The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-12-25
THE HOME OF THE MRRORMINNESOTAS NEW PRISON.
The largest and best equipped INSTITUTE o kind mthe word.

carried a fair jag of booze inside his adven-
turouS anatomy. 1t was late when he
started and still later when he reached his
first stopping place. miner cabin on the
Sugar Loaf trail. He stopped at the cabin
and delivered some supplies and was invited
inside to join few, who had gathered
there to drink little Christmas cheer. Bill
was admcnished by them and told not to
venture over the trail until NOR ming; but
that only made him more determined to
max; the rip. "Me not go? say fellerS, Igot
all kinds of thing for the folks at the
camp, said Bill, 'sWhy tim Santa Claus,
that IS, me and the mules -
| Nov, Bill you're drunk and besides
you've dnimite on the wagon said one
| of the miners.
cav! Look here, them mules haint
drunk, they know the road, why | often 60
| to sleep on wagon and they jist keep log
ging along replied Bill, then to show he
was not drunk he offered to sing song:
The company joined in the chorus and Bill
was having good time when he happened
to look at clock and noticed that it was
few minutes after twelve. ''Give me
another drink, it is Christmas now, and |
must be goin, L am Santa Claus he
Dragged.
Inside the tunnel the day wore into night
and the men held fast in the heart of Sugar
Loaf began to get anxious. They wrap
ped their coats about their shoulders and
tried to sleep, but the uncertainty of their
situation kept them awake. They talked
to each other in low tones Old Man
Rivers was beginning to quote what little
OF the Bible he remembered Kane who !
was the only one who nd a watch kept
pulling it from his pocket and looking at
the dial. 'Iwelve five, men and Merry |
Christmas, let us hope will not have to |
stay here all day. He said with a smile.
Only a meericle can get us out before
New Years. retorted Old Man Rivers.
Bill Sewers left the miners cabin some
what the worse for the booze he had drank
during his stop there. The trail was white
with snow and the mules, impatient to get
home, made good progress. They started .
down the road along the side of Sugar Loaf !
at fast walk. Bill, drunk as he was knew
enough to apply the brake to the wagon
and packed snow, and did not take a good
grip on the wheels. The wagon was heav-
ly loaded and the mules could not hold the
weight back. Bill leaned forward to get a
better grip on the brake and then his load of
booze overbalanced him and he pitched out
of the wagon into the snow drift beside the
trail. When he staggered to his feet the
wagon and mules had disappeared down the
trail. With the mules it was a race to keep
ahead OF the pursuing wagon. Faster and
faster they galloped, with the wagon rum
bling and Creaking at their heels. When
they reached the snow slide above the old
tunnel, they stumbled and fell. The wag-
on crashed over them and whirled down the I
slide as if shot from catapult. Then |
when the wagon smashed into mass of l
rocks, brought down by the "slide," the t
dynamite got busy and exploded with a b
deafening roar Wagon, mules and snow h
Slide were blown into the surrounding |;
landscape. h
The men in the tunnel heard the expo- a
sion and rushed to the entrance expecting
o see the rescuing party. Lane moved his
amp and shouted, but no answer came
back from the valley. Looks mighty
queer no one in sight, he said.
Let us get out, advised Kane.
The four rescued men left the tunnel and
crambled up the side of the mountain to
he trail, but could see no one to thank for
heir rescue.
Just meericle' remarked Old Man
Rivers. The others looked at him and did
lot even smile. Presently they heard
'Whoas Whoa!' and soon could make
tut staggering figure coming down the
rail. ''Looks like Bill Sewers, when he's
runk;' exclaimed Lane. 'Hello Bil''
e cried, "Merry Christmas.
Same to you;' answered Bill. ''Seen
ny team? fell out of the wagon back yon-
er and they run off,
Then the truth dawned upon the pros
ectors and Lane pointing down the slide
aid. BILL your team and wagon was
own there, when that jag of dynimite you
7ere hauling exploded, and helped us out
the old tunnel
"Why heard the noise, but thought it