The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-09-07

as we stoPPeu, auu i""S oeo"H -"
vanced,
.Ha Ina said Flint, old Teeples is wag-
ging his tongue? recollect the bell now,
Il is rung BY a cord which connects with the
bridge. We shall see Mrs. Homly's night
cap before long,
As he spoke. a woman holdinga candle
thrust out her head from the upper window,
and with a shrill voice demanded:
sWho is there 2
'All right, Mr.. Teeples,' said my comrade.
Don't you remember Flint and his survey
ing traps2 I've got a friend here with me,
and want supper and a bed, Come. come /;
down with you, old girl, and lei US in,
In a momen., a tall woman, in a Ted-fian-
mel gown, dirty nigh;-cap. wooden stockings
and clumsy shoes, appeared at the enterance
| She had small grayish-blue, cazy-looking
| eyes,. and gray hair which fell in tangles
over her shoulders,
You had better go further on, gentlemen
said she. We have had bad luck here to-
day the freshet has carried away the apron
of our dam, and my husband had two horses
| drowned in getting lumber out Of the creek
Further on tonight! I'll see you-
Excuse me, Madam said Flint, pressing
into the hall, you can't expect poliieness
from hungry men, No, no, there is not
another house within ten miles,
Seeing US resolved, the old woman got
us supper. after which we assembled a steep
pair of stairs into a room where there were
three or A beds, and were soon sound asleep.
When | awoke the next morning, which
was Sunday, | found Flint's bed empty and
was informed by Mrs. TeepIes that he left
quite early, saying that he must reach home
by noon, My hostess was silent and re-
served and once, when l Unexpectedly came
into the room where she Wa sitting. | found
her in tears. There were no books about
the house and feeling lonely, | sirolled out
along the banks ofthe creek, which. had fall
er as suddenly as il rose. l thought of old
| Walton's doctrine that angling is al avoc-
| alton favorable 10 reflection and although /
did not exactly wish to
Bid good morning to next day.,
I cut a pole and cast a fy upon the sparkling
| ripples, Finding pretty good sport, | fished
up the creek for five or six miles until nearly
evening. In the excitement OF the moment,
| sunk up TO my middle in a deep marsh,
from which struggling Out, l elambered
along the steep bank, holding on by trees
and roots, until emerged into a space some
what more bIearGd. and crossing a pine log
that, borne down by the ireshet, lay extern
ded from bank TO bank, / stepped upon a pile
OF drift-wood, which filed an angle of the
stream for twenty or thirty rods. 1t was in
the month oil September, when the troutseek
such spots as this to spawn. Thousands OF
Them were languidly playing in the shadows
scarcely moving, with their heads against
The current, or springing outupon the stones.
[ found them very lazy, and requiring TO be
well leased before they would lake The hook,
! NJ the Ar for tho cn,u,n 0f thu fronf
| cast my line into one Of The numerous deep
holes formed by the Drift wood, which con-
cealed me from :he;sharp eyes of the fish, /
expected better luck, because it was now
evening, and they were jumping in myriads
from the wafer, as far as | could see, The
moon, which shonc brightly upon the place
where l stood, left 10 shadow the thick belt
Of pines opposite, Finding my hook caaghI
aud that l could not extricate it by repeated
pulls, | laid down the pole and began TO
throw aside the plank and rubbish, 10 enable
me TO reach and loose it. | kneeled down
and felt for the hook. Suddenly | shudder
ed; a deadly sickness crept over me. Whal
was it had found? Again l took it in my
trembling grasp. | could not be deceived
il was the unmistakeable shape and struc.
ture of a human hand!
1t was long before | recovered from my
horror, Every thing appeared changed
about me-. That peculiar odor which vege-
tation emits seemed like the atmosphere o.
the grave the breeze murmured among the
forest leaves, like The whispers of the depar
ted. Treachery, murder, were all around
me! But he is still there,'I thought ;'my
tellow-man, justice, compassion, mainline SIS
require me TO overcome This weakness
Again following the line, l found the hool
fastened into something which felt like leath'
er, and grasping il with my whole strength
| lifteded ii from the water and laid it upor
the timbers. Great Con what was my hor
ror, when l recognized the bruised and dis
figured features of the surveyor!
The moon now shed her beams upon the
pallid corpse of the man who yesterday en-
livened our toll with his frank and kindly
spirit, Who were his murderers? Where
we're they? l gazed around, and though
| saw a face moving among the trees. i
disappeared ; again l saw it. | reflected thai
my excited fancy had perhaps TRANSFORMED
the shape of boughs and leaves into the fea'
lures of man; but as fixed my eyes upor
The spot | felt that some one was watching
me from the forest, Icould not endure the
apprehension, and moved towards the OBJ
ject Of my fear. l had not traversed halfihe
intervening space, before a HUI emerged
from the thicket. His face YVES that Of a
savage: his beard was unshorn, and when
saw him rapidly approach ing, with rage and
hatred in his countenanceI | turned and fed,
| heard him pursuing me through the recess.
es of the forest. How | lcnged then for my
faithful rife! l imagined every sound TO be
the foot steps of the murderer, l %rejoiced
now at the darkness which made 1t impos.
sible for him TO follow me. For more than
three hours | ran, deeper and deeper and
deeper into the woods, AT the end Of this
period, l perceived a slight glimmering from
the rocky glen beneath me. Stealthily | crept
down The bank, TILL reached a ruiDed hut,
from which the light proceeded.
Made cautious by experience, | looked
through an aperture between the logs and
beheld ihree men at work. One stood above
a rude stone furnace, watching the melting
contents Of crucible, and dropping into il