micircle around the
bend, in places thirty feet high and perpendicular, while in others it
concaved away into recesses and vaults as fantastic as frosting on a
window. It was formed from the early, softer snow, frozen into place,
while the present shifting frost poured over the comb into the sheltered
cove, misty as bride's veiling, and softening the grotesque background
to a tint equaled only in the fluffy whiteness of swan's-down.

The corral met every requirement. Its protecting banks sheltered the
herd from the raging blizzard; the season had inured the cattle, given
them shaggy coats to withstand the cold, and only food was lacking in
the present trial. After rendering every assistance possible, the boys
remained at the corral, hoping the sun would burst forth at evening,
only to meet disappointment, when their horses were given free rein and
carried them home in a short, sure dash.

A skirmish for grazing ensued. During the next few days there was little
or no sunshine to strip the divides of snow, but the cattle were taken
out and given every possible chance. The first noticeable abatement of
the storm was at evening of the third day, followed by a diminishing
fourth, when for the first time the herd was grazed to surfeiting. The
weather gradually faired off, the cattle were recovering their old form,
when a freak of winter occurred. A week from the night the blizzard
swept down from the north, soft winds crept up the valley, promising
thawing weather as a relief to the recent wintry siege. But dawn came
with a heavy snow, covering the range, ending in rain, followed by a
freezing night, when the snow crusted to carry the weight of a man, and
hill and valley lay in the grip of sleet and ice.

It was the unforeseen in the lines of intrenchment. The emergency
admitted of no dallying. Cattle do not paw away obstacles as do horses
and other animals to reach the grass, and relief must come in the form
of human assistance. Even the horses were helpless, as the snow was too
deep under the sleet, and any attempt to trample out pathways would have
left the winter mounts bleeding and crippled. The emergency demanded
men, but two boys came to the front in a resourceful manner. In their
old home in Ohio, threshing flails were sometimes used, and within an
hour after daybreak Joel Wells had fashioned two and was breaking a
trail through the sleet to the corral.

The nearest divide lay fully a mile to the north. To reach it