The Washington herald., 1915-12-19
Christmas Under
the Snow
By c. b. LEWIS.


try had been unusually mild. There
had been falls of snow, but the Chi
nook winds and the warm rains had
taken them away after few days.
The cowboys at Elk Ranch were bet
ting that they would see the end of
the month without a blizzard, when
an old hunter who had come down
from the mountain shook his head
knowingly.
Boys" he said. don't you bet on
that. / can read a dozen signs that
tell me we are going to have a change
right soon. It'll come before dark to-
morrer."
The ground was clear of snow, the
sun almost as warm as in May. and
the cowboys laughed at the old man.
Three or four of them were to ride in
different directions that afternoon af-
ter cattle that had strayed, and de-
spite the old hunters prophecy, they
were not going prepared for a change
of weather.
Joe Harbin, son of Colonel Harbin.
owner of the ranch, had been on the
place for three years. and he, too, was
TO ride out alone after the strays. He
was almost as good a cowboy as any
one among the band. and a much bet
ter shot The Colonel, Mrs. Harbin
and Joe made up the family, and Joe
was past seventeen in age. Colonel
Harbin had heard the old hunters pre-
diction. and although he could detect
no signs of coming change, said to
Joe.
strap your overcoat on the saddle
and take a lunch with you. Also. take
an extra revolver and plenty of cart
ridges"
why. father. l shan't hunt for
trouble" laughed the boy.
But trouble may come hunting for
you"
lis it the weather."
weather -wolves-cattle- Indians
outlaws. You know. we've got 'em
all with US. l don't like the idea of
you going by yourself"
But I've never seen the Squaw
Creek country. and that's where I'm
going L ought to get back tonight. |
If 1 don't then I'll be in early in the !
morning" |
Don't go. joe" coaxed his mother |
for the twentieth time.
oh. what a mother" Joe chided. |
laughingly.
IF anything happened to you
where'd our Christmas be-" Mrs. Har- |
bin asked, anxiously.
over the hills and far away"
quoted Joe. adding. But nothings
going to happen TO me. l can't afford |
TO have anything happen. as 1 expect |
a stick of candy in my Christmas !
stocking, and of course well have |
bully Christmas dinner"
So he rode away on his cow-pony |
with a wave of his hand, and was
soon hidden from the ranch house by |
the jack pines. If any of the cattle |
had strayed in that direction they !
were ten miles away in the little val
leys near the foot hills. There the
grass would be green and juicy yet.
In that direction, too. there were
wolves. in plenty, big and savage
wolves The bringing of herds of
sheep into the country had caused the
wolves to gather They did not at
tack men, however At least, the boy |
had heard no stories to that effect.
And in the same region plenty OF In
dians were roaming about on passes
from the reservation 1t was suspect
had cd ha
white man for the sake of his outfit,
but the boy would be on the watch.
And there were outlaws with bad rec
ords but if one had to fear all these
things and the weather besides. he
would never get ten rods away from
the ranch house.
At noon the sun was really hot.
and the wind from the south. At two
O'Clock there was a haze like Indian
summer and the fowls were clucking
at the door of the ranch house. At
four o'clock a sudden chill struck the
country and snow flakes began to
flutter down. 1t was the beginning Of
a blizzard. Joe Harbin was twenty
miles away when the change came. In
fifteen minutes the snow was falling
so thick that he could not see thirty
feet away. and in half an hour there
was gale blowing at the rate of
n1l1tS Ill HouI, Win lne COlu |
creasing in intensity every minute.
There was but one thing for Joe to
do, and 1t was long odds if that could
be done in the teeth Of a blizzard
return to the ranch. Joe had no
compass. and must trust to the in
stinct of his pony. He went perhaps,
half a mile after turning ranchward, |
and then one of the pony's fore-legs
went into a hole. down he crashed
with a broken leg, and the boy was
thrown over his head. 1t meant the
end of the>pony. Joe's boon companion
for three long years; he could not be
left to suffer and die. He scrambled
up. stood on three legs and waited
with hanging head the bullet that put
him out of his misery. 1t was a hard
duty for the boy to do, and the tears
that sprang to his eyes as he slowly
leveled his revolver and fired were not
brought there by the cold wind.
And now. what? No further thought
of reaching the ranch. but of finding.
if possible snug shelter for the COM
ing night Joe set out blindly. There
was no such thing as keeping direc-
ton: he must trust to luck to bring
up where rocks or bushes would break
the wind and the cold.
He had blundered along for a mile.
perhaps, when he ran full tilt against
sheep. Then he found the animals