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The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, July 31, 1910, Image 8

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Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1910-07-31/ed-1/seq-8/

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8
TIM BENDER, A YOUNG HERO
JAMES M. FELLOM
Tim Bender left tho house and took
the trail to town. It was afternoon
and the weekly stage had just arrived.
Although not expecting any mail,
save from a distant relativo who wrote
once In a long. while, it was his habit,
as It was with all the ranchers an.l
their families, to gather outside the
little wo,oden building -and exchange
news.
Snow had been falling for the last
two weeks, and even though there was
promise of clear weather for the val
ley, the high mountains on 'the east
and .west, were still being swept by
the storm. Altogether it was v dis
agreeable day. ; , V • •
When Tim reached the office the
usual large crowd was on hand await
ing the distribution of, the mail. - \u0084'},
"Hear the latest?" shouted Bill
Glenn, who with some others was
seated on a bench before the hardware
store. Tim approached the group.
"They say that the Thompson outfit
is snowbound in Marble canyon and
hasn't turned a wheel in six days,",
ventured the barber's son.
'{Who says so?" ,
"Fatty Jack, thelnjin." He just come
In' from Joshua flat. lie says he could
see the outfit from Windy summit, but
that he couldn't get down to.lt on ac
count of the storm. Then he, fired off
his gun, but .nobody answered.' Fatty
says that all the -mules are down "or
have got away. Here comes Fowler
and Bossl. They're trying to get Jj up
a relief \u25a0expedition, but nobody wants
to go. Irs dangerous the way it's
stormlngrup there and no. one cares ;to
take chances. *, You know what hap
pened to the last relief two years ago."
.Now, Thompson, the freighter, und^r
contract with the Big Nugget mining
company, operating in ". the . Übeheba
mountains, 80 miles east, had started
from Little Pine 10 days before with a
12 animal and; a 16. animal team.' He
was loaded: with lumber .< and mining
machinery. Being two days late v dnd
knowing that even now work had been
suspended' at the mine for want of
material, he started in the storm; hpp
ing to be over the summit before the
snow became, too ideep.V According to
Fatty Jack's account he had succeeded,
only to bestalled in Marble canyon on
the other side of the range.
.The constable and the Indian joined
the crowd in front of : the postofflco and
looked" over, the silent; sober' faces. \u25a0;/*•
I "Men," began/Fowler, '.'the Thompson
outfit is hard pressed in Marble canyon.
You all know the long line skinners
and their swampers. They're all good
fellows and now they need, help. Who'll
volunteer,' men? " Who'll volunteer to
make up a strong party to go out and
get them?" ' ";
A dead silence followed his words. '
"Come now," he urged, "we'd do the
same foryou— any of you. ' We'll leave
in an hour's time and travel all night.
It's only 80 miles' and we'll not strike
heavy going for 10. Who'll come?"
It was then that Tim Bender left
his seat and. took his place by Fowler's
side. The constable looked around.
',-. "You, Tim?", he said In surprise. "I
don't know— your mother, Tim— " v
• "I volunteer, Mr. Fowler," broke in
the boy decisively, and the man , press
ing Tim's hand, smiled his admiration.
But Tim was only 16 years old. What
could ho .hope to do to make himself
useful under these circumstances? The
expedition needed men— stalwart men;
men able to face and endure hardships
of . a most trying nature. This '\u25a0\u25a0! boy
\u25a0would be in \u25a0' the way. Many in. the
crowd Bhook their heads doiibtlngly.
Besides,' Tlm's-mother was a widow and
he was her only child.
The women present were indignant
that he should be allowed to take part
in tf venture Involving so much danger.
So, when. .Tim reached homo it was to
find the small sitting room' crowded
with ranchers' wives and daughters,
each and all /protesting against the
boy's rash act and endeavoring to gain
Mrs. Bender's Bupport of their argu
ments. But, as Tim paused in the
kitchen to listen, he heard his mother
say:
"I think my boy has done the only
right thing and I am proud to know
that ho is bo manly — so "considerate 'of
the welfare of others. It is the way I,
always want him to be, and I wouldn't 1
think of turning him from tho path of
duty."
