The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-11-28

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doing. No longer had he the trace
OF track to guild him, and yet as
the sun rose, he calculated the ma
ny hours of sunlight lie had before
him, and the further lie went he
continued to walk the faster. But
vain were all his hopes; that day
was spent in fruitlesa a ,endeavors to
regain the path that led to his home,
and when night again approached /;
the terror that had been gradually
spreading over his mind, together
with the nervous debility induced
by fatigue, anxiety, and hunger,
rendered him almost frantic. He
told me that at this moment he beat
his breast, tore his hair, and had it
not been for the piety with which
his parents had in early life imbued
his mind, and which had become
habitual, would have cursed his ex-
istance. Famished as he now was,
he laid himself on the ground, and
fed on the weads and grass that
grew around him. That night was
spent in the greatest agony and ter
ror. 81 knew my situation" said he
to me. 81 was fully aware that I'M
less Almighty God came to my as
sistance, | must perish in those I'M
inhabited woods. knew that | had
walked more than fifty miles, al
though | had not met with brook
from which could quench my thirst
or even allay the burning heat of my
parched lips and blood shot eyes. |
knew that if ! did not meet with
some stream must die, for my axe
was my only weapon, and, although
deer and bears now and then started
within a few yards or even feet of
me, not one Of them could | kill (;
and, although was in the midst of
abundance, not mouthful did | ex-
pect to procure, to satisfy the crav-
ings of my empty stomach. Sir,
may God preserve you from ever
telling as | did the wohle of that
day % .a .,r .a
For several days after, no one can
imagine the condition in Which he
was, for when he related to Inc his
painful adventure, he assured me
that he had lost all recollection of
what had happened. Good" he
continued, "must have taken pity
on me one day; for as l ran wildly
through those dreadful pine barrens,
met with a tortoise. gazed up
on it with amazement and delight,
and although knew that were | to
follow it undisturbed, it would lead
me to some water, my hunger and
thirst would not allow me to refrain
from satisfying both, by eating its
flesh and drinking its blood. With
one stroke of my axe the beast was
cut in two, and in few minutes
despatched all but the shell. Oh,
sir, how much | thanked God, whose
kindness had put the tortoise in my
way! | felt greatly renewed. sat
down at tie foot of pine, gazed on
the heavens, thought of my wife and
children, and again and again thank
ed my God for my life, for now felt
less distracted in my mind, and
more assured that before long | must
recover my way, and get back to
my home"
The Lost One remained and pass
ed the night at the foot of the same
tree under which his repast had been
made. Refreshed by sound sleep,
he started at dawn to resume his
weary march. The sun rose bright,
and he followed the objection of the
shadows. Still the drearyness Of
the woods was the same, and was
on the point of giving up in dispair
when he observed a racoon lyinc
squatted in the grass. Raising his
axe, he drove it with such violence
through the helpless animal, that il
expired without a struggle. What
he had done with the turtle. he now
did with the racoon the greater par
of which he actually devoured a
one meal. With more comfortable
feelings he then resumed his wan.
derings-his journey ] cannot say
for although in the possession of al
his faculties and in broad daylight
he was wors off than lame mar
cropping his way in tie dark out of {
dungeon, for he knew not where ths
door stood. .. r.....H| ..
Days one after another passed
may, weeks in succession. HI
fed now on cabbage trees, then OF
frogs and snakes. All that fell il
his way was welcome and savery
Yet he became daily more cmaciat
ed, until at length lie could scarcel,
crawl.-Forty days had elapsed b,
his own reckoning, when he at las
reached the banks of the river. Hi
clothes in tatters, his once brigh