Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-04-15


shot with the rife, yet ten to one, but if
he got hold of a book, the enemy might
charge and ride over him ere he knew it. |
The widow felt that she could not have
him go ;-he was her ALL Mr.. Ordway |
hesitated what to advise, and little Su-
san,' now eighteen, and as pretty and au-
thoritative as ever, declared it was a real
shame-that he ought not to go and leave
his aged mother; that it was lonesome to |
have everybody go off; and that she was
almost ready to enlist and become a SOL
dier herself, rather than stay there mi
the woods so lonely!
While this grave question was undeci-
ded, young Redfeld one morning took his
rife, and went up the Kennebec to hunt
for moose. A moose is large species of
deer. If my readers never saw one they
have to imagine round fat horse, cut his
tail off short and leave him no tail, put
an ass head on him, with immense horns
sometimes weighing ninety pounds
give him long deer's legs and hoofs,and
you have pretty good moose. They
weigh as much, and often more than a
horse, and stand up much higher from
the ground. Daniel went up the river,
but night came and he did not return.-
This gave no uneasiness.
But after he had been gone two, three
and four days, the mothers heart began
to grow alarmed. There had been
great rain, and if alive and well, why
had he not come back ? She caught old
Shag and went down to consult Mr.. Ord
way. He at first thought the young man
had been unsuccessful, and had determin-
ed TO hunt till he got a moose. Susan
affected to laugh, and said he undoubt-
edly had found moose enough, but proba-
bly, had thrown book at them instead of
shooting; for her part she had no doubt
he was looking up the books which he
thus thrown away At the same time
| the poor girl stopped her sewing, her fin
gers trembled SOL Mr.. Ordway procur-
ed an old hunter, and they secured the
forest in search. They found his trail
and followed it up to Moosehead Lake,
where the Kennebec breaks ont so wild
ly and unexpectedly from that majestic
/. lake. There they found his hunting knife,
as if dropped carelessly; but no farther
could they trace him. The shore of the
wild lake was stony, and no marks Of the
| feet could be seen. In vain they shout
ed, kindled fires, and fired their rifles
, the echoes came down from far up the
5 lake, but no other response. Had he
fallen into the rapid river ?-they could
: find no traces of him.
5 After lingering and searching a couple
| of days, they returned towards home, oc.
2 casionly firing their rifles, each in quick
succession-the hunters sigrial-hoping
= though family, that he had reached home
4 But no, he was not there. 1t was pro
: found mystery. The widowed mother
D was almost crushed by the misfortune
5 Mr.. Ordway sent all the way to the army
}. to see if by any possibility his sons bat
:, seen or heard from young Redfeld, bu
: they had not. They had expected h,
e would have joined them before this. Sc
t it continued to be a profound mystery
y The mother made up her mind that b,
5 had fallen into the river somewhere, ant
is was drowned. Ordway nearly coincidet
IF with her in opinion. As for Susan, sh
Is didn't and she wouldn't believe, weak a
e he was, but that he knew enough to kee
= out ofthe water, or at least, to rise up al
i. ter he was dead, and float What he
e theory was, she never told but thoug
g she felt bad enough, it was not that chok
Ie ing grief which the death of our friend
N always brings. The old hunter ayerre
e that there was a mighty spirit by tn
W name of Kinneo, who owned that lax,
l., and who sometimes destroyed people wh
W came to his lake alone. His home ws
D. on a mountain in the middle of the lax
ut (now called Mount Kinneo,) where
ly carried his victims and ate them halfroas
is ed. And he consoled the mourners wit
es the assurance that be had no doubt b.
IL that they could find some of the your
mans bones the next season, throw
Id down the mountain
o Young Redfeld had been lost, not 70
n gotten, about two years, when a suite
e. every way prepossessing, presented hir
5 self at the brick house, and in the mo
ne proper way possible, offered his heart al
nd hand to Susan. To the surprise Of a
- she ciyilly declined beth, The your
ol- man besought her parents to interoe,
he for him. They did SO and to no purpo:
W. He then sought the aid of the Wido