Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-01-09

other light tap at the door, and in answer
to widow Peaso's "come iu,p the miller
made his appearance.
II was not so remarkable q coincidence,
after all, that the young men should both
visit Lefty this evening, for 1t was bright
enough with its balmy air, and large round
moon, TO WOO any man to visit the woman
Of his seeking. OF course, the merchant
and the miller could not have regarded
each other with peculiarly complacent
feeling; and probably each wished the
other q thousand miles Of, notwithstand-
ing they met quite as cordially as rivals
could be expected to do.
But somehow tho conversation Jagged
exceedingly, and at last Jason proposed TO
Seth that they should go down to the
grove in search Of Lefty, to which tho
latter gladly consented.
She did look like a picture, as she knolt
there, piling up the dead old tree boughs,
while tho shadows and the moonbcams
danced restlessly over her figure, as rest
less as they are.
The young men came suddenly upon
her, and she sprang up with a little shrek
and bounding Of the blood into her
cheeks-but her laugh, oh, that was like
all sorts Of sweet sounds, as 1t ran rippling
off to the echoes Of Blucberry hill
"well, you've come. aud now shall
set you straight to work, young gentle
men," said the girl, with that dainty, flut-
tering motion OF the head so natural TO,
and so graceful in some women.
"Of course you win. We're ready to
obey orders, Lefty" was the simultane-
Gus response of tho young men; and the
dainty merchant and the handsome mil
Ter set themselves vigorously to work; and
ind the voice Of the trio mingled loudly
and menily as they piled up the branches
of pine and birch, and hemlock. Lefty
affirming that the sugar boiling was likely
to bo the easiest she over tended, now all
the trouble Of gathering the frc-wood
would bo over.
"Harkl didn't you hoar strange kind
Of noiser aud Lofty lifted her head sud-
denly, and stared eagerly around her.
"Irs nothing Lofty, only the sap drop
ping into the tubs" answered Jason, rs
he added fresh handful Of bopghs to
the rapidly increasing pile.
mo, IL isn't the sap. There, hear Il
again. It's rustling among tho branch
es.D
They oil heard II now; II was a strange,
stealthy, mysterious sound, that, heard In
the woods, aud at night, Is perhaps more
startling than any other.
A faint shrek suddenly broke from
Lefty, which drew the gaze Of both the
young men 10 her. She was standing Q
few paces from thom, her face white and
rigid, as though death had struck sudden.
ly at hor heart. There was something IN
that stony face that chilled both the
young mon, and they sprang eagerly TO-
ward hor, crying, Lefty what Is tho mat
ter ?"
They saw what II was then, and III,
faces Of those two strong men grow white
as tho girls; for there, poering out will
their wild, glarlng, hunger lighted eyes
from tho low underbrush, wcrc two larg,
bears, crouchod down ready to spring up
on them.
| Tho young mons question broke the
spell Of horror which had transfixed Lefty
Peasc. With q low shrek she sprang
past her companions, and with cry fear
ful In its rage and hunger, tho animal'
rushed out.
Jason Williams followed her, for tn,
mon had no woapons-thosc boasts were
wild, savage, hungcr-mad, and the love o.
life was strong within him-no wonde
that he soon outstrIpped tho girl. who's,
trembling limbs wero poor match agains
her pursuers.
i II was fearful race. They gained up
on her In tho first few rods. "God o
Heaven help her p groaned the whit
|, lips of Seth Peters. And God heard tha
prayer, moaned out In that terrible agony
There cleaned out suddenly upon him
from among the gray, tangled grass of tn
last year. a large axe, which Enoch hat
ground sharply threo days before, /
T make an incision in tho maple trunk,
and thrown down there in haste or care
: lessness.
Seth caught 1t up eagerly aud with
loud shout he bounded forward. Lett
D was nearly half across the lot, but 1t wa
, not large one, aud in her blind terror sh
D had taken circuitous route, which tn
a bears had followed, so tho distance be
r tween Seth and thcm was only a few rod
$ lie shouted to Lefty to turn round int
n the meadow /; II was strange that sh
!, heard him, but she did, and instructive
ly obeyed.
A run Of afew yards, which the youn
Q man accomplished quicker than our pc
s has written IT. brought Seth face to fac
d with tho wild animals. II required
o stout heart to confront those two ragin,
,r ravening animals, but Seth Peters though
10 only that death was close to the woman
Is loved.
A moment moro and IL had reache
d her. The hot breath Of the beasts drif
10 cd almost across her flying feet, as the mi
d Ter rushed by her; for in turning towar,
4, the meadow sho had shortened the dl
70 tancc between him and herself; indeed
farthest II had only been few rods.-
If Tho foremost animal camo up TO n