New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1910-09-28


this gap like the torrent below a bro
ken reservoir
Bait came close to Emerson and bel
lowed into his ear:
What shall we do? Roll up in the
bedding or run for it p
How far is it to timber?
Twelve or fifteen miles,
Lets run for it! We're out Of
grub. anyhow. and this may last for
days.
There was no use of trying to secure
additional clothing from the supply in
the sled, so they abandoned their out
fit and allowed themselves to be driven
ahead of the storm. trusting to the
natives sense of direction and keeping
close together. The dogs were already
we'll drifted over and refused to STIR
Once they had gone a stones throw
from the sled there was no turning
back, and, although the wind was be-
hind them, progress was difficult, for
they came upon chasms which they
had to avoid; they crossed slippery
slopes where the storm had barred the.
hard crust and which their feet re
fused to grip. In such places they
had to creep on hands and knees, call
ing to one another for guidance. They
were numbed. blinded. choked by the
rage of the blizzard; their faces grew
stiff and their lungs froze. At times
they fell and were skidded along
ahead Of the blasts. This forced them
to crawl back again, for they dared
not lose their course.
Much has been written concerning
the red mans physical powers Of en-.
durance, but as rule no Indian is
the equal of his white brother. due as
much perhaps to lack Of mental force
as to generations Of insufficient cloth
ing and hamilton, so it was not sur
prising that as the long afternoon
dragged to close the Aleut guide be-
gan to weaken.
Darkness found them staggering on,
supporting him wherever possible. At
length he became unable to guide them
farther. and Bait. who had once made
the trip. took his place. while the 9TH
ers dragged the poor creature along at
the cost of their precious strength.
They had long since lost all track Of
time and place. trusting blindly to
downward course The hurricane
still harried them with unabated fury,
when all at once they came to another
bluff where the ground fell away
abruptly. Without waiting to investi-
gate whether the slope terminated in
a drift or precipace, they flung them
selves over. Down they foundered,
the two half sensible men tangled to-
gether as if in race for total oblivion,
only to plunge through a thicket Of
willow tops that whipped and stung
them. On they went, now vastly heart
ened, over another ridge, down an
other declivity, and then into grove
Of spruce timber, where the air sud-
denly stilled. and only the treetops told
Of the rushing wind above.
It was well nigh an hour before Bait
and Emerson succeeded in starting a
fire, for it was desperate work cropping
for dry branches, and they themselves
were on the verge of collapse before
the timid blaze finally showed the
two more unfortunate ones huddled to-
gether..
Cherry had given Emerson a flask
of liquor before starting. and this be
now divided between Fraser and the
guide, having wisely refused it to
them until shelter was secured. Then
be melted snow in Balt's tin cup and
poured pints of hot water into the pair
until the adventurer began to rally,
but the Aleut was too far gone, and
an hour before the laggard dawn came
he died.
The day was we'll spent when they
struggled into Katmai and plodded up
to a half rotted log store. A globular
quarter breed Russian trader took them
in and administered to their most cry
ing needs.
AS soon as Emerson was able to
talk he inquired concerning the mail
boat
.'She called here three days ago,
bound west,' said the trader.
That's all right She'll be back in
about a week, eh?''
'sShe won't stop coming back
"Whatv' Emerson felt himself sick
ening.
mo; she won't call here till next
month, and then if it's storming she'll
go on to the westward and land on her
way back"
Glow long will that be?"
Maybe seven or eight weeks"
In his weakened condition the young
man CROPPED for the counter to support
himself. So the storms delay at the
foot Of the pass had undone him!
Fate, in the guise of winter, had un.
furled those floating snow banners
from the mountain peaks to thwart
him once more!
Out of consideration for his compan-
ions Emerson did not acquaint them
with the evil tidings until the next
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