Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1844-01-11

poor old Vanderpool with his broken thigh
sun lay, not insensible, but speechess and
powerless, among the bushes on the margin of
the stream! lie heard his friends searching
Tor and wondering what had become of him,
but could give them no intmaton of his near
whereabouts he heard his sons voice, and
could gasp forth tone Or ,nurmur loud
enough 10 give warning of hIs presence
They were preparing to depart, to leave him
there for The last Time, and he was alone IN
the desolole wilderness, helpless, wounded,
starving and dying. with now not even the dog
10 crouch by his side, and seem in some sort
Il companion To him. The helpless old man
could no, drag his mutaed BODY up the
bank aga!n, and the remaining flesh of the dog
was torn by wolves almost i'll his sight and
hearing, While the horrible conviction alone
remained mat III dread probability his own
body wpusl prove the next meal for the le-
roclous fes'ss! In This miserable condition,
sinking beneath hope in bodily and mental
anguish, the poor old bee-hunter passed a.
mother night, and yet with firm lenaciiy nature
chung TO life: and feeble existence fingered in
his frame.
The boy and his friends, as well as the 9th
or people OF the bee-huning party, arrived
al 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 10 this hope, when they were
told that Vanderpool had as vet neither been
seen or heard Of! With instant and humane
despatch, the whole party, joined by as many
more fresh recruits, hurried away for gener-
al and thorough search after the missing man.
and, proceeding once more 10 the $40, where
his son had left him, more careful nves,ica-
ton had the happy effect of at last restoring
the unfortunate cripple 10 his friends They
found him among the leaves and shrubs, BY
the edge OF the water, ust where he had drag
ged himself nearly two days before, wholly
lnsensIbie, and fast Fastening toward a condi-
ton beyond the reach ofhuman aid Yet that
old man was living when The story was told
10 lis on the Wdha RooSi, and is still Il haze
old fellow at the dale Of this wiring! The
veracily OF our simple informant was never
doubted among us, but our interest i'm the
story increased when, on our return several
months alter, we accidentally met with further
intelligence of sold Vanderpool," fully con-
firning the anccdole we had heard of his crit.
Ical adventure when out, nearly twelve wears
ago, with the bee hunters.
How much is there daily occurring i'm real
lilc that leaves the pen of fiction in the back
ground How many occurrences fade con-
stanliy away unrecorded i,to oblivion, (in des-
pile, even, of the ever eager daily papers.) full
OF al! the elements calculated to enlist SYM
patty and interest. How whirnsicallv must
1t seem 10 us that the world moves, when we
reflect that vast legion Of romancers. poets
and story-leliers exist by coming, with great
labor, tanc"ul fesembanccs ofth:ngs that pass
IN truthful reality every day unnoliced before
our eyes iii the great panorama of nature.
Ahfi h,,r ,r.. a
find the real picture that we recognize, than
the ornate aud elaborate creations of fancy u
Old Vanderpool and his neghbors, with whom
his story has long been an ordinary and al
most forgotten affair, will doubtless be sur
prSed enough at seeing a simple anccdoto of
their far locality picked up at last and put into
print.