Year: 1874

The pangs of impending famine were


soon added to the terrors OF the situation


Those shut up in the once hospitable man.


sion at Stewards Flat had but scanty sup


plies Of food or fuel. 1t was as much as


Il mans life was worth to try to reach the


great wood pile. 1t took severe exertion


to bring in. from time to time. few brok-
en- timbers from the yard, while, after the


first few hours, provisions ran short.


There is little inducement for settler


in that land of Goshen to


store up hams and sated meat flour and


biscuit, to any extent; but now that flocks
and herds; and barns brimmng with


wheat and golden maize, had been alike


whelmed beneath the sudden snowfall


want, like guant wolf, began to beset
the blockaded household. 1t was soon


necessary to put the family and servants
on rations. SO as to avert actual starvation


as long as possible; and the beleaguered


inmates of the dwelling huddled together


around the rarely replenished stove,


talking in tones that they vainly strove to


render hopeful of the probabilities OF a


prompt rescue; for it had come to that


now. Rescue from without was their only
chance. Should the snow storm continue
very long they must perish from cold and
hunger even if the roof, which they had


been forced to prop up in places with
casks and pieces of timber, did not cave in
beneath the increasing weight piled upon
1t. The storm went on steadily, and still
the wind walled as before


1t was a group OF haggard faces that had


collected around the great hall-stove at
Stewards Flat when at last the snow-shriek
died away to moan, and one of the farm
hands brought in the welcome news that,
for the time at least that the storm had
ceased. Bv this time the house merely
resembled mound of snow. one heap
among many in the blurred landscape.
The inmates were as helpless as SO many
shpwrccked wretches in mid-ocean in a
frail boat without sail or oar. For TWEEN
ty-iOur hours, most of them had not eaten.
The few morsels of food that remained
We're reserved, by common consent, for
the female members of the starving house
hold. The fire was fed. as best might be,
with broken furniture and woodwork torn
from the walls. Still no help came. Per-
haps the people at Troy were powcrless
TO afford it. More likely it was taken for
granted that the Stewarts and their ser
had effected timely escape to some place
of safety. If so. and should not speedy
thaw set IN, death inevitable. Some hours
elapsed. and still there was no sign that
the blocked up household had not been
forgotten. Ha what was that? A shot,
surely, and then another, and cheer of
friendly voices, and hope sprung up in
every heart, and was kept alive by the
occasional report of distant firearms, and
the sound of shooting.


Yes, rescue was at hand That much
was certain. An attempt to penetrate the
girding wall of snow was about made, but
what were the numbers or the resources
of the adventurous band without, those
within the house knew net. There were
now but some four or five windows, dark
ened by snow-wreaths and pendent icicles
partial view of the outer DESC
lation could be obtained And it was not
on that side of the villa that the shouts and
shots of the explorers had announced their
presence. Several hours of painful sus-
pense, during which at intervals the sound
of voices could be heard, succeeded, and
then the sobbing of the ominous wind
into shrill scream, and man
who had ventured few PAGES from the
door came in to bring the evil tidings that
The snow had again begun to fall The
air was now full of feathery flakes, and
The most anxious listener could now hear
nothing but the monotonous wall that
chilled every heart as it rang around the
doomed house. 1t was beyond doubt
that the well-wishers on the outside must
have desisted from their labors, beaten off
by the keen winds and binding snowfall.
The latter lasted through the miserable
night, and soon after daybreak, ceased
again, but those within the house had al
most hidden farewell to hope. Probably
he rescuers would not, until the weather
should improve, renew their efforts, toll
some and perilous as they must needs be.
And then it would be too late. Privations
md care were telling on The beleaguered
inhabitants of Stewards Flat, on none
han Caryl Winthrop. whose sunked cheek
and unnaturally bright eye told OF extreme
exhaustion.


1--WE shall be happy together in heaven,
lear-not on earth," he said, more than
once, as he looked wistfully into the face
If his betrothed one, and chafed her cold