nv
winch until then had remained curled up beside the
hre, strolled malestlcaly through the doorway and
Et2ed sOlemulv and rep-OaChfullv into his ewes
Foor old Royal tautIed said. fOndnp the sat
my ears OF ms faithful companion. The silence has
got on your nerves too haven't heard YOU let out
SO much as "a yip IN three weeks and YOU are rather
proud ot your voice. too. SPEAK RovaI sueaL-f'
he commanded The doc g-lyynef