began to fall in heavy flakes, and faster and faster they came down.
Worse still! Far away up in the mountains above them they could hear a
warning roar that proclaimed the advent of a prairie storm. Joe urged
Captain on with all his might.

'We're in for a blizzard,' he cried. 'It's coming on quick, and 'll
soon overtake us. Cochetopa Creek is only a few miles ahead of us now,
and if we could get that far we'd find quaking aspens that would break
the worst of the storm, and we could shelter there till morning.'

On they struggled, but the cold was intense, and long before they could
reach the creek the blizzard struck them with full force. The snow
froze as it fell and cut their faces, while the icy tempest whirled up
clouds of these sharp particles, blinding Joe. He made Jack get under
the tough buffalo robe, but the fierce cold was penetrating even
through that. In a short time Joe found they had wandered off the
road, and after driving aimlessly about in the storm, trying to find it
again, he had at last to give it up and acknowledge that they were
_lost_. It was an awful sensation, and when they had once pulled up,
Captain refused to stir and stood with his back to the storm.

The hunter knew they must all freeze to death if they stayed there any
length of time, and he determined to try the only expedient left, which
was to abandon the buckboard and trust themselves to the animals. With
difficulty he put a bridle on Buckskin, who was trembling with fright
and cold, and, hoisting Jack up on his back, managed to tie him on with
a bit of rope. He then unharnessed the mule and scrambled on it
himself.

'We must try and keep together if possible,' said he; 'and now, off we
go!'

The animals plunged forward amidst the drifting snow and shrieking
storm, but in a few minutes they were swept apart, and Jack missed his
companion. He pulled up, and called in vain for Joe; but the storm
roared round, drowning everything in the darkness. At last Jack felt
the wisest thing was to leave himself entirely to Buckskin, and not
even try to guide him. The cold was beginning to stupefy the boy, and
he had a strange feeling of numbness growing over him. The good old
horse plodded steadily on, while Jack laid the reins on his back,
saying with a sob, 'Go on, Buck. I shall die soon if you don't save
me.' Suddenly Buckskin stopped, and, although Jack had just sense to
be aware of it, he was quite unable to rouse himse