Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1867-08-30
NO. 81 PARIS MAINE FRIDAY AUGUSr On toe7

- ~ NV NfANe2 away INTO The
middle Of lonesome. woody places and tore
20 bits. just a. cunning as the cd Harry.
that beast Is. Yes; that's the reyTar In.
Jun devil. Guess I'll step out and see 10
the green hand a BIZ he'll be for gallivan,-
in of for to ssve a woman or a babv Io.,
IN The holiers." And shortly aiterw.rd
the logger returned. brining Clement be-
siee him. and sitting down. entertained
him tai midnigh, With a recital Of all ,be
horrors pioneer can have 20 tell.
IL Was The next morning that. aocording
70 previous agreement. the two friends
started out after deer. trscks having been
seen on the day before They feIt no.
sufficiently acquainted With the situation
Of things 20 dispense with guide perhaps.
besides. they mutually desired 20 De alone
With one another. II this last "a, their
object. however. il was soon frustrated.
SINCE. following the trail. the broken crust
Of the deep snow. the soft-liPped browsing
OF black birch stems. they Suddenly Lost Z,
altogether. and were obliged 10 separate in
order the sooner 70 strike ia again. Ia
seemed wisest % Clement TO trace a Little
frozen brOoklet down TO its outlet. on
meadow just where there was a break in
the forest that Immediately beyond the
marsh began again. and bent on. denser
and darker and wilder. into the north. As
he did 50 he noticed tracks again along the
bank. lie vas quite right; there we're
tracks lie hAllOwed 10 Hervey. bat re-
oeIved no answer. IL ~As too exciting 70
daily. and after another halo be plunged
along. every moment surer. and making
certain that he Vas upon the path Of some
Young buck. for the footprints in the snow
-ere evidently those Of long agile bounds.
iill ihey left the bank and went along upon
the rec Of the frozen brook. There was a
ighi snow falling just enough 70 sheaibe
the ice. son. SLOW. showery fall OF large
feathered fakes. That The trail was recent
was evident from the fact that one by one.
as be went following. there we're the foot
prints set before him IN the thin damn
snow. Clement pursued bis way. on 6re
now with eageTness 70 bring down tie
game himself AtlAst tie brook debouch-
sd upon the marshy meadow. springing.
spongy mos. IN summer time Il fed. The
meado~. toe. was 4 sheet Of ice. Overflow.
ed IN a freshet Of autumnal rains, and then
frozen. and half way across i: there rose
the stem Of a single tree. its few branches.
only hall sheltered by the great ampiihea-
ter Of The pine forest. all bent one uay
with the Wind, bat each bough sial-art as a
hoor itself Il was directly TO the foot OF
this that the track OF the deer led. one
print falling before another. and there they
stopped. Clement rubbed his ewes IN Der
Piexiiy-then he glanced up At the tree a
seoond-but When in. natural history. had
deer or moose been known to take % the
trce( Yet here the track ceased. And Al
loss lie reirAoed them again-perhAps !,
VA Just then that the snow began 10 fan.
20 that they started from there and ven,
into the wood from the meadow uifh r..
one tree. instead Of the reverse As b. bat
at frst supposed. Yet upon reaching tbs
dark wood again. he persuaded himself
that be Vas wrong nov and right before.
that the deer had gone from the tree /:
and What had become ofhim then. whether
be- had made a leap Of few acres or 80.
or whether be had vanished into AR. va
yei 70 be discovered. Again Clement FOL-
loved the prints and found himself a. the
tree. Whether g vas from curiosity or
from Idle wandering Of the mind be stopped
alstractiy and brushed the thin veil oi
snow from the see. A sudden shudder
swept over him from top to toe. The ioe
uas scratched. These we're no deer tracks
bot tbe print OF feet armed With long claus.
the feet Of some deadly beast. In a cold
horror be rose and stared instead of glancsI /
into the tree. and a. be did 80. his hs-
einaied gaze was suspended on the eye
ball. giaring Ike live coal. Of a halthid-
Den face that giored 81 him from beneath
the iouer Lanchcs. a hairy. fcrocioas.
brute face. panther or catamount or Indian
devil. with snarlinV. blood rci lips dravn
up. ,ts rough hide bristiing its wiil fierce.
savage .pirt kindling its ta~ny fame 20
thc hthe leap Fhght oi course vas oui
oi the question. No one ~ouil have beard
Dim had be- called for help. ilc hal hi.
90 right arm to trust to; pethsf.. there
vas that in his soul to-day ubich CAV,
the encounter certain reii.h. so to uori
od Dis srafh an2 spleen and woe mizi'
BE- vcll Ho dropped upon his knee that
he might the better command the orcatare
9th b. aim the last. vith ios. rapa-
c'ou' grosi. cautiously drew up BIS ba1nrh-
es -o spring. In that moment the rercus-
ion rln .nann.l. III. III. ". n.-Ir... lLa