Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/111



ened by  the  clouds. It was  very  cold. The wind howled round  the  crags,  and  the  whirling  snow  blinded, and every  moment  threatened  to  engulf  them. They saw how  impossible  it  was  to  proceed  farther,  so  re- turning to the  cabin,  they  made  preparations  to  win- ter there, near  what  is  now  called  Donner  lake.

Soon their  horses  and  cattle  were  all  gone;  some butchered and  eaten,  others  strayed  and  buried  in  the snow. A little  game  was  with  difficulty  killed,  but not sufficient  to  satisfy  hunger. Starvation stared  at them. It was  death  to  go  away,  and  death  to  remain there ; it  is  easier,  however,  to  die  in  active  endeavor than in  passive  despair. After three  several  failures, Eddy and  sixteen  others,  five  of  whom  were  women, succeeded in  crossing  the  summit  on  snow-shoes. This was  on  the  17th  of  December. They were  now in the  heart  of  the  Sierra,  faint,  having  but  little food, and  almost  buried  in  the  soft  snow,  which  con- tinued falling day  after  day. They had  one  gun,  but not a  livino;  thino-  was  to  be  seen. Some were  stricken with snow-blindness,  and  on  the  23d  of  December, one, Mr  Stanton,  from  Syracuse,  New  York,  fell  be- hind and perished. It was  each  for  himself;  they were all  now  as  fiends  seven  times  hardened.

Christmas found  them  burrowing  in  the  snow,  and debating whether  to  attempt  to  proceed  or  to  give  it up. Eddy and  the  women  determined  to  go  on ;  the others sullenly  refused  to  move. From the  start  the allowance had  been  one  ounce  of  food  to  each,  three times a  day ;  now  they  had  been  without  any  food  for two days. One, Patrick  Dolan,  proposed  the  casting of lots  to  determine  which  should  die. Eddy assented; William Foster  objected. It was  then  proposed  that two should  fight  until  one  was  slain ;  then  that  they should continue  their  journey  until  one  should  suc- cumb, which last  proposition  was  finally  accepted. Then they  staggered  on  three  miles  farther  and  en- camped. With great  difficulty  they  succeeded  in lighting  a  fire,  but  during  the  night  it  was  extin-