Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-04-20
Lost in a SnOWStOrm While
En- Route to the KlOndike

finished, if it cost me my life to keep
them out. OF course l did not mean
this, but had to say something
which had a threatening meaning.
spoke in commanding tones and sup
pose they thought l meant business,
for they concluded it better to work
than to stay in the cold and storm
the remainder of the night
Two of them were foreigners who
mad been captains in the Chinese
in the war with japan. l suppose
were more used to giving orders
than receiving them But it did not
appear to me, from their actions, that
their commands would be given at
the front in battle, but rather in the
rear, behind some convenient stump.
should there happen to be one in
the fleld. These men were so incon-
slderate to anyone's else comfort
they gave the woman and child no
thought whatever, and would have
even crowded them into the cold
est part of the house, had not one or
two of us interfered in their behalf.
Everybody was getting very tired.
ana hungry as well, but there was no
help for either for many hours to
come. The majority of the party
had not tasted food since early morn
ing, which was enough to make the
strongest ones weak and hungry.
The little girl had three small cakes
IN her pocket which she insisted in
dividing with the crowd, but all de-
clincd her very generous offer and
lett them for her to eat during the
night.
About ten O'Clock g majority de.
clared the house large enough, blu;
SAID in my oppinion it was a little
100 small to contain all just then,
out that if everybody kept steadily
at work for another hour l thought
perhaps by that time there would be
ample room. That hour was long
one to some of them, but there we're
longer ones to follow.
When the time was up / passed
! the word along to stop work and
enter the house for the night. which
was done with more enthusiasm than
, the work of preparing the house had
been performed.
The storm had become worse dur
ing the last hour of excavating and
was drifting in nearly rs much suow
as we moved out.
| While the others were getting into
place in the house | took several
turns forth and back behind our
dugout so that when morning came
the direction from which we had
come a few hours before would not
be changed to me, and / would by
this precaution be doubly sure when
my services were called into use
again rs guide.
A nice seat was cut in the side of
the snow house just large enough to
accommodate one and that one was
the woman who held the child, grown
weary and sleeping the sleep of in
nocence, perhaps never dreaming OF
the danger which might surround
her She was so warmly clad there
was no danger of her freezing for
several hours even though she did
not awaken.
Now came the long watch for the
morning hour when we thought the
storm would be over, and when we
could retrace our steps back to the
trail without difficulty. The wealth
er had been quite mild during the
day causing the snow to melt on our
clothing, Of which we had not taken
much notice before, but when all
exercises had ceased it was brough;
very wildly to mind. and made us
feel extremely uncomfortable. At
least 1t seemed very disagreeable to
nave to stand in wet clothes hour
after hour. with no hope of getting
them dry. And we found after an
hours occupancy of the house we
were still getting wetter On inves-
tigation I found the place was so
small the heat from our bodies was
causing the snow to melt in the cell
ing and drop down from every little
projection.
Nothing could be done to remedy
this so we had to take our medicine
as prescribed. though it was with
much grumbling on the part of some.
ton for that region was so destitute
A fire was entirely out of the ques-
OF vegetation not even a blade OF
grass could be found. To keep warm
each man began steady tread
tread, which had to be kept up dur
ing the night or death might have
| OVertakpn most Of TIC