To be caught in one of these winter storms on the plains is a very
serious affair; and one only needs to have been through a fearful gale
on the seas to render him dubious of which to choose. To the faint
heart, death seems inevitable in either case; and, to such a one, a
choice between a watery grave or a bed of snow, when hunger and cold
are his attendants while life is gradually ebbing out, is a question
in which the contrast appears small. During many of the winter months,
a life on the prairies becomes a necessity to the frontiersman and not
a pleasure. The force and power of the winds on the level earth of the
far West, are beyond human imagination. The snow storms there, at
the proper period of the year, are terrific in their grandeur. The
quantity of the snow that falls is not so much a matter of notice as
the force with which it comes, being almost blinding in its effects
and requiring all the physical powers of both man and beast to meet
and contend against it. It but seldom happens, during one of these
seasons, that the roads are so blocked up by snow that human ingenuity
cannot overcome the obstacle; for the wind drifts the snow, rendering
the path clear at intervals which vary in their area. The poor mail
parties are the ones who experience this undesirable life; and, in
their attempts to make their journeys, they are often driven near to
death's door, although every precaution is taken to make the transit
safe. The mules of these parties are well protected with india rubber
coverings which are lined with blankets, and, so snugly are they
made to fit every available part of the animal, that it seems almost
impossible for cold to touch them. Corn and fodder, to a limited
extent, is transported; but, even with these precautions, the mules
now and then succumb to cold. The man covers his body with warm
clothing and carries with him furs and robes enough to be seemingly
able to defy the storms. He can provide himself only with a scanty
amount of fuel, for his means of conveyance are very contracted. When