know that
he was flesh and blood and not just a beautiful dream. He had planned
to meet us just where we were, and had brought with him fourteen men
and a generous supply of bread.

"As he knelt and clasped mother in his arms she told him that Patty
and Tommy were still at the lake, and with a horrified exclamation, he
started to his feet. 'I must go for them at once,' he said. 'There is
no time to lose.' With one long embrace off he went as if on winged
feet, traveling the distance which had taken us five days to go in
two, we afterward heard. He found the children alive, to his great
joy, but, oh, what a sight met his gaze! The famished little children
and the death-like look of all at the lake made his heart ache. He
filled Patty's apron with biscuits, which she carried around, giving
one to each person. He also had soup made for the infirm, and rendered
every possible assistance to the sufferers, then, leaving them with
provisions for seven days, he started off, taking with him seventeen
who were able to travel, and leaving at the lake three of his men to
aid those who were too weak to walk.

"Almost as soon as father's party started out, they were caught in a
terrible snow-storm and hurricane, and his description of the scene
later was heart-breaking, as he told about the crying of the
half-frozen children, the lamenting of the mothers and suffering of
the whole party, while above all could be heard the shrieking of the
storm king. One who has never seen a blizzard in the Sierras can have
no idea of the situation, but we knew. All night father and his men
worked in the raging storm, trying to put up shelters for the dying
women and children, while at times the hurricane would burst forth
with such fury that he felt frightened on account of the tall timber
surrounding the camp. The party was almost without food, having left
so much with the sufferers at the lake. Father had _cached_ provisions
on his way to the lake, and had sent three men forward to get it
before the storm set in, but they could not get back. At one time the
fire was nearly gone; had it been lost, all would have perished. For
three days and three nights they were exposed to the fury of that
terrible storm; then father became snow-blind, and would have died if
two of his faithful comrades had not worked over him all night, but
from that time all responsibility of the relief work was taken from
him, as he was physically unfit.

"At last the storm