Bend of the Mariah, where they thought
they might possibly receive shelter and
succour, and certainly wood to warm them.
The storm became more severe and violent
as the destitute men plodded on their way.
On the 25th they reached the Big Bend,
when they found wood and built a fire,
by which they thawed their frozen limbs,
and now became more fully conscious of
their helpless condition. The whole party
were frozen on the 23rd, but were not
aware of the fact till they saw their feet
mortifying before their eyes. Thoughts
of home crowded on the mind of Cross,
and he wept aloud. Shields observed,
that they were "all in the same fix,"
there was no "use crying about it,"
that they would "all die together," and
find "an end to their troubles." The
whole company, with the exception of
Grant, were now helpless, and it was
determined that he should attempt to bring
succour to them. Accordingly he, though
badly frozen, after receiving directions from
the old voyageur, started from the camp
determined to bring assistance to the party
or perish in the attempt. In four days he
dragged his frozen feet over a distance of
thirty-five miles, and reached an Indian
trading post on the Mariah. A Mexican,
accompanied by eleven Indians with horses
and supplies, started from the post the
following day after Grant's arrival there, to
relieve the frozen and starving men.

Nine days elapsed from the time the
Indians stole the horses and supplies to
the time of the arrival of the rescue
party, and during the interval one prairie
chicken, shot by Shields with his revolver,
was all the food the party had partaken of.
None of them were able to walk a step, and
had it not been for the unconquerable
resolution and perseverance of Cross, they
must have all perished. Cross would crawl
upon his hands and knees and break and
gather twigs, which he would tie together,
and taking the string between his teeth,
would drag them to the fire which kept
warmth and life in his helpless companions.
Though still unable to move, they gradually
revived under the influence of the food
brought them. Stormy weather continuing
from the 25th of January to the 8th
of April travel was impossible, and
exposed to the severity of the weather, the
party, now augmented by the Mexican and
Indians, were compelled to remain in camp
at the Big Bend. On the 9th of April the
frozen men were placed on "trivvors," or
hand sledges, and hauled to St. Peter's or
the Blackfort Mission, where they were
received by the Fathers Jurday and Emenda,
Italian priests, who extended to them
more than hospitality and more than
humanity. Some groceries, buffalo meat,
and flour constituted their stock of
provisions, and though they had been
compelled to put themselves on an allowance of
bread, they denied themselves, and gave
their portion to the invalids. Cross, Woods,
Dorrell, Shields, and the French guide all
lost their feet. Shields sharpened his
butcher's knife (always carried by
travellers in a sheath at their belt) on a stone,
and cut off his own feet while in camp
at the Mariah; the feet of the rest of the
party were amputated by the Mexican and
the Indians. When I saw Grant his feet
were badly frozen, but although some bones
had come out, he expected in time to be
able to wear boots again. His feet looked
as if they had been burned, wounded, and
crisped with hot iron. In a few weeks they
were able again to travel, and though the
good priests refused to accept any remuneration,
the unfortunate adventurers—liberal
as they were fearless and brave—compelled
them to accept the sum of one hundred
dollars from each of them, that they might
be able again to succour others as they had
assisted them. Three weeks after Grant
left the prostrate camp, the same Indians
who had robbed them massacred a party of
nine white men and a negro, engaged in
surveying out a town site at the mouth of
the Mariah.

THE MAIDEN AND THE LEPER.

DOWN the green valley, on her ass,
Rideth the maiden Zanitas,
Dews are falling, song birds sing,
'Tis a Christian evening:
Lower, slower, sinks the sun,
The white stars glimmer, one by one.

Who sitteth musing at his door?
Silas the leper, gaunt and hoar;
Tho' he is curst in every limb,
Full whitely Time hath snow'd on him.
Dews are falling, song birds sing,
'Tis a Christian evening:
The Leper, drinking in the air,
Sits like a beast with idiot stare.

How pale! how wondrous! she doth pass,
The heavenly maiden Zanitas!
She looks—she seeth—she shuddereth,
She passeth on with bated breath.
Dews are falling, song birds sing,
'Tis a Christian evening:
His mind is like a stagnant pool,
She passeth o'er it, beautiful!

Brighter, whiter, in the skies
Open innumerable eyes;
The Leper looketh up and sees,
His bitter heart is soothed by these.
Dews are falling, song birds sing,
'Tis a Christian evening:
He looketh up with heart astir,
And every star hath eyes like her.