El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-24
By $. $. Gordon.

"HE man who employed men IN
Canada really decent fellow
and not much older than my
/ self, took a notion into his head, as II
I had been a good crop the summer gone
| by. to return to England for few
weeks, and get married to a girl whom
he had been engaged to for long
/ time. So. after fixing things up, he
went, leaving me in charge Of the
farm. I felt several sizes bigger for
a long time, for 1 was only IS, and the
responsibility expanded me consider
ably.
Before leaving for England my en-
plOyer had seen to il that a good pile
, Of wood should be ready for me, and
! was told that so long as I had enough
to keep warm, I had no need to bother
about getting more In an average
winter, there would have been suffi-
cient and a bit over: but this was not
average, il was abnormal
As you know, when there is a cold,
strong wind blowing. fuel burns away
al terrible rate Sc, towards the end
Of March. when there should b. rights
have been promise Of spring but while
It stin looked as wintry as ever, 1 dis
covered that 1 Was running short. and
that there was nothing else for IL bat
a trip to the nearest bush. y miles
away. I had n=s er been on such an
errand before, tut = knew II WAS no
child's play
the very sky seemed 20 shout ~ me
that there was going 10 be another
shorter before very long, I hitched up
a team to the sleigh and started north
wards. where wood was TO be had for
the cutting and drawing away.
I managed to get a decent load on;
then, while resting, sweating hard,
discovered that the snow was falling,
and heavily. In the shelter of the
trees there was no wind. but I could
Led --Fa Co. p h.
were rustling loudly, and waving wild
ly to and fro.
In half an hour ] was out in the
open and found that the worst had
happened Another blizzard was go
ing.
But there was promise Of more than
a bit of excitement for me- When
you remember that il was the first
time I had really been away from homo
n one, AMI that I wasn't quite sure
that I could have fUlnG my way back
even iE fine weather you VIII under
sand that I didn't feel very happy
5use then And 1 was only IS.
I couldn't go back TO the woods. OF
course, and I knew the horses judg-
ment was worth a lot. So 1 let them
face the blizzard. It was blowing
straight from the south. and I was
going south, too.
got on all right for the first five
miles or so, for the storm hadn't
quite filled in the ruts Of the trail
1 was following; but that happened in
time. I couldn't see the horses very
well; relied on them feeling the trail
They behaved capitally for an hour and
a half, but soon we came to drifts
which caught the sleigh and its load.
and made heavy drawing for them
After that they naturally began TO
want TO miss these drifts. I had TO
hang on to the reins then. for once
off the trail 1 knew / should be done
beasts before I could bring them to IN
oerstand my meaning They were stub
born, and I suppose, like myself. dazed
with the constant bUffeting Of the
wind and snow.
The poor beasts were nearly blind
Sometimes they stopped TO rub their
heads against each other so as to rid
themselves Of the snow that was driv-
ing and clinging inside their blinkers-
The snow was sticky, IT stuck 10 my
own face like a mask many a time
and 1 had to pull II away in a lump.
/ was shivering, sitting on top Of my
load Of poles. but savagely determined
that ] wouldn't be beaten.
Then the team stopped dead and re-
fused to bulge an inch. I tried all
sorts Of persuasion, and finally re-
sorted to the whip as an incentive
It moved them, but in the wrong
direction They turned off at right
angles, and, though I hauled at the
rein till It nearly broke, they swung
clear
As luck would have it. there was a
fairly deep ditch ready for me. felt
the sleigh give a CHASTITY lurch the
horses, seeing their mistake-fOr they
were yard deep IN snow nOw-tried
to right matters They plunged fran
tically- I hauled at the reins madIy
Then one got its foot over the pole
Of the vehicle, bore down on it with
all its weight and broke II clean
through.
At the same moment. with great
slurring and creaking, the load OF
poles broke the stakes that held them
there and slithered into the ditch. tax
ing me with them. I fell head first
into the snow, but something seemed
TO tell me to keep a hold on the horses,
which l did When I managed to strug-
gle free, I found I was in a regular
mess. It was impossible to think Of
reloadlng, for half the logs were bur
led deep. while the sleigh was broken
almost beyond repair.
While I stood there wondering what
10 do as the snow battled about me. the
animals started off. hauling me with
them, whether 1 wanted to go OF not
They reared and plunged through the
orltJs- l could hardly see where I was
going; the snow seemed like q solid
wall, tnat gave as approached, then
closed In on me as I passed. Ny arms
were nearly dragged from their sockets
by the wild pulls OF the horses.
Then, somehow q suppose il was
because my mltts were as wet and slip
perry as ice) the reins left my hands.
By the time 1 realized this. the horses
had vanished, and / was alone Wiz
the snow Then 1t was that I think
lost the last bit Of hope that was in
me felt like giving in TIst then. I
stopped waist deep and higher, and
lnOusht DlIter tnlngs about my luck in
taking me out to that awful COUNTRY
ABOUT my Ioolishness in keeping Job
where 1 was to be left alone to take
care OF myself in Canadian winter
But a few minutes Of this satisfied
me. I remembered about peoDIe GET
ting lost and dying in Billiards. and
didn't want to swell the ALREADY too
large number of these. / finally got
jacket and began TO wade t6roupb
the snow. once more hoping that an
wasn't quite over
felt as il had gone miles before