Year: 1874

there isl What glow there is over the
entire rooml Oh, If could only get warm
like that


/ would be aroused at times out of
thoughts like these by my companion,
who now took to pushing me, and con-
stantly warning me against falling asleep.
Mr.. Wheeler, also, was continually talk.
ing of his freezing, and assured us both
that his ears were already frozen.


For the first time really became con-
scious of the danger we were in. Strange
to say, it had no effect upon me. felt
no alarm at the possibility of being over
taken by death, was so cold-if could
only get warm againi This was the bur
den of my thought. Yet was fully con-
scious of the danger. knew, if death
overlook me, in exactly what shape it
would come. And | knew, furthermore,
that had already passed through the first
stage, and was nearly through the sec
ond STILL with this welldefined Knowl
edge of what was before me, was to-
tally Indifferent to the pangs of death.
| only wanted to be warm; felt that in
some way l must get warm. thought
over the prospect of a speedy death in
differently. There was no trouble about
the future at ALL did not think of it.
The physical suffering and stupor were
too great to admit of it.


Twice before in my life / had been in
momentary expectation of death; and
one experience of the horrors of dissolu-
tion was the same as this. That was a
case of ddngaie fever While perfectly
conscious in the last moments-told they
were my last, and asked if l was pre-
pared to undergo them-I felt the same
sensation as here If were only comfort
able l would willingly go. / knew
gentleman once who told me that, when
in a similar situation-on the point of
death-his only feeling was one of hun
ger; no thought or fear of the future at
all, if only his appetite could he salts
fed. But how different that other expe-
rience, when called upon to face death
in full bodily vigorl The terrors of
death which encompassed me are indie
scribable.


Continuing in the consciousness
danger, and yet thinking only of my suf-
fering and desire to become warm, after
the lapse of an hour, probably, | began
to get warm-that is, the sensation was
one of warmth and comfort, but was, in
realty species of numbness. l felt my
flesh in several places and it produced
a prickly, numb feeling, similar to that
experienced when limb is asleep. l
was comfortable and happy because
l was warm, and grew indignant
with my companion for his un-
wearied thumps on my body
and the continual answers he required to
his questions; ! wanted to be let alone.
Fully conscious that if / went to sleep /
would never awaken again, was per-
fectly willing to 60 asleep. Even then
thinking of poor travellers, lost
in the snow, being brought in by St.
Bernard dogs.


But was warm, and laughed silently
at Mr.. Wheeler's complaints of freezing.
paid no further attention to the shak-
ings of my companion or his questions,
but gathered myself up and lay thinking
how comfortable l was. Pretty soon l
began to doZe, then to awaken suddenly
when / received more severe blow than
usual. Then awoke to see the half
breed sitting up and bending eagerly
over my face, and hear few muttered
words to Wheeler-and then a sense of
comfort and oblivion.


Now was dead. Sensibility had left
me. 1t was evident / would suffer no
more. In thirty or forty minutes, an hour
at farthest, my body would die. Then
what?


That should awaken with bright fire
before me, and be wrapped in robes and
blankets, seemed the most natural thing
in the world to me. For the matter of
that, it appeared to me that when l had
fallen asleep had anticipated just such
a contamination of things, and it was
fully half an hour before / began in the
least to comprehend that anything out of
the ordinary channel had occurred. True,
| knew in q vague and indistinct way
that the half breed was talking of Mr..
Wheeler being lost, but the matter seemed
to be no affair of mine, and created no
surprise. / looked at him chaf1ng my
arms and legs, and simply felt that it
was quite right and natural that 1t should
be so.


Gradually, however, / regained con.
sciousness sufficiently to understand
that, finding me fast freezing, and inn
possible to arouse, he had gone, at the
imminent risk of his own life, some 800
yards further down the stream, and, find
ing dry and partially-rotten log, had
built a fire; had then returned to find me
totally unconscious and to carry me,
robes and all, to the fire.


The few words he had addressed to
Mr. Wheeler before leaving me showed
that he, too, was fast lapsing into the
same state, and when / was carried in
safety to the fire he had returned to find
Mr.. Wheeler gone-having, evidently,
awakened from his stupor sufficiently to
realize that he was alone, and to wander
of, half-frenzied, in search of us.


These facts being at last impressed
upon my mind by the excited and volu-
BILE half-breed, urged him to renew the
search for our lost companion; but he
positively refused. He explained that,
in doing what he had already done, he
had jeopardized his own life, and had
frozen both hands and feet considerably;
that while paid to care for me, he had
nothing to do with Mr.. Wheeler. He
urged that, if he left the bank of the
stream, he was likely to be lost, the
snow at once obliterating all trace
of his tracks. ordered him to go,
begged him to go, but without avail.
An offer of five golden sovereigns
met with a like refusal. At length told
him if he would find Mr.. Wheeler dead
or alive l would give him good horse.
For this consideration he went. In
twenty minutes he returned, leading the
unfortunate man, badly frozen, whom he
found running wildly about in circle on
the prairie.


He was kept from the fire with some
difficulty until his hands, feet and face
were thawed out with water, but did
not recover his mind until six hours
after From frequent personal oDserva-
tion am led to believe that every one
who freezes to death upon the prairies
or elsewhere becomes invariably insane


before death.


Having been thoroughly warmed and


recruited by steaming hot breakfast


we followed the river to avoid losing ouI


way and in the afternoon reached q


Hudson Bay Company's post at George


town. Here We were informed that the


temperature had fallen during the pre-


vious night to forty-nine deg ees below


zerol We remained in that hospitablC


shelter for two days, during which the


terrific storm ragged with undated fury


Some dozen Indians and half fbreeds per


ished upon the route over which we hac


just passed.


After this lapse of time re
rall NV thOuphtS and feelinp