The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-06-22
A Story Of Pioneer Life.
ny LUCY LiNw ooP.

decked the woods, but the atmosphere was
raw and ch,iey, except at noon day, and
yet the lover of nature who CHANGED TO be
abroad might readily fnd enough Of the
beautiful to while way al hour in rap,ures,
in gazing at the fading, bat still gorgeous
loveliness Of the scene where our sketch
opens.
1t wa, the year 1910, before any set
tlemant OF consequence had been made in
Ohio, that family went from New York
State, tn reside upon n branch Of the great
Miami il consisted Of the parents and two
children, a son aud a daushter-the eldest
fifteen, the other numbering less than hall
score of years. The land there selected was
wild but lovely spot in the Valley, and
but few weeks elapsed after their arrival,
ere smallbut comfortable log hut had been
erected beneath the shadow Of the forests
edge and Roger Gray very soon cleared a
respectable patch about him, which he had
sown with spring grain.
The region was a romatc vale, and far
down To the southwark, the river flowed Ly
IN majestic silence. The spot had been well
chosen by Roger for Agricultural purposes.
but the new corners had been there scarcely
a week, ere they found the neghborhood
was often visited by wild bears--for sever
al sheep had been destroyed in the night,
and the howl had been iepeatedly heard,
at a distance, III the lonely evenings. The
nearest neighbor Of the e,ngraut, was one
Farmer Holland, an eastern man. also,
where Graves family had remained during
the erection of thelr cabin, and the house
was full a mile distant TO the westward.
Mr.. Holland had but one chlld-a son,
some twenty years Of age who had been
brought up literally Tn the woods but a
Drawer heart or kinder Disposition than that
Of young Wallace, could not te found in the
State. His father was one Of the original
buckeye pioneers aud Wallace had seen
and enc oumtered all the rude treatment and
every day hard,hIpS incident 10 twenty
years residence Ia the back woods.
Bat his arm was practiced one-he had
met willy red men in hostility, and had CON.
quered hinI--he had grappled with the fiery
wolf aud the huge bear Of that region, and
destroyed them--he had been accustomed
to danger aud peril, and toni, from his iuian-
cy-and he was well acquainted with the
.urnoi!s and troubles oi a life III the West.
His old rifle aud his dog were his constant,
companions, and Wallace never vpniured
into the forest without one or both Of them.
The stay OF Fanny Gray at the cabin Of
his father, though bIiei, had queer effect
upon Wallace. He had rarely met with
women III that lonely country, ahd tho he
could not account for II sitter she left the
humble dwelling " hich had sheltered them.
temporarily, lac had a strange and longing
desire to visit her tUther's cabin.
There was daily something he could do fer
old Mr. Gray, some advice he could give,
some handlwork he could perform, some
, help he could render to the novice in the
woods, which he deemed would prove
acceptable TO her father; and almost any
time, for weeks, you might have found
Wallace at Mr.. Gray's settlement. He
met Fanny there; he showed her thou.
sand novelties which she never dreamt Of.
! in the vicinity he played with her brother
Frank--whom she dearly loved-in short,
he found occasion to pass great deal Of
time at Mr.. Gray's where he performed
many good Offices Tor the father, while he
enjoyed rap'urons pleasure in the society
Of his pretty and aiiec,iouaie daughter.
! On bright afternoon, it had been their
custom oiteniimes to wander away together
IN the woods, or 10 the margin Of the river.
Fanny was a dear lover Of the pictures que.
and IN thetowering. massive forests-by the
nm OF the cehtle stream-abrUad upon the
hllocks-she constantly met with some new
feature, some brighter spot IN nature, than
she had hitherto seen, TO reward her search
and CRAFTY her fonhness for the sublime and
beautiful; until, at last, familiar with the
neighborhOod, she would saun,er away a.
lone, or in company only with Aer little
brother-ih0uch he had often been caution.
ed never TO leave the cabin cut Of sight, in
her roaming.
But autumn came. Eight month, had
elapsed since Roger Grey came to reside
IN the spot where he had now located him.
SELF, and asihe day was fine, Fanny ven.
tured forth, rather later IN the afternoon
than was her wont, and with her brother
chngipS on her arm, she trotted away to-
wards small hill, some quarter of mile
distant. n favorite haunt Of hers, latterly,
and quite within the bounds Of her parents
rcstrlction'-iOr from it's summit, which
she irequestly climbed she could always see
the smoke which curIcd from the chimney
Of her fathers hut. With light step aud
a merry heart, she fastened to the wood
close by, and in few minutes the children
were out Of sight.
Scarcely had they disappeared, when
Wallace made his appearance with ri.
ie III hand, before the entrance of Cray's
dwelling.
'Csme in said Roger, kindly.
Not now, please YOU.
'Why not =
Nothing. Where is Miss Fanny
'Shc has Just gone out ilowcr. huntiuc.'
u only wanted tn say that size had better
avoid the mound yondcr- where she loves
10 ~ :" often
whats the matter Wallace
'No, much,' continued the youth. Tpav.
ed there yesterday evening, and a, the cas-,
side OF ihe hiIl, you remember, there is n
narrow cleft between the two rocks which
form the hlun.'
'Yes, recollrct q sort of n cavc.'
$50 !, seems, though never knew j! be-
fore
swell, what oi,he cleft, Wal!arrf'
Nothing, sir, particular. That is, you
see, I've been through these grounds, a
good many wears, aud know panther
when see hum
"A what" exclaimed Gray, starting 10
his feet.
] a panther, sir, can tell him, even tho
| see nothing hu, his tall
swell, Wallacen continued Gray, anx.