The Argosy — page 338: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Across the Plains. 319 a chance, they thought; the only chance left to us: and I silently won- dered whether it might have been Providence that showed it to me. In a moment the heavy reflectors were wrenched down ; there were four of them ; and then put to a use such as only the direst necessity could have indicated. For the next three or four hours we worked as lost, starving, freezing men will work for life. It was hard, slow labour; the snow was deep, and closely packed ; and our implements were not of the most convenient sort, and required very careful handling lest they should break. But at last we cleared a space about the coach, and then a path through the gully, wide enough for the mules to draw it out. It was, however, impossible to induce the frightened and obstinate animals to advance a foot, until they had been again unharnessed from the stage and led to and fro several times through the gully. The fears of the animals at last allayed, they were again harnessed ; and we resumed our seats 1n the stage with feelings that can never be conceived, or only by those who may have undergone similar peril. It had been an awful time; and seemed, looking back, to have taken up quite a long space of our lives. Four hours again of searching. through that wilderness of snow, some- times on foot, sometimes in the stage, before we struck the track of the road. It was just before sunset. We rode through the whole of the following night, and just as the dawn was touching with livid light the clouds in the east, we caught sight of a low-roofed house in a clearing, with some smoke ascending from the rough chimney. Oh, the wonder- | ful power and joy of that sight! It comes over me now, and thrills my eyes with tears. Within that house were shelter and warmth and | food for us ; and we—we had escaped the threatened death. How the | driver dashed up to the door with the feeble strength of the enfeebled | cattle, just as the light spread itself in a great glow over the sky, I can remember now. , Two weeks had passed. The sky was tremulous all over with the golden life of stars, and in the midst of them shone the white glory of the full moon. It lay on the little cottage, the pleasant homestead, with a silvery calm—and how my heart was beating! Suppose either of them had died, and I was coming back to a desolate home? Entering the gate, I walked softly up the path. A light was in the old familiar room, but the white blind hid what might be within. Gently opening the house door, a ray of light lay on the passage from the other door, which was ajar. And I saw them. Isaw them both. Saw them just as I had seen them so often in my dreams at the mines. They sat by the table—mother and Flossie—Flossie with the lights end sha- dows in her golden hair. My heart seemed to be bursting. I pushed the door back. “ Mother ! Flossie! Do you know who I am?” COMICO@oOlKS.¢