Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-05-30

l knew ours Yet might be Silently
unSaddled the horse and hohblcd il Sc
cuvejy as might with the birdie rein.
Then spread the saddle blanket ter
her ~ Sit upon and hurried about Cor
plains fuel Water we drank from my
hat aud were somewhat refreshed.
Now we had food and water We
needed tire. Rut when came 10 fun
bic III my pockets found not match
Il was afraid of that" she said,
catching the meaning OF my TOOK
II my sheath was n heavy hunting
knife, and NOW, searching about us on
the side Of ,he coulce bank. found
several AinIs, hard and white, Then
| tore out 4 bit Of my coat lining and
moiStrucd ii tribe and saturated it
with powder from my flask. rubbed In
until il all was dry This utter soaked
fabric | thought might serve aS tudcr
for the spark, So then struck Niut
and steel and got the strange spark,
hidden in the cold stone ages and ages
there ou the plains, and presently the
spark was Il little flame and then II
good IRE and 50 we were moro com
Portable
We roasted meat now HAT ON the
Goals the best we might, and So we
ate with no salt to aid MS The girl I've
came a tritie moro cheerful though still
distant and quiet. II rose 10 leave
the urc for an instant | saw her eyes
following me all the time | knew her
fears, though she did not complain
NiGht came on The great gray wolves,
hauNtrrN OF the buffalo herds roared
to strike terror to any womau'S soul
The girl edged close To me. We spoke
but little Our dangers had not vet
made us other than conventional
Even rs dusk sank upon us all tho
lower sky went black. An advancing
roar came upon our ears. and then II
binding wave of rain drove across the
surface of the earth, wiping ont the
day, beating down with rcmorScIrSS
strength and volume as though it
would smother and drown us twain in
its dclugc us. the last two human
creatures OF the world
II caught us. that wave OF damp
and darkness. and rolled over us and
crushed us down rs we covered |
caught up the blanket from the ground
and pulled 1t around the girls shoul
ders | drew her tight to me as | lay
with my own back to the storm and
pulled the saddle over her head. with
nd . Ia
tempest from her as much as could.
There was no other fence for her, and
but for this she might perhaps have
died; l do not know. felt her strain
at my arms first, then settle back and
sink her head under the saddle flap
and cover close, like some little
schoolfelow all the curves OF her
body craving shelter, comfort. warmth.
She shivered terribly. | heard her
gasp and sob. All how l pitied her
that hour!
AS the rain lessened and the cold in.
creased knew that rigors would soon
come upon us. walk or we die"
gasped And so led her at last low
err down the side of the ravine, where
the wind was not so strong.
With all my soul challenged my
weakness, summoning to my aid that
reserve of strength had always known
each hour in my life. Strangely felt,
how | cannot explain, that she must
be saved. that she was l. Strange
! phrases ran through my brain. re
membered only one, "Cleaving only
unto her" and this In my weakened
frame Of body and mind could not
separate from my stern prayer to my
own strength. once so ready, now so
strangely departed from me.
To the delirious or the perishing man
| time has no measuring do not know
! how we spent the night or how long
1t was. | knew that Auberry would
before this time have gone back to fol
low our trail. perhaps starting after us
even before night had approached, but
now the rain had blotted out all man
ner of trails, so rescue from that source
was not to be expected, Not even we
ourselves could tell where we had wan
dcred. nor could we, using the best Of
/ our wits. as we than had them. do
more than vaguely guess where our
| fellow travellers by that time might he.
! Neither did we know distance nor di-
! rection of any settlement.
We sat. dragglcd and weary. bag
| gard and worn by the long strain. Her
/ skin garments, again wet through,
/ chung tight to her figure uncomfort-
! ably Now and again | could see n
! :rcmOr running through her body from
/ the chill Yet as | looked at her |
! could not withhold my homage to her
! spirit She was a splendid creature,
| SO my soul swore 10 me. thoroughbred
/ as any I'm all the world Her chin was
! high, not drawn down in defeat
/ caught sight Of her small ear fiat 10
/ the head, pink with cold. but the ear
/ Of game creature Her nose, not
/ aquilne, not masculine. still was not
weak Her chin, ~ ] remember
noted even then, was strong. but lean
/ and not overladen with flesh Her
mouth. not thin Tipped and cold. yet
/ a la, ia