Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1932-02-18

which will replace the structure hat
have seen only one which WAS worse
than that. In the winter OF 1885 and
1886, when / was riding range in Chou
teau county, / was in the great storm
which killed SO many cattle. That was
the only one / know Of that was as
bad as the mi VIZ faced that February
morning on Camas Prairie.
Bill Chinn had a poor horse and
he couldn't keep up with the rest. I
had wet my feet at the ford, SO / was
compelled to walk part of the time to
keep my feet from freezing. So Chinn
and fell behind the rest of the crowd
and soon we lost all trace of them.
The storm was SO severe that in a few
minutes the trail that the eight OF
them made was entirely o~bliterated.
The storm grew worse and worse. 1t
got SO bad that the horses wouldn't
face it any more
Were lost said Chinn, and we'd
better camp right here.
II suggested that there wa 40 wood
there In the open prairie and we would
freeze to death If we tried to stop
there. But Chinn said we could find
q low place, spread our blankets and
let the snow cover lis. He had his way
We lay down there in the snow with
our horses tied to us.
"Chinn was mistaken about the
warmth OF the snow blanket which was
going to pile over us In about 20
minutes / had such a chill that /
jumped up and declared my intention
OF going elsewhere. Chinn had been
pretty well keyed up, but his whisky
was dying out then and he had lost all
his courage. He just wanted to lie
there. Then he got scared clear through
and set up a wall about u being lost.
When he saw / was determined to 60
on, he crawled to his feet and WI dis
! cussed the best way to go.
X knew the horses would not go
against the storm. ] wanted TO turn
around and drift with the wind, which
would take us back over the trail we
had travelled In coming from the ford.
Chinn declared he was going to follow
the others who had gone ahead OF us
into the teeth OF the storm. And ]
started out, walking and leading my
horse, for my feet were by this time 10
frightful condition.
THE snow was 50 thick that 1t was
impossible to see much farther than the
length Of a horse, but / looked back
after I had gone a little way and ]
could see Chinn following close upon
the heels Of my horse. Then ! gave him
a little drink from my flask Of brandy
I had refused to give him any while
he raj lying In the snow. That brandy
put warmth and q little courage in<
him and We moved along IN better
spirits.
AT night we reached the river. TIT
storm had taken us back to the FORK
and / wanted to cross right away.
was chilled and my feet were hurting
I didn't dare to cut off my shoes as
had nothing else to put on my feet
but 1t didn't seem as II / could stant
1t with them on. My feet were swollel
and I knew / could never get the shoe
back on II I took them off.
But here Chinn had his way. III
insisted upon staying on that site o
the river and not trying the ford til
morning. He said there was dry Woo'
where we were and there might not b
any on the other side So with our hunt
ing knives we cut some wood and start
ed q fire. All the food w had left wa
q box OF sardines. We ate part Of tina
for supper that night and then W
took turns sleeping and watching u
fire. In the morning we ate the res
, of the sardines for our breakfast ant
then turned our attention to gettinI
across the river.
THE storm was still raging, though
1t was not as severe as 1T had beef
when we lost the rest of our party. w
got to the river, but found there wa
SO much sluSh ice running that 1t wa
impossible to ford. We were In a bal
way.
After we finally abandoned the idei
of trying the ford, WI rode out on tn
prairie. The storm had lessened consid
erably. We found a steer that was hud
died up In the shelter OF a little bunch
of c~OttonwoOdS and had decided TO XII
the animal when we saw the outline
OF a pack outfit In the storm. We for
got our cold and st~iffneSssAnd though
only Of getting to that train. w
reached 1t ia q few jumps and foun,
that 1t was Alex Dow, Camille McGOWl
and some other F1enchtown men, Will
a Substantial outfit, going 10 the dig
gings. They had mor than q quartz
Of a beef and were well provisiore'