Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1866-11-14
Mistetlan It..
THE ICE RAFT.
BY ARTHUR l.. MEsERvr.


"oeh You can see your way. The ice is
getlng weak and there are holes in many
places. WEIGH make it dangerous for those
not used to the way" ua.H
J But l know every inch of this lake,
landlord. Many are the times when there
was not house along its shore, that
have trapped half the fall and winter in
sight it and more times than one built my
camp fire on the ice, and sought for the
fish beneath it. Thank ye kindly for the
warning, cap'n, but if these chaps don't
feel like backing out, we'll 60 over the
lake tonight"
mo danger of that, Ben," said l. "We
are in a hurry to get home as soon as pos
sible. aud we had rather walk tonight
than not. How far do you call it across,
landlord ?" ....
"Some fifteen miles, | think, to the
nearest point of land bnt wouldn't
wounder if you had to 60 further than
that tonight. The river that comes in at
the head of the lake is open, and it is very
likely it has thaved quite channel down
into the lake However, you can keep
straight across, and if you find that to be
the case, you can follow it down until you
come tot the firm ice. 1t may make little
extra travel, that is all" .....
1.-The moon will be up by that time" |
f,a id. at rises at ten. and the river you
saw is we'll eyer to the other side That
will give us light to get across the chan
mel without danger"
moon or no moon, | can cross the LAKE,
y broke in Ben. There is not spot |
, should not klow with my eyes shut.
The current is pretty strong there but
I do not think it has been warm enough yet
TO thaw open the lake: but if it will only
| make matter Of a little more travel
: We must run the risk, and take the short.
, est cut across" 81
# LEAD co. Ben we are ready. Good-by
: landlord when we come this way agolr
we will Try aud make longer stop will
+. you"
ayes, cap'n; that ar whiskcy of your
l. is good. and am not man to Sigh
p that; and | must say that bear. steak a
supper was the incest ever eat Goo
e luck to ye, and you will see me agin mex
v fall. if I've not gon under"
At take care and not 60 under the ice
T. and lok out for the wolves" shouted, as
IS last caution, as we turned away from hi
: cabin and went down upon the ice, tina
S tretched away before us until it was los
i'd in the blackness of the night
n Then varmiuts wont be apt to troubl
&c US to might, unless there is big pac
de hanging round the shore, and the win
should be right for them to scent u.s.
as few of em never venture out in an ope
81 space like this The speaking varmin
"a amt got no courage unless there is crow
u of EN- togather."
"a A word now as to whom we we're, al
Z, to whittier bound, and then we go on wit
u. our story. There were three OF us-fra'
" Hardy, Ben Grant and myself Frai
at and had been on business some hundr'
&c miles from the town in which VIC reside
EFT and when inst on the point OF returni'
ms nv the same route we had come we Il
IN with .Old Ben." as he was know
ur. among the trappcrs and traders wi
re- re- whom we were we'll acquainted, and WI
in learning our intention of immediately s.
mr.. ting out for home prevailed upon us
CO, accompany him, taking short cut acre
- lots.p as he expressed it, by doing win
"a we should save nearly third Of the d
lance. though we should have to make !
sIs entire journey on foot. instead Of by sta
"a we had intended. We wanted to
ssi. the country, and we liked the society
for Old Beu--so we provided ourselves W
r. snow shoes for it was the first Of Mar
the and the snow still lay as deep as In IN
one winter. although travelling was not 50 !
- as II would have been then, as the sun
tbs, Is melted the top Of the snow little FORM
int. a crust. through switch we did MOI 81
cyl enough tie gather the frost as we Wake
Of We we're armed, each Of us with n
s o,as aud while Frank and had little else
'ves carry, Old Ben had an axe and "a