Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-12-01
VOL xiv. NEW SERIES, VOL. XVIII

1
oil piles around the tree, erawled into tn
nest, and passed night Of unbroken slum
Der: rose the next morning to find tina
during the night the Gre had communicate
with the adjacent forest and burned larg
space In all directions, doubtless intimdatin,
the rlghttul proprietor of the nest, and sav
ing me from another midnight adventure.
At Flower Falls | spent the fret half o
DAY IN capturing grasshOpper. and the re
malnder in iruitless effort to catch mes
oil trout. In the agony Of disappointment.
resolved to fish no more. spirit of rebel
lion seized me. / determined that thistle
should thenceforth be my only sustenqnce
why is it. | asked of myself. "that in tn,
midst of abundance, every hour meeting witt
Objects which would restore strength anl
yigor and energy, every moment c5ntriviue
some device to procure the nonrishment my
wasting frame required, / should meet with
these repeated and discOuraging failures.
thoughts Of the carly teaching of a pious
mother suppressed these feelings. Oh how
often have the recollections Of a loved New
England home, and the memories ola happy
chHdhood, cheered my sinking spirits, and
disslpated the gathering gloom Of despair
mere were thoughts and feelings and mental
angulshes without number, that visited me
during my period of trial, that never can be
known to any but my God and myself Bit
Ter as was my experience, it was not unre-
lived by some Of the most precious moments
| bave ever known.
Soon after leaving Tower Falls en-
tered the open country. Pine forest and
windiails were changed for sage brush and
desolaton, with occasional tracts of stunted
verdure, barren hillsides. exhibiting here and
there an isolated clumpof dwarf trees, and
ravi- Is filed with the rocky deIris OF adjacent
mountains. Ny first camp on this part OF
the route, for the convenience Of getting
wood, was made near the summit of a range
/ OF towering foothills. Towards morning d
storm Of wind and snow nearly extingui-hed
my fire. became very cold. the storm was
still raging when arose, and ihe ground
white with snow. ! was perfectly bewildetei
and had lost my course of travel. NJ visible
/ object, seen through the alm0s; binding
/ storm. reassured me, and there was NJ alter
native but TO find the river and take my di
Tectlon from its current. Fortunately, alter Il
/ few hours of stumbling and scrambling among
/ rocks and over crests. / came 10 the prccipi-
/ tous side Of the canon through which il ran.
and with much labor, both Of hands and feet
/ descended it to the margin. drank copiJus-
/ iy of ITS pure waters, and sat beside it for "a
/ long time, waiting for the storm % abatc, 30
/ that ! could procure fire. Toe day wore 0r.
without any prospect of a term nation 70 tie
storm. Chilled through, my tatJercd clothing
saturated. ! saw before me a night of horror,
unless returned 20 my fire. The scramble
up the side OF the rocky canon, IN many
/ places nearly perpendicular, was the hardest
work of my journey. Often while c.mging %
the lutting rocks with hands and feet 10
reach shelving projection, my grasp would
uuclose and ! would slide many feet down
the sharp dccliyity. lt was night when. sore
from the bruises had received reached my
Ere; the storm. still raging. bad nearly ex-
tinguished 1t. J found a few embers H. the
ashes, and with much difficulty Huiiei
flame. Here. on this bleak mountain side
a- well as now remember. { must have
passed two nights beside the fire. in the
storm. Many times during each night ]
crawcd 70 the little c.ump of trees % gather
wood and brush, and the broken limbs of
fallen tree tops. All the sleep obtained was
-uatched from the intervals which divided
these iab1rs. lt was 80 harrasscJ wiki fright
iul dreams as 10 aiilrd little rest. I remcm-
ber, before ] left this camp.strippiug up mT
sleeves 20 look ar my shrunkeu arms The
skin clung TO the bones like wet parchment.
A chI!d's hand could have c.asped them from
wrist % shoulder Yet, " thought . "iti
death To remain, ! cannot perish n this vii
derness."
