Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1916-01-27
FINALLY SAVED PETS
THIS YOUNG CALIFORNIA NOUN
TAsSEER A REAL HERO.


Work He Had 10 Do.
IN the autumn Of 1873. William Ru.
therford, a Young California noun.
taineer, engaged to remain alone as q
caretaker At Fallen Leaf lodge. IN the
Lake Tahoe region OF the high sIevras
during the winter Rutherford was q
guide during the summer months, and
he kept his animals saddle horse
and pack mule named Babe and Mike
at the lodge. intending to use them to
haul firewood FOR Tie next summer
season.
On December ~ Two men came BY
the lodge from the lake Cd their way
10 The Sacramento valley. They we're
anxious 70 reach their homea III time
for Christmas, and they begged that
they might take Babe ana Mike ia
carry their heavy packs.
Rutherford demulTed, for he feared
stormas but the men persisted. saying
that unless they reached home before
the 25th, their children would have
neither presents nor Christmas din
nersl That plea was more than the
tender-hearted young man could with
stand. and he let them take the ami.
mails. exacting promise that they !
would return them al soon as the sled
road opened.
The travellers started 1T daylight
taking the trail over the summit. That
night a terrific snowstofin swept The
mountains Rutherford was worried.
but tried 10 believe that tho days
start had enabled the men to night
their way 10 the lower country. On
January 3 be snowshoed over to IA.
hoe post Office where ho found d
crumpled post card from ene Or this
men, informing him that they had
been caught IN the storm and had Ia
abandon the animals to save their own
lives.
The next day Rutherford started out
70 find Babe and Mike. lie Travelled in
the sticky snow across the summit %
Bryson's camp and the next day two
or three niles farther He had hardly
expected 70 find Babe or Alike alive
hut as he came round blum he was
delighted to see the two animals stand.
ing disconsolafely aide by side. He
yelled 81 them aud Babe whlnlane !.
back although he Vas almost TOD
iected and weak 10 move
The animalA had trampIed q
about ten feet square under 4
rack tree and had neyer move
Il They had gnawed at ths
blankets aud the balf rope
even nibbl0d eeall ois:a
ltaa ~ssA-fss'ses
Eect deep al areynd them
rutherford sh3veled i trail ID thu
river ID doing which he fell through
the Ice thref times. He had to undress
and wiring out his clothes ia tho bitter
cold. Then he watered tho horses.
and Immediately SCI out for Bryson's
camp. The animals were too weak to
follow At Tho camp he got half bale
Of hay and carried It down on his
back, travelling on skis
The next day he vent to ahoveling
again, and worked At 1t all day long.
Al daylight he tot UP. carried more
hay down to the hnrses, and put IN II
hours more Of ahoyeIing.
Il was terribly heavy work for there
were six inches 81 aoft snow, then four
inches Of frozen cruas, aud below that
mass Of wot Snow. When he got
back to Brysons be- was So weary be B
could hardly crawl up the steps.
Wednesday II showed hard and filed
UP his lahOrioUsly made path, and
Rutherford changed his tactics He
determined TO make anowahoes for the
horses; but he could find nothing at
an Of which to make them Then he
thought Of putting down board Ia three
sections, two boards wide. moving tbs
horses upon the first ones aud then
taking up th6 rear ones. Loaded with
hay and planks. he fought bis way into
the blizzard II took him four hours
% Eet down 70 the horses
The next day he carried down more
planks and tried 70 put HIS plan into
execution Il was q failure the boards
simply shot out from under The horses
III every direction acfons the crustl
just then tw0 other men whom he
knew appeared. coming up from Straw
berry camp farther down tie noun
tain. They told him It was ia use.
and advised him to shoot the animals.
But rutherford wuua net. and that
night he thought Df tho way our of Ills
difficulty There we're some cowhldas
and sheepsIgins hanging ID Brysnns
camp. These ha carried down til the
tamarack tree where Habe and Mike
ntill stood and where His two fFlenda
~ the day before Joined him. They
1uartered the cowhides, pul the sheep
skins inside fer filling. and hound the
clumsy bundles round The feet Of the
animals one to each foot.
About three o'eIaek they were rgadH
for the new experiment Rutherford
says he actually cried WHOM ha found
II was going to werl Babe and Mike
wobbled down q the end Is ths ditch
climbed ont on top Of lie snow. and
made pretty good AKosf ess. sinking III
only faw inches they reached
strawberry camp before dark. prom
there il was aot very hard ID hit Till
animals down into The Sacramento
valley YOUTHS Companion
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