The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1930, Page 165

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

165

baptized the child, and was on my way again to call
upon the above-named family farther on. From
Cheyenne to the camp the road was fairly good,
though not a highway. The day was cloudy and
foggy. When I left the camp, I thought I saw the
clouds breaking and did not anticipate the least
trouble in making my destination. Leaving the
camp, I immediately entered the foothills. After
traveling about three miles, I saw that it had snowed
in the hills, about an inch covering the ground.
A little further on it began to snow, and the wind
began to blow. Yet I thought nothing of it, for the
distance I had to go was only about eighteen miles.”

A Storm Comes Up.

“The storm increased so rapidly, however, that
I traveled as fast as my Chrysler would go. Soon
I had trouble in seeing the trail. It began to blow
very hard, and before I realized it, I plunged into
a small creek at the foot of a hill, being unable to
hold the car. I was stuck. I succeeded in backing
the car out of the creek, but now the wheels sank
into the marshy ground at the edge of the creek.
For over two hours I worked frantically trying to
release the car, jacking it up again and again,
putting on chains and piling brush below the wheels ;
but all my attempts were futile. By this time the
blizzard was raging fiercely. I realized that if
I would not make port before dark, I would be in
grave danger of perishing in that wilderness. So
I drained the radiator, locked the car and abandoned
it, striking out afoot, trying to make the camp. Oh,
how it was blowing! Not so very cold at the time,
but getting colder right along. While working at
the car, I had gotten my feet soaking wet, in fact,
I was wet to my knees. I walked as fast as I could
about four miles, when I came to a fork of two
trails. I could not remember on which trail I had
come down, nor could I see any car tracks. And
sure enough, I had to take the wrong trail.”

A Shelter Found.

“After walking up this trail for about three
miles, I came to an old-fashioned deserted barn, and
now I realized at once that I had taken the wrong
trail, for I did not remember seeing that barn on
my going-trip. I retraced my steps and came back
to the fork and took the other trail up a steep hill.
By this time it was dark, and the blizzard was be-
coming worse all the time. One side of my overcoat
was a solid sheet of ice, so stiff that I could not bend
it, my socks above the shoes likewise, although my
feet as yet were not cold. Reaching the top of the

hill, I was completely winded. As I had walked for
some time with open mouth, the cold wind and snow
had so parched my throat that my bronchial tubes
pained me to beat the band. I now noticed that my
left ear was frozen. On top of the hill I lost the
trail completely. However, I was close to a fence,
and I remembered that the trail ran parallel to this
fence at several places. So I made for the fence.
After walking a short way, I encountered brush;
but not wanting to leave the fence again, I crawled
on my hands and knees under the brush for approxi-
mately a quarter of a mile. Now my knees were
thoroughly wet and skinned.”

The Lost Trail Found.

“T reached a clearing and, as luck would have it,
found the trail again. It was now very dark, and
I could make but very slow headway for fear I might
lose the trail again. The drifting snow had blinded
me to such an extent that I could hardly sce.
Repeatedly I had to get down on my knees and
scratch in the snow to discover any sign of the trail.
I was so tired that I again and again was tempted
to sit down and take a rest; but, realizing the danger
of such procedure, I stumbled on. A few miles
farther on I again came to the top of a hill which
I recognized, having stopped here on my way out to
take a look back at the camp. I now knew that
I was about three miles from the camp. Then I took
a chance and rested for a few minutes. I wish now
I would not have done so; for when I wanted to
start out again, I could hardly get up, my limbs
were so numb I could hardly drag my feet along,
but I stumbled on. The trail was very rough, and
I must have fallen a hundred times, and again and
again I had to scratch in the snow to get a glimpse
of the trail. Walking those three miles seemed like
an age; in fact, I had about come to the conclusion
that I again was on the side trail, when I saw a light.
I cannot even attempt to describe my feeling of joy
when I saw that light. Once more I sat down in the
snow for a few minutes’ rest.”

A Shelter at Last!

“Then about twenty minutes later I stumbled into
the hut of the people whose child I had baptized at
noon, having wandered about a little over four hours
and having covered approximately fourteen miles,
As soon as I got a whiff from the warm stove, I com-
pletely collapsed and fell unconscious upon a bed.
They tell me that I was unconscious about thirty
minutes. My host helped me to my feet, and then
I was seized with a severe vomiting-spell. I once

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