Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-12-29

creek. Here the wounded man slaked his
three days thirst, and fell at once off into
happy Inconsistencies of pain and suffering,
his body quite hidden from view by leaves
and the thick underground of wild shrubbe-
ny around him.
Some hours after, poor Vandcrpool's COM
paniens, the other bee hunters, came past
this very spot, they having waited his return
until patience had expired, and now having
determined 10 abandon their search after bee
trees, and make their way homeward as soon
as possible. They found the dead dog, and
though already partially torn by wolves, they
at once recognised as Vanderpool's, but neg
lected TO search the vicinity with such scru-
tiny as might have discovered to them their
unfortunate companion; and, only satisfying
themselves that he was not there, they hur-
ried on their way homeward.
The boy, too, at length succeeded in bring
ing his friends TO the spot, and finding various
footprints around, his father gone and the dog
killed, his natural conclusion was, that either
friends or enemies had been there and car
ried the old man of. This opinion fastening
itself at once upon the n all, they left the
place and turned back TO the settlements,
while poor old Vanderpool with his broken
thigh still lay, not inscnsble, but speeches.
and powerless, among the bushes on the mar
gin of the s,rea;n! He heard his friends
searching for and wandering what had be-
come Of him, but could give then no 'ntlma-
,;on ot lis year whereabouts. He he,:.;" Ills
sons voice AM. could gasp forth no tone or
murmur loud enough to Give warning of his
| ta, I,
10 leave him there for the last time, '"o "e
could not call to them. They were gone.
e".' IL" wac olono !" the dcooln,o wildarnasS
helpless, wounded, starving and dying, with
now not even the dog TO crouch by his side,
and seem in some sort companion TO him.
The helpless old man could not drag his mu-
tilaled body up the bank again, and the re-
naming flesh of the dog was torn by wolves
almost in mis- sight and hearing, while the
horrible conviction alone remained that in
dread probability his own body would prove
the next meal for the ferocious beasts! In
this miserable condition, sinking beneath
hope in bodily and mental anguish, the poor
old ec-hunler passed another night, and yet
with firm ,enacity nature chung TO life, and
r-.i" av;s,ance fingered in his frame.
The boy and his friends, as well as the
other re"pio Of tho hne. hunting party, arri-
we'd at their homes, fully expecting to hear
of some lucky chance having brought the old
man in before them, but CONSERVATION and
alarm at once succeeded to this hope, when
they were told that Vanderpool had as yet
neI!iler ncen seen or heard OF! Wthinstant
and humane despatch, the whole party, ion-
cd by as many more fresh recruits, hurried
away Tor a general and thorough search after
the missing man, and, proceeding once more
TO the spot where his son had left him. a
more careful investigation had The happy eff
feet of at last restoring the unfortunate Grip
pie TO his friends. They found him among
the leaves and shrubs, by the edge of the wa
ter, just where he had dragged himself near
~ two days before, wholly nscnsible and
fast Fastening toward condition beyond the
reach of human aid. Yet that old man was
living when the story was told to us on the
Wahka-roosi, and is still hale old fellow
at the date of this writing The veracity of
our simple informant was never doubted
among us, but our interest in the story was
increased when, on our return several months .
after, VIC accidenily met with further inteli-
gence of" Old Vanderpool," fully confirm
ing the anecdote we had heard of his critical
adventure when out, nearly twelve years ago,
with the bee-hunters.
How much is there daily occurring in real
life that leaves the pen of fiction in the back
ground. How many occurrences fade con-
stantly away unrecorded in oblivion, Tin de-
spite, even, of the ever-eager daily papers,)
full of all the elements calculated to enlist
sympathy and interest How whimscaly
must il seem 10 US that the world moves, when
we reflect that vast legion of romanccs.
poets and story-tellers exist by coming, with
great labor, fancifnl resembances of things
that pass in truthful reality every day unno-
ticed before OUT eyes in the great panorama
of nature. And how much more welcome
do we ever find the real picture that we re-
cognze than the ornate and elaborate crea-
tons of fancy. Old Vanderpool and his
neighbors, with whom his story has long been
an ordinary and almost forgotten affair, will
doubtless be surprised enough at seeing a
simple anecdote Of their far locality picked
up at last and put into print.-N. o. Pic.