The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1843-10-04

from the prowling beast of the forest or the
lurking savage.
CHAPTER III.
By the first glimmer Of the day the old
scout was on the move. Without disturb
ing his still sleeping companions, he glanc-
ed cauiiou sly around him-shook the old
printing from his rifle and reprinted her, H.
speeding carefully the lock aud barrel. eye
ing and fonding her as if it were thing 10
return his affection, after which he gided
| stealthily into the surrounding forest.
An hour, perhaps, passed away. during
which the young men had got astir, and were
wondering at the disappearance of their
guide, when he returned, and with cheer
ful tone, exclaimed.
wal, Eve got track of the varmints
Come boys, we've no time to lose we'll
eat as we GO along. There's a fine spring
Gods blessing in The wilderness-just
out yonder, which will sarve TO wash down
the dry bread and meai,' and leading the
way, he branched suddenly off from the
course they had been pursuing, until, after
an hours rapid travelling, they struck, as
the scout said. the trail, when they again
changed the direction of their route.
To the Young men the course they were
now pursuing was quite as blind as ever. A
dense wilderness surrounded them, and
though they followed their leader with an
uhdou5ted confidence in his knowledge.
they slw nothing in the appearance ofthings
which afforded the least clue TO The direct.
ion to be followed. After willie one Of
them remarked, inquiringlv that he could
detect no signs of a trail.
why, youngster,' replied the scout, ''tis
as plain as dame Rawson's face, and that
consate is The plainest thing in the settle.
ment Here, my boys he continued, as
he stopped in his rapid walk, may be you
cat larn something that will be sarviceable
10 you hereafter. Look about you now
look close and sharp, and see ifyou cannot
find out the trai.'
The young men stepped forward and ex-
amined carefully every inch of the place.
scrutinizing closely the bushes and fallen
leaves, but all 10 no purpose, they acknowl-
edged that they saw nothing TO denote the
track OF the savaees. The scout gave a
low cbuckle. evidently pleased with their
failure.
Wal, wal, tits unaccountable what igno.
rance there is in the world. Blu, mans new
er too old 10 learn, they say. Here you
Hugh Sands, step this way little; now
stoop down and obsarve these leaves. Don't
you see this one is pressed down fat 10 the
'arth, and that one is bent over and broken,
and all along. just the length of mans foot
they don't look like these out here, which
lay nat'ral like, just as they fell from the tree
one on top t'other. carelessly. Now run
your eye along about a step and YOU will
diskiver the same appearance. There you
see the grass is slightly bent forward while
the other stands up straight. Then gin.
obsarve these bushes-this broken twig and
that turned leaf-aint it clear enough that
something has brushed by them? These
signs You can barely disarn, but can read
them as easily as can your dads grocery
sign in The settlement, specially now while
the dew is on
'And here is something palmer still,' said
Smith who had gone little ahead, and who
now returned. holding in his hand comb,
dropped either accidentally or designedy BY
one of the captives.
Their guide needed not this insurance that
he was on the right course, although the DIS
covery seemed 10 animate his companions.
who now pressed forward with renewed Wig
or.
II was at the close of the third day, and
many weary mile had the three passed over
following like hounds the tracks Of The say.
ages, that we again introduce the party to
the reader. They had halted on the banks
of a shallow river, the outlet Of large pond,
which spread out before them fringed on
either hand as far as the eye could reach
with luxurious growth of bush and tree
the foliage Of which bent over and coquetted
with the crystal understanding in their
placid repose, like vast mirror framed with
living green. From the signs around them.
they were convinced they were in the close
vicinity of the enemy.
After a short consultation, the scout went
forward to reeonnoitre leaving his compan-
ions in the dense woods which skirted the
stream. Creeping along the edge of The