Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1854-04-20
From the Cincinaa, Commercial.
HELLO W~TREE HOME:
A ROMANCE OF THE WEST
~. HAISTEAD.
coScLUDED.
lCCNCLUDED.l
CHAPTER X.
BY NJ. UALSTEAD.

Matters were gloomy at the Station.
zrben Capt. CdmpGeld and his rangers
rvhe survived the am buscade, returned
without Patsy and Mary. Richard Car
<oIl had s+vora that he would never re-
turn witsout The girls. and ne came not
back. The old hunters said OF him. with
sorrowful respect, that he had kept his
word. If he had kept Others of his words
as vel ss those of his iinpetuous vow TO
-escre the captives. how different might
have heeR his end--another death couch
<han bloody snow -d.ift. fair soft hand
10 have slaeo;hed i, il his had heen an
uniin.ely death. and eyes to gaze into. III
which lore would have shown tender aud
melting. like the sky ia april. when the
sunshine streams through the sweet rain
Around the station lowered the forest
all shropIed In snow, white. liieiess
slaaseuci.Y. s'.UttinS cut tie world The
few settles. hovsed within their narrow
clearing, beAinj slender picket walls.
wese loaely as d ships crew becalmed IN
q solitary s.a. They seemed 10 inhale
dsspondcncy with the air, and not even
the great glowing fires cracking over the
anp!e hea.ths. would. for time. impart
a sparkle oe cheerfuiness TO their chilled
blood.
The boldest rangers still secured the
woods. to guard against the approaches
Of the insidious foe. ard supply the set
tiers with game, which was yet their
chief depe ndence for subsistence.
Wild Cat Ben Johnson. though dis
heartened, was uncolquerab BILE. and spent
two thirds OF his time in the woods. hunt
ing and watching. His forti,ude and
courage were glorious. He braved the
s,olns Of Sieet that r0ared sometimes
through the woods. and turned on his
heel for threatening peril. Wild beasts
nor wild men had not terrors 20 turn him
back With his good rife, and keen knife
and hatchet. he kept long and lonely
watches. and made extensive journeys.
only returning home to sit for few
hours by the fire with his dear 'old wo-
man. always taking her load of the
finest game the woods afforded, and al
ways commanding his son John to be con-
tented to stay near at home, for the 'old
woman could i'll afford to lose them both.
Ii would no: do for both to go into the
sane battle again-each had too nearly
bade fare ewell 20 all hopes and fears. oD
former accession.
OF such stuff were the forest tanners
with rough hands and faces. and rude
garments. cheeks that would glow at wo-
mans smile, and hearts at once tender
and dauntless. Aye. il required b.ains
with unders tanding. and strong hearts.
and firm hands. alike ready TO caress or
smite, TO hew and dig homes out of the
gigantic forest. making the bowling de-
sert bloom.
1t must be dreary when on storm
reused sea, TO feel the shadows Of nigh.
gather and settle down upon the tum5
ling waves, while the sky is blackened
with murky vapors. and the wind means
through the rigging, and when the deep
night comes on. to See the fierce waves
leap up. their cfests glaring with foam
white in the darkness: but it is more dis !
malIy impressive than to be alone in the
painless woods, when the night glooms
fast, when the sky is srched out by thick
branches in whose embrace ghostly shad-
ows have their lair, when the rising storm
wind is far above. screechiDg among the
lofty tops that creak as they sway. while
below is heard the wall of night birds.
and the snarling cry Of prowling mon
s.ers in search of prey. and from each
spot of tbickest darkness fancy beholds
the glitter of malignant eyes. and the
CLEAN of teeth between which is a tongue
burning with thirst for blood. and the
soughing Of each current of air that surg
es down from the teetering tops and stirs
the underbrush. seems the breathing of
some huge. sntideluvian creature. pre-
served through decades of centuries to de- i
your you?
There is q pleasure in the pathless woods.
There is rapture on tie lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes.
BY the deep sea, and mnSic in its roar