Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-11-25
BOOB. .OF.TRAVEL SKETCHES.
BY AlToH.

n,cr w,nu an, m,,,vn,,,
~ ~ ''
twas nine o'clock on an evening il
| late sutumn, and we we're comfortabl,
bou,ea with "IJnclap vanoa walL.r a
o' ' .
Ine ioot e Oh one OF tne ioi'lest spurs OF th'
Southern Alleghanies The inevitable
"gap wind" had arisen as usual at tbis
bonr and came bowI;no down from N.
~, m, -,
craegy peAK 81 va inupuer-neso' coic
ana ooietereus yet tue nicEory nre or
the broad hearth of the old-fashioned fire
place cast q warm and cheerful glow
around the room, and made ell comfort
able within. .y,tsas
There were two old huntersi in the com
psny, and the evening had been mostly
spent 10 their recital OF adventures among
the -wilds of the neighboring mountains.
Sam. Walker arose during pause 70 the
conversation, opened the door AID looked
out atthe night. 1t was very dark, with
no moon, aud the few twinkling stars that
looked down through the narrow gap be
tween the encroschlng mountains gave
but q feeble light. ld
A fresh blast OF WIND came sweeping
down the dark valley, drowning the roar
of the swollen river. Sam snutfsd the
cold air with all an old hunters keen ap-
probation OF it's freshness and purity.
Oh, hallo| he exclaimed, turning
his ruddy face toward the lire as ne
closed the door. " Ii there ain't foet
of snow on the mountains tonight, then
I've missed my calculation a rod II
well, wouldn't care about being
there tonight. if that's the case, said
one.
Massa sakes ! : replied Sam, shrug-
ging his broad shoulders, aud winsing
shrewdly under his heavy eyebrows lis
just the right time to kill bear. I'm
thinking l could turn once heels up to-
morrow morning, IT | was now on Boat
Mountain" ~ af
.,""Wonldn't you be afraid to be there
alone tonight, Uncle Sam2" asked little
Andy, who sat eagerly drinking in every
word that fell from the lips of the hunter.
Afraid said the latter. wv hat in
the world should be afraid of up there 2
"Why, painters, and bears, and wolves,
aud all the other wild animals" replied
Andy.
".Well," said the hunter, jocrnlarly,
"you see they hsin't eat me up yet, aud
don't intend they shall, though they We
tried mighty hard to do it, and came
pretty nigh succeeding once or twice, too,
I reckon. 1t was most such night as
this, only o deal colder and blustrier,
when the painters got after me that time,
over on the Big Balsam Mountain"
"Tell us about it, Uncle Sam, won't
You 2" Andy asked, with eager interest.
whew! said Sam. if was TO tell
you about that tonight, you wouldn't
darst to 90 out of doors alone arter dark
for the next month to come"
"Tll risk that if You'll tell us the
story.r'replied Andy brsvely.
"Well, now, lad, if you see whole
regiment of painters on the porch to-
night. don't you 90 to cay put 'em there,
for didn't," said Sam $50 here goes
about it. II happened while old Sol
Benedict and were out together The last
time before the old man winked out; and
let's see-that was nigh onto two year
ago now. II was the second day we had
been out We took the crown of the
mountain in our way. past the Little
Bald and the Big Bald, aud all the rest
of them, on the first day; but finding the
timber all broke down, and the game
pretty nigh cleared out in that range, by
the great sleet and hail storm, we drifted
over onto the side Of the Big Balsam
Mountain" s, -. ts,ltaa al s.
"About 10 o'clock that morning. we
separated. Sol took one route and took
another, to meet again, sometime that
p;pht, at 9 certain camp on the other
side of the mountain. You see, we
couldn't quite agree on the best route
for game, so each went his own way, and
followed il for that day. a4ls. .gEN
81 skirted the mountain to the west
and south, about half way between the
bottom and the top, and dragged myself,
for the best part of that afternoon,
through about the nastiest balsam and
hemIock thicket / ever did see on any
mountain. And how such a shaggy,
clumsy beast as bear ever could manage
to get more than bis sharp nose through