The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-03-30
Horticulture, Commerce Manufactures. .arts, Sc


ter all. that both the young gentlemen should
visit Lefty. this evening, for it was bright
enough with its bAlmy air, and large round
moon, TO WOO any man to visit the woman of
his seeking. Ofceurse, the merchant and the
miller conld not have regarded each other with
very complacent feelings, and probably each
wished the other thousand miles of. notwith-
standing they met quite as cordially as rivals
could be expected to do
Bnt somehow the conversation Jagged ex-.
ceedingly. At last Jason proposed to Seth
that they should go down, to the grove in
search of Lefty, to which the latter gladly
assented. .---..t, 5e..ss-z f...- sss
She did look like picture as she knelt
there, piling up the dead old tree boughs
while the shadows aud moon beams danced
restlessly over her figure, as restless as they. =
The young men came suddenly upon her,
and she sprung up with little shrek and a
bounding. of the blood into her cheeks-but
her laugh, oh, that was like all sorts of sweet
sounds. as it ran ripping off to the echoes of
Blueberry Hill
Well you've come, aud now shall set
you straight to work, young gentlemen, said
the girl, with that dainty, fatteriug motion
of the head, so natural to, and so graceful in
some women. l.5zt
.Of course you will. We're ready to obey
orders, Lefty was the simultaneous response
of the young men; aud the dainty merchant
and the handsome miller set themselves Wig
orously at work; and the. voices of the two
mingled loudly and merrily, as they piled up
the branches of pine, and birch. and hemlock.
Lefty affirmed that the sugar boiling was like
ly to he the ensiest she ever tended, now all
the trouble of gathering the fre-wood would
be over.
g Fl ark didn't you hear a strange kind of
noise p and Lefty lifted her head very sud.
denly, and stared eagerly and anxiously
around her.
It's nothing. Lefty, but the sap dropping
into the tubs answered Jason, as he added a
fresh handful of boughs to the rapidly increas-
ing pile
No, it isn't the sap. There, hear it again.
It's rustling among the. branches.
They all heard it nov; it was a strange,
stealthy. mysterious sound, that heard in the
woods, and 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
to her. She was standing few PAGES from
them. Ler face white and rigid, as though
death had struck suddenly at her heart
! There was something in that stony face that
chilled both the young men, and they sprang
eagerly towards her, crying Lefty! what is
the matter ?
They saw what it was then, and the faces
of those two strong men grew white as the
/ girls; for there, peering out with their wild
glaring hunger lighted eyes, from the low
under brush, were two large bears, crouchel
down ready to spring upon them.
r The young mems question broke the spell
which transfixed Lefty Pease. With Low
shrek she broke past her companions. ant
with cry fearful in its rage the animals rushet
out. t-'
Jason Williams followed her for the mel
I had no weapons-those beasts. wild, savag
hunger-mad, ard the love of life was stron,
within him-no wonder that he soon outstrip
ped the girl, whose, trembling limbs were
poor match against her pursuers #l
1t was fearful race. They gained upol
in ha fret fo of
r help ,herl' groaned the white lips of Set
Peters. And God heard that prayer, moane
out in that terrible agony. There gleame'
9 out suddenly upon him, from among the gra
, tangled grass of the last year, large ak
8 which Enoch had ground sharply three day
before, TO make an incision into the mapl
trunks, and had thrown down there in haste o
= forgetfulness H
8 Seth caught it up eagerly, and with a lou
{. shout he bounded forward. Lefty was nearl
. half across the lot, but it was not large ONT
9 and in her blind terror she had taken Gil
cuitous route which the bears had folowet
= so that the distance between them and Set
s was only a few rods. He shouted to Lett
e to turn round into the meadow; it was strang
/ that she heard him call but she did, and il
e stincfively obeyed. Il
0 A run of few yards, which the young ma
e accomplished quicker than our pen has wri
If ten it. brought Seth face to face with the vii
t, animals. 1t required stout heart to col
D. front those swo raging, raving. ferociouj an
is mails, but Seth Peters thought only tn,
e death was close to the woman he loved.
n A moment more and it had reached her,
,s The hot breath of the beasts drifted almo
q across her flying feet as the miller rushed
le her; from turning towards the meadow 81
ell had shortened the distance between him al
: and herself; indeed, at the farthest it bad BEE
70 only few rods. The foremost animal can
sh up to the young man--the heavy paws we
,e planted upon his shoulders. Now, Seth P
er ters, stout arm and brave heart will only avi
It. you-the axe comes down heavily-it h
done its work well Do you see the bear sill
Ill back with. that growl of terror and of pal
be while the hot blood gurgles up from his Gle
1t throat
he Its mate sees all this, and with aresponsi
,p howl of fright and despair, rushes back to Il
v ! woods, and Seth is safe.
en- Lefty Lefty ! they are gone 7 The vol
swells loudly and triumphautly to the ear
nll the poor girl, who, still imagining the bes
III, are pursuing her, rushes on wildly in the
all rection of her home. She pauses momel
he But the clear, strong, triumphant voice sen
new tide of hope bounding through her so