Alexandria Gazette

Succored By His Dogs.

The recent storm upon the plains was, perhaps, the most severe ever known. On the morning of the storm two freighters, Mr. James McDermott and companion, started from Camp Robinson for Sidney with their teams. They soon were lost and became separated, and on last Saturday Mr. Dermott was found under the following circumstances:-

He had wandered for twelve days, accompanied by two dogs, without food of any kind, exposed to the storm day and night, sleeping without shelter or covering on the cold ground, and had wasted away to a mere skeleton. To add to his sufferings, one day he saw near him some cow boys, but was too weak to call loud enough to attract their attention, and, like a shipwrecked seaman who sees a sail approach, but before it comes within hailing distance bears away again and disappears, he saw them pass from him. On last Saturday these same cow boys heard a faint barking or yelping like that of dogs, and following the sound, they came to him. The dogs were also reduced to skeletons, and scarcely had strength to stand, being in the last stages of starvation. The cow boys threw them some meat, but, instead of eating it themselves, they picked it up in their mouths, got on their trembling limbs, and tried to carry it to their master. And thus he was found. The fact that the dogs refused to eat the meat given them, although they were dying of starvation, but attempted to carry it to their famishing master, is testified to by men of unimpeachable veracity.

-Omaha Herald