Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-05-04
CHAPTER V

photographed a mind picture OF
what a gruesome sight would meet
the persons eyes who happened to
discover our frozen bodies there in
that lonely spot, where we had prob
ably huddled together for mutual
protection from the cold, and had
peacefully and quietly gone to sleep
for the last time in our earthly career.
The fear of this mode of the death
gave me no anguish, for l know from
the experience of others that there
would be no pain or death convul-
sions attached to it. The anguish and
grief it would cause others to suffer
was uppermost in my mind, and made
me resolve to be game to the last
After all, do not know as it
matters but little where one is call
ed upon to yield to the monster
death, for we are only piece of clay
born to die, and mingle with the
dust of the earth again.
thought of the dear ones at home
and what they might say when the
news reached them that had
persisted in a snowstorm and my
body could not be found, and per-
haps would not be recovered until the
warm sun of returning summer melt
ed the snow and revealed our bodies
to some wandering stampeder. Many
things pass through the mind in
circumstances like this, when death
seems almost imminent.
I said nothing to anyone else OF
my dependency but by the facial
expressions some were exhibiting l
knew they were in deep thought as
we'll. We talked over the situation
for some little time, not coming to
any definite conclusion. Finally
after everyone had expressed his
opinion. a majority decided in favor
of the plan to return to the snow
house and there wait until the wind
Gained down, when we could pro-
coed with much less trouble. This
circumstances was just what ! pre-
dicted would happen when they were
all so anxious to leave the house the
first time.
Mr.. Weiss and another man were
not satisfied with the plan Of return
ing and they would not shoulder the
responsibility of taking the lead as
guide for fear they would get us into
a worse position than we were then
in. BY this time ] had recuperated
pretty much, enough so that ! could
travel back over the newly made
trail with very little fatigue. The
two oppositionists started in the
direction 1 thought the trail
would be found and the rest OF VI
trudged back to the snow house tc
await their return should they be
fortunate enough in doing so.
Could it have been possible FOL
anyone from a distance to have seer
us they might have thought we form
ed funeral procession, and it looked
very much in reality that we were
marching to our grave.
We finally reached the house. bu
to enter was not very inviting. Wher
leaving we had broken the front com
pletely out, not expecting to ever re
turn. and during our absence the
wind had drifted the place nearly
full of snow. This all had to be taker
out but willing hands made shor
work and soon the place was cleares
and ready to receive its weary. heart
sore occupants.
While we we're performing thi:
task quiet an argument arose apou
the direction from which we nae
come during the evening OF oul
wandering. A few contended 1t wal
Just the opposite to that which hat
taken them, but I still maintained
was right. One man was so persis
tent and so thoroughly satisfied tina
was wrong that he set out unaccom
panied on the course he though
would bring him to the main tran
We pleaded with him not to go, ou
!, he was one of those very obstinate
who would not listen to reason.
He babe us goodbye and was sool
lost to view in the flying snow.
presume he persisted somewhere II
the mountains, for he was very thini!
clad and had only pint flask 0
! whiskey with him. At least ne wa
never heard Of. or seen, by ANYONE
of the party or by the Northwes
mounted police, to whom we AFTER
| wards reported his disappearance.
| Had this man remained with us
| half hour longer his life might haV'
| been saved. for at the end OF ina
] time Weiss and the other man re
turned to us with the joyful new
I that they had found the trail IN tn
direction we had started coupi
of hours before. They said they MAJ
not gone all the way to the trail on