ELDORADO 115 



met the gaze of husband and father, as he entered the 

 huts buried deep under the snow. In some instances 

 only by repeated calls could the inhabitants be located, 

 when the poor, starved and half-frozen specters would 

 crawl out to the surface. Upon reaching Captain Bon- 

 ner's cabin, he was found in a dying condition, but no 

 entreaties, not even of her husband, could induce his 

 wife to leave him and go with the rescuing party. She 

 remained in devotion to her husband and perished with 

 him, proving the strength of woman's love beyond all 

 price. The rescuers were able to take only a part of 

 those in the camp. The others were obliged to remain 

 until their return. 



Mrs. Reed's two little girls gave out after going 

 some two miles. The mother was informed that these 

 two children must return to camp. At first she refused 

 to advance further, desiring to return with them. At 

 last, learning that the leader of the relief party was 

 a ]\rason, she exacted a promise upon his honor as a 

 member of that fraternity that he would return for her 

 two children and consented to go on. One of them, a 

 little heroine of eight, said to her mother. "Well, kiss 

 me good-bye. I shall never see you again, but I shall 

 die willingly if I can believe you will live to see papa. 

 Tell him good-bye for his poor little Patty." The scene 

 was heartrending. >\Iother and children clung to each 

 other until torn apart. Mrs. Reed, after much suffer- 

 ing, joined her husband, whom she found temporarily 

 prostrated, but through her presence and care he was 

 soon able to return. Ha]ipily he found little Patty and 

 her brother alive, though they had been subjected to 

 terrible sufferings. 



Bad as were the scenes at the mountain camp on the 



