Year: 1871

The lonely and almost boundless
plains ofthe West have witnessed strange


scenes. Many battle has been fought


on them, of which no survivor has told


the story. Many a human being has


lain down to die of exposure and star


vation in those remote wilds, withsut


even the poor comfort of being able to


transmit his dismal tale to home and


kindred. Many terror-stricken way


farer has been swept out Of existence by


the remorseless fire of the prairie, which


has crammed its hungry NAV alike with


white men and red, with the domestic


cattle of the settlement and the wild


beasts of the plain. A few bleaching


bones, or broken fragments of arms


may perchance give token of what has


passed to some traveller, but the wolves


and panthers of those regions are greedy


and ill-fed, and generally even the slight.


est traces of such casualties disappear.


There came into Sioux City some days


ago a man whose chances of escape


from the perils of the plains that beset


him were so slight that his preservation


seems almost miraculous. An insurance
company, even of the sort that take
double risks, would hardly have guaran-
teed Thomas Dormitt's earthly existence
for ninety per cent, knowing in advance
the task he meant to undertake. Dor
mitt, it appears, isa Texas cattle-driver


His affairs had drawn him to Fort Bu-
ford, and he found himself at that post
last October Luck had gone against
him, and he was quite without money
he had not, in fact, single dollar. He
made up his mind that he must go home
to Texas. The distance, however, is
twelve hundred and twenty-five miles,
and it lies through an Indian country,
notoriously dangerous. Still, weather
wise people at Fort Buford said there
was to be an open winter, and the ad-
venturer was likewise persuaded that the
Indians of the region had moved south
ward. He therefore rolled up his
blankets and ammunition shouldered
his rife, and boldly struck out for
Texas. When he had travelled over two
hundred miles, Dormitt was overtaken
by a fearful snow-storm. 1t came down
slowly and finely at first but afterward
in gigantic fakes, piling up higher and
higher covering all tracks, and filling
the air with its binding fury. The un-
fortunate man gave himself up for lost
He could neither go forward nor back
ward and, like the outcasts in Bret
Harte's story of Poker Flat" the only
prospect before him was that of snowy
sepulchre. In the moment of his agony,
and as if by the special interposition Of
Providence, the poor fellow stumbled
upon hole in an embankment. Here
he remained in safety, and even in
warmth, until the storm passed over.
As soon as he could make any way
through the storm he came forth from
his shelter and naturally enough
started to 60 back to Fort Buford. Hav-
ing gone a mile, however, he paused and
reflected Texans do not relish the
back track, aud Dormitt thought he
was doing what was cowardly. Presently
he resolved to decide his course by
method practiced among children. He
set a stick on end, letting it fall as it
would, determined to go in the direction
it should indicate. The stick fell toward
Texas, and Dormitt, setting his face to-
ward the east, pushed on once again.


At this time he had been without food
for two whole days. He argued that he
was as likely to fall in with surprise in
one direction as another, and this being
the case, it was best to prosecute his
original intention. Growing weaker and
weaker, on the second night after leav-
ing his retreat in the embankment he
discovered another similar hole. Into
this he crawled on all fours, when sud-
denly he clapped his hand on the face of
a dead INDIAN! He drew back with a
but soon rejecting that man
not afraid of live Indian need hardly
be terrified by dead one. Dormitt re-
mained in the hole. Presently, to his
joy, he found large piece Of frozen buff
falo meat, the property, no doubt, of the
deceased brave. This was our travellers |
salvation. He ate heartily, slept well,
and in the morning went his way. On
the following afternoon he fell in with
party of Indians, who robbed, but |
strangely enough, did not otherwise mo
lest him. The same evening he came |
directly upon a monstrous black bear,
who was equally considerate. After
extraordinary hardships, and |
DeluS many blineS Us near uppdfthbly uff-
avoidable destruction as in the instances
we have described, Dormitt got safely to
Sioux City and related his adventures 10
the editor of the Journal Of the place.
He has been about seventy-fve days in
accomplishing his journey, was worn to
a skeleton, and almost naked Curious
to say, his health was, Notwithstanding,
good, and his wants being freely supplied
he was soon in the best of spirits.
Many records exist Of very small parties
the transit across our
Central Continent, and of others who
have tried it and miserably perish; but
we have never before heard Of single
attempting it. The figure of
4 solitary man setting forth deliberately
% make his way across vast and desolate
wastes is romantic and moving Such
/ journey might have been attempted
ly Cooper's Leather Stocking; but with
hat exception we know of no other
character, either in fact or fiction, to
whom such resolute hardihood would
ieem natural or possible. s7l


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