4

"Git up, Zeb. Come, see! She's waving!
Waving there for you and me.
See her there, so white and pretty,
Standing by our friend, the tree!
Quit that stumbling! Now then, streak it!
Hit the gait you used to do
When we hired out for the round up
And you beat the first one through.
There she is! There's where I saw her
When we stayed there all that night;
Though 'twas dark, I saw her riding,
By those flashing threads of light;
She's been waiting! Oh, I left her
In this awful lonely place!
God forgive me! Nancy! hear me!
Oh, that face--that poor white face!"

5

One cold morning, old Zach Baxter,
Riding o'er this snowbound sea
Saw a famished pony standing
Near a queer and lonely tree.
From his frost-encrusted nostrils
Came a plaintive whinny, low,
As the man rode up beside him
Struggling through the drifted snow.
When the old man tried to lead him,
He refused to turn away;
But he pawed the drift beneath him,
Where his stricken master lay.
And below the cold, white cover,
In a deathlike stupor deep,
Old Zach found a sorry stranger
Shrouded for his last long sleep.

6

Tearing at the ragged bundle
Lodged between the horse's feet,
Clutching at the frozen blanket,
Brushing back the crusted sleet,
Faithful in his rude endeavors,
Rousing by his loud commands,
Roughly shaking, turning, rubbing,
Zach breathed on his face and hands;
Till the stiffened limbs responded
And the closed eyes opened wide,
Dazed and puzzled at the stranger
Working fiercely at his side.
Billy felt the strong arms raise him,
Felt the Frost King's stinging breath
As he struggled, half unconscious,
In the wav'ring fight with death.

7

In the east, the sun dogs glistened
Like tall shafts of marble, bright,
O'er the whitened grave of nature,--
Ghostly spires of frozen light,
Flying frost flakes snapping, sparkling,
Dancing in a wild display,
Turned into a mist of diamonds
As they mocked the newborn day.

8

Old Zach's pony bearing double,
Reeking steam from every pore,
Reached at last the covered pathway
Leading to the dug-out door.
With his arms clasped tight round Billy,
Zach half dragged his helpless load
Through the lowly, mud-walled entrance
Of his rudely built abode.
There, upon the narrow bunk bed
Spread with nondescript attire,
Zach enfolded him in wrappings
While he started up a fire;
And no nurse, however skillful,
Whatsoever h