116 TRAPPING IN NEBRASKA 1866-7. 
hole in the bank near the water’s edge andto my great 
delight found an old dug-out that must have been 
used by trappers or elk hunters. The abandoned den 
did not look as if ithad been occupied for three or four 
years butthe old adage,—‘‘any port ina storm”—was a 
truism in this case as the blizzard proved to be a violent 
and long continued one. I madea comfortable fire 
and after a supper of pan cakes and pork, lay down for 
a nap before a cheerful fire, although a veritable smoke 
house, as there was no chimaey place in sight, and the 
smoke must pass out the doorway. It was at this 
juncture that a dream of timely warning came. In my 
sleep I had dreamed of being crushed by falling walls, 
and was awakened in affright. I glanced wildly about 
when sure enough the whole side next the door was fall- 
ing in, and witha dashfora prop was enabled to stay the 
impending crash caused by the fire thawing out the 
frozen earth that supported the roof and front above the 
doorway. There would have been no possible hope of 
escape had I not been aroused at that critical moment and 
it would have been aclearcase of a trapper trapped. 
About two weeks after this event—Scully and an old 
trapper named St Clair appeared at my camp and re- 
ceived a good welcome, as the place was alonesome one 
notwithstanding I was kept very busy with my traps. 
Mink, otter,foxes, and coyotes were very plentiful as the 
Indians had represented, and two or three houses of 
beaver were also found one of them being a family of 
black ones as my catch testified. The trappers had 
come out more from curiosity than for business,but went 
out with me early the next morning after their arrival to 
view the trap line, and see the catch. The morning 
* 
