Pioneer Sketches, Part III: Our New Bell [pp. 258-261]

Our New Bell.
find that but little snow had fallen during
the night, and believing the storm was over,
they were for a while inspired with hope that
they might be able to extricate themselves
from the terrible trap in which they had
been caught; but when the sky again became overcast and the storm recommenced,
threatening soon to bury them in its white
folds-the snow literally hid from sight trees
not twenty yards away-they fully realized
that their case was hopeless, and resigned
themselves to their inevitable fate.
It was nearly noon on that eventful day
when a loud hurrah, and the cry, "Here they
are," made them all spring to their feet and
crowd out of their now almost buried wagons and tents. The voice sounded to them
like a voice from heaven, though its owner
was no other than our friend Bill. Waving
his hat by way of salute, he called out: "Jim
struck our camp last night, all right. There'll
be a swarm of the boys in here in a little
while with lots of grub, and we've brought
along a sample with us. Here, Sam," he
continued to one of his partners who had
already dismounted and was opening their
packs, "get at the inside of two or three
cans of that meat-biscuit. We'll give you
some hot soup all round inside of ten minutes," said he, addressing one of the emigrants, "and that'll give you an appetite for
something to eat as soon as we can get it
cooked."
In a little while the doctor and his party
arrived, but fortunately he had little use for
the contents of his saddle-bags. It was
many a day before he heard the last of the
only regular prescription he gave on that
occasion. Alittle child was brought to him
by one of our men, who in a very anxious
voice inquired:
"What had we better give this little fellow,
Doctor? He seems pretty bad off."
"God bless my soul!" said the doctor,
taking one glance at his patient and reaching out for a dipper of soup, "give him a
spoon, sir, give him a spoon."
As the men came shouting and hurraing
into camp, the scene was one never to be
forgotten. All alike were overcome with
joy. No introductions were needed. Shouting, laughing, hand-shakings, and, last though
not least, the savory smell of food cooking,
on all sides pervaded the camp. Nor had
the starving animals by any means been forgotten; they were all soon busy at the grain
and meal that had been brought for their
especial benefit. As if by magic, what a
little while before might properly have been
called "Famine Camp" had suddenly been
transformed into a scene of unusual feasting
and happiness.
There had been neither time nor necessity
for the organization of this little relief party;
by tacit consent Bill was looked upon as the
captain of the expedition; so when he stated
the necessity of breaking camp as soon as
possible, no one disputed the wisdom of his
decision.
"This storm," said he, "means business;
there will be two feet of fresh snow right
here before daybreak to-morrow morning, so
we must put twenty-five miles of this ridge
behind us before we sleep."
Preparations were therefore made as soon
as possible for the march, but the afternoon
was well advanced before the last wagon of
the train got started down the ridge. The
animals of the emigrants were traveling along
behind, and their places were usurped by
their newly arrived four-footed cousins.
Bless me, how that bell startled me that
afternoon! I was expecting to hear from it
too, but somehow the suddenness with which
it burst out in its song of joy completely
upset me. And who ever heard such a jolly,
rollicking tune from a bell before? It must
have been some new kind of a dancing tune,
too, for it brought every one to his feet the
moment it struck in, and started him to
prancing around madly. "They're coming,'
was the burden of each man's song; every
available flag was floating from some point
of vantage; the street was soon thronged
with people, and still the bell kept at it, livelier than ever. And well might it ring, for
at the upper end of our only street the travelstained covered wagons of the rescued emigrants were seen slowly approaching us. As
[Sept.
260