So, an hour later, the relief party left
town and tore . out across the valley
toward the eastern mountains, and the
largo crowd that had gathered waited
and watched until tho wagon and ita
occupants disappeared into tho deep
canyon through which tho road Jed.
It was night when Tim and his three
companions— Fowler, itossi and the ln
TttS SAX FRANCISCO CATX SUNDAY, JULY; 31. 1910.— TTf E JU>:i6r CALL
dlan, Fatty Jack — -piled from their seats
and pulled the harness from the six
horses. They had como no farther than
10-mlles, but already snow was nearly
axle deep, and the animals were tired
by the heavy uphill drag. A hearty
meal was cooked, the teams fed and the
men, taking only such supplies as might
be of immediate use, started to leave.
"You take care of camp, Tim," said
Fowler, when the boy made as if toi
follow. "I'd rather, you'd not take any
chances on this trip. And say, Tim," aa
young: Bender, turned away, "if you
don't hear from us by noon day, after
tomorrow harness up and drive back to
town. We'll leave : it all to you."
NWlth that they were gone, and Tim,
alone and disappointed, proceeded to
make down his bed for the night. But
ho could not sleep. He felt that he had
not been treated'rlght; that the con
stable had underestimated him; that lie
was not being allowed to help; and be
cause he 'was confident of himself he
felt the rebuff more keenly.
'He was still engaged ; with his
thoughts when the wind died and the
snow began to fall. A look 'into tho
sky told him that the storm clouds
above were receiving reinforcements
from the Sierra side of tho valley.
.When morning finally dawned he
scrambled out of bed. It still snowed
heavily, and Tim decided that two feet
had fallen during the night. He won
dered uneasily if his friends had made
the summit, six miles awuy, and how
far they had journeyed, or if they had
lost-their way. After a while he began
to worry. The more he thought of his
inactivity the more restless lie became.
Toward noon, hs tho storm shqwod no
signs of abating, he could bear tho sus
pense no longer. Binding his feet with
gunny Backs to keep out tho cold, he
broke a bale of hay to tide the animals
over until his return and, equipped)
.with provisions, struck out over the
snow. ,
Hut he did not keep up canyon as
his friends had done. There was a
shorter " route intoYllarblo canyon,
known to but few, which his father had
shown him. So he turned Into a^small
gulch that ran south almost at 'right
angles with the main ravine, followed
It about a mile, and, climbing a ridge,
continued up its white backbone until
he, gained the pine clad summit. l
How he walked! The sweat was
pouring from him when he began his
descent of the east side, of the rtrngo,
and he felt the effects of the heavy
climb. Once he stopped and endeavored
to gain a view of the far off desert
hills, miles below; but the snow still
fell, enveloping the surrounding coun
try like a thick veil that the eye could
not penetrate.
The whole afternoon Tim struggled
on, sliding and slipping down a steep
embankment, sprawling up the side of
a slope, or digging himself out of a
drift that'had appeared to be anything
but solid snow. Tired but happy, he
at last found himself in the rocky
depths of Marble canyon. , He could
almost tell the number of steps now to
the point where the Saline valley road
dropped from the Big Cowhorn meadow
Into the rocky bottom of the canyon.
Bravely he trudged on trying to
keep' up a steady puce, but admitting
to himself that, his greatest efforts
were feeble ones. Further, and what
gave him more concern, was the fact
that he fell into the habit of resting.
He found he was not able to walk a
hundred yards without pausing and ho
feared that thesa delays, short as they
were, meant more to his friends thun
they did to him. And every time he
thought of this tho more alarmed ho
grew and the liurdor he fought sigalnst
the weakness. But without success.