Taking counsel Oft this early formed re-1iu-
zion, ] h0bbled on lay course through the
snow, which was rapidly disappearing before
the rays Of the warm sun. Well knowing
that ! should find 10 tl'stle- in the open
country, } had filed my pouches with them
before leaving the forest. Ny supply was
running low, and there were set several days
OF heavy mountain travel between me and
B1tcler's ranch. With the most careful
economy, iJ could last hg- two or three dlys
longer. saw the necessity 0i placing MY
self and imaginary companions upon allow
auce. The conflict which en-ued with the
stomach. when announced tai- resolution.
required great trmncss 10 carry through
tried whecdlinc and claxine and promising
failing in these, I threatened to part compa-
ny with q comTade 50 unreasonable AMI be
made no further complaint.
Two or three DAYS before was 0ani,
while ascending a steep bin. ! fal from OK
hausti0n into the sage brush. without Tie
power ID rise. CnbucklinE my belt as was
my custom, ! soon fell asleep. have 10
idea of the time slept, but upon awaking
fastened my belt, scrambled - my feet. ana
pursued nay journey. As night drew on
selected camping-pace, gathered wood into
a heap, and felt for my lens to procure fire.
It was gone. 1t the earth had vawnei to
swallow me would u0t have been more ter
rihed. The only chance flr life was lost.
The last hope had fed seemed to feel the
grim messenger who had been So long pursu-
ing me knocking at the portals of my heart
as lay down by the side of the w0ld-ule.
and covered myself with limbs and sage
brush, with the dreadful conviction that nv
struggle for life was over, and that ! should
rise no more. The 100dgates of misery seem
ed now 70 be opened and ir rushed in living
tide upon my soul. With the rapiditv Of
lightning, ran over every event of my life.
thoughts doubled and treblei upon me until
saw. as If IN vision, the entire past of my
existence. Ii was all before Jas If painted
with a sunbeam. and all seemingly ladei ike
the phantoms OF a vivid dream
As calmness returned. reason resumed her
Portable. | summoned all the powers Of my
memory thought over every foot of the day E
travel, and concluded that the glass mast
have become detached from my belt while
sleeping Five long miles over the hills
must be retracod to regain it. There was 40
alternative, and before daylight had stag
gered over half the distance. found the
lens on the spot where had slept. No In
cident ofmy journey brought with IL more of
JOY and relief.
Returning to the camp of the previous
night ! lighted the pile had prepared. and
lay down for night Of rest. Ii was very
cold, and towards morning commenced snow
ing With difficulty kept the fire alive.
Sleep was impossible When daylight came
1 was impressed with the idea that must 20
on despite the storm. A ilash-momentary
but viyid-eame over me. that ! should be
saved. Snatching lighted brand, ! started
through the storm. In the afternoon the
storm abated and tie sun shone at intervals.
Coming to a small clump Of trees, set 10
work to prepare camp. laid the brand
down which ! had preserved with Sd much
care, to pick upa few dry sticks with which
to feed il. until could collect wood for q
camp fire, and in the few minutes thus en-
plQyed it expired. sought to revive it, bat
every spark was gone. Clouds obscurcd
the sun, now near the horiz)n, and the pros
pect ofanother night of exposure without fire
became fearfully imminent. / sat down with
my lens and the last remaining piece Of
touchwood possessed to catch a CLEAN Of
sunshine. feeling that my life depended upon
it. In few moments the cloud rassed. and
with trembling hands presented the little
disk to the face Of the glowing luminary.
Quiyering with excitement lest sudden
cloud should interpose, a moment passed be-
fore could hold the lens steadily enough to
concentrate burning focus. At length it
came. The little thread Of smoke curled
gracefully upwards from the IIeaven-lighted
spark, which, a few moments afterwards. DIFF
fused with warmth and comfort my desolate
lodgings.