Even the blinding snow, that had at
first seemed us nothing to the vigor
of his youth, was lending its aid
against him. Again and again as ne
stumbled on it buffeted und beat him,
and each und every falling fluke was
turned into a spiteful, little light that
pricked his eyes until they ft* it sore
und swollen. Thon after a long, long
time night came. '•
When and how he reached the half
buried freight \u25a0 wagons, Tim never
, could recall. His first im
pression was that they- were before
•him. lie remembered how ho called
aloud, or had tried to call aloud, but
having "received. no answer had begun
his Ht-arch. , Thompson and his men
he . found in "their beds beneath the
« wagons. They were weak almost unto
death. For on finding that they could
not hope to travel while the storm
kept, up they had camped here waiting
until It passed over., But It continued
and, their provisions giving out, the
freighters «turned the mules "loose to
shift for" themselves, and attempted to
walk back- into the valley. But they
• wandered, from their. course, and after
two days' and nights' exposure to the
elements again reached their outfits—
weak from the want of food and ex
hausted by their efforts. . »
Forgetting his own pains and fatigue,
Tim worked and worked over the four
half conscious men and It was well on
\u25a0toward noon of the next day when ho
at last rested. He knew the men were
out of danger, but he realized that he
must have help. Fowler, Rossi and
Fatty Jack had not arrived. ( Where
were they? The storm had all but
passed, hero and there ; the blue sky
showing through the breaking clouds.
Was it possible that' the" constable's
party had. falleti by .the way or had
wandered off and were .lost, or, again,
finding ' the "storm 'too ' severe had
abandoned the expedition and returned
tdi town? , " ; - '
But, Tim was a prospector's son and
.like a prospector knew how to get the
most good out of the smallest trifle.
Also he could. shape that 'trifle to fit his
purpose. . . Besides being a, 5 good pros
pector, '\u25a0; he always made it his business
to find out in what section of , the
country the hunters of mineral were
"spending their time." So he readily con
ceived a plan. .' ; . . .; ' "
Leaving behind what.. provisions he
had brought he was soon . mushing
along over the snow^ This,"" however,
sooVi disappeared, for his way. lay along
the lower ridges on the desert; side
of the range where the snqwxould'not
- live. Although stiff . and .sore of 'limb
and exhausted in mind and. body;' He
reached vWacobi spring, 12 miles away,
in good time. /
Here, - as he, had ... anticipated, ...were
camped three prospectors. In a -few
words he told his story and asked their
assistance. The/men were deeply, im
pressed and eager to heln, and load
ing their burros with a goodly stock
;of grub and bedding, urged Tim to ride
one of the little animals.
The huge camp fire of the Thompson
party, had not burned itself out when
the sturdy 'rescuers, led by young
Bender, arrived. The four freighters
were profuse in their thanks to Tim
for saving their lives and appreciating
the ordeal through which he had passed
they insisted that he should remain, in
camp and take the rest of which he
was so much in need. To this the pros
pectors also agreed, saying that they
would Institute the search for Fowler
and his .men. Tim, however, would not
listen to them. .
, But while supper was being pre
pared the boy's worn' out body and
mind conquered his: spirt, for as he lay
resting upon a horse * blanket before
the fire he fell asleep.
W.ien he awoke a whole day' had
passed and the sun was just \settlng.
•Rising painfully to his feet ho looked
around. A short distance away a large
crowd of men was gathered and among
them he saw tho constable, Rossi, Fat
ty Jack and many of his town friends.
"Three cheers for Tim Bender!" cried
some one, and the canyon; rang again
and, again. From all directions men
riishod up and struggled to grasp his
hand. Fatty Jack lifted him, blushing
and embarrassed, upon his shoulder and
held him there while Fowler told the
story of the rescue party. How he had
been afraid for Tim to accompany the
expedition and how they themselves
had become lost in the first night's
s/«torm, finally finding their ,way back
to camp. Then, as Tim did not return,
and fearing for his safety, they had
hurried back to town to get men to
scour- the mountains for him. After
this he narrated our hero's adventures,
going over the story which we know,
and ended by praising the unselfish
spirit of tho boy who would undertake
so much for another at tho peril of
ills life.
That evening a messenger arrived in
town. lie rode straight to the little
cottage on the outskirts. There a
large crowd of sympathetic friends
were assembled, come to comfort Mrs.
Bender, wjiose .son they had given up
for 'dead. The rider was Fowler.
Leaping from his horse the constable
walked into the house.
"Mrs. Tlender," he said, and his eyes
shone as he spoke, '"Tim is the hero
of lnyo county!"
For h moment she stured, wide *»yed
and pale. Then ;is ho smiled, K)ie bur
ied her fai« on Mis, -Fowler's shoulder
and wept for joy.

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