The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-07-27
4 Memorial Journey.

| more than thirty years ago, ana a.
my pen is seldom used except in {
! business way, l must ask the indul
/ gence Of my readers If / prove some
what gaTrUlOus.
Though late in the season, / resolved
] to carry out a long cherished plan, thai
of making a hunting tour through the
famous-and then not as well known
north woods. Ii was with a feeling
OF freedom and excitement ! at length
set out on my journey. At Ogdens'
burgh, / met an old class-mate going
with a party of hunters i'm the forest, q
cordial invitation 10 accompany them
was readily accepted.
! found them genial, whOle-sOuled
fellows, whose numerous adventures
and narrow escapes formed the subject
of many an hours entertainment, a.
we sat around the camp-fires, the star
gemmed sky our canopy. Iremained
with them two weeks, gaining new
strength each day. A tTifiing matter
of business at that place decided me
at once to start for Montreal. After q
short stay there, l found it necessary
to go to Quebec.
at once made myself and business
known to the firm, with whom we
were in correspondence, and was cor
daily received by the senior member
With true Scotch hospitality he urge d
me to make his house my home dur
ing my stay; and when / declined
insisted on procuring quarters for me
with "A widow, who lodged some
of his friends, saying, / would be
disappointed in the hotels, as they
were greatly inferior to those of the
States. This arrangement proved for
tunate, for at Mrs. McCloud's / formed
the acquaintance of q young man who
was going to a settlement beyond,
whittier / could accompany him, and
from that point, proceeding fifty miles
further west, TO reach a fur trading
station | desired to visit. As we were
about starting, an officer from the
garrison came to bid his friend good
bye, and advised me on leaving him
TO obtain a guide, as the remainder of
nv Journey was through a rough
country, which he-thOugh not a cow
ard-wOuld not care to travel alone.
His advice was not regarded, how
ever, when / found, on reaching the
settlement, that it was difficult to pro-
cure the services of any one.
It was a cloudy, bleak, November
morning, when / set of, after receiy-
ing minute instructions rs to the
course l should pursue. l logged on
without incident until late i'll the
afternoon, when gradually l became
aware of a sound other than that of
the wind which had borne me con-
slant company. Was it the echo of
my horses hOOfs? No; it was the
tramp of another animal, which soon
became so distinct that l knew my
solitary ride was soon to be interrupt
cd. For some time the horse man
kept far behind me, until prompted
by curiosity to see what my fellow
traveller was like, l slackened my
pace and allowed him to OvertaSe me.
He also was well mounted. His age
seemed about thirty-live, his figure
thick set and about the medium size;
his hair sandy, and curling closely to
his head; his complexion was fine,
despite sun and wind; his nose well
formed, and his mouth handsome.
Altogether his face was attractive,
combining intelligence with kindli-
ness.
As we rode on, side by side, and in
subsequent events, found him to be
a man of general information, acquir-
ed in actual contact with the wOIld.
A dark and stormy night was gath
ering round, and we were numb with
cold. While deliberating whether it
would he best TO light a fire and re-
main where we were for the night, a
far off light caught my eye. Could
there be dwelling i'm this wilderness?
At any rate we would approach the
light and ascertain. We shortly dis
covered among the trees, low, ramb-
ling building building, barn-like, and
fOrbidding in its appearance. After
some time we succeeded in finding the
door, at which I knocked loudly for
admittance. AnOId woman answered
the summons, holding a dim rush
light, that did not improve her repul-
siVe appearance. It would be difficult
to describe the color of her eyes, unless
their evil expression gave them a
greenish hue. Her face might have
been good i'm her youth, but was now
wTinkled and kideOus. told her our
situation, offering to pay well for a
nights lodging. She mumbled sOme-
thing in reply, and motioned us to fol-
low her. Cropping along narrow pas
sage, we We're admitted into what
seemed 4 family room or kitchen. At
the hearth, on which some logs were
smOuldering, sat an old man, who
looked up on our entrance and adj
dressed us in a foreign tongue.
My companion turned to the old
woman who let us in and said:
1--WE speak only English"
"That's we'll enOugh,n she answered
in a harsh voice. "pll take care of
you. Suppose you want something to
eat, though what l can give you will
hardly please such fine gentleman
1--WE shall be thankful for food, how
ever plain" l said.
She left the room, returning with
dried venisOn, coarse bread, butter and
two glasses filled with what shecalled
cordial. / satisfied my appetite, tast-
ed the drink, but not liking it, left it
standing. ] did not see my cOmpan-
ion drink his, though his glass was
empty when we left the table. He
seated himself on a bundle of skins
near the fire, while l endeavOred to in
terest myself in a late paper, though
unsuceessfully, for l soon began to
nod, The man, who had been caring
for our horses, now came in and
making a sign to the woman, she
asked me if 1 would like to 90 TO bed.
l said yes, and that my friend seemed
doing comfortably where he was.
She made no reply, but started for the
door.
On leaving the room / glanced back
toward the fire, over which the old
man was bending, his back toward
my companion, who, rs looked, sud
denly aroused himself, clesed his eye
with his finger, shook his head, as if
warning me against sleep, then drew
his finger rapidly across his throat
Confused and startled by this myste-
rious intimation, with 4 bewildered
leelIng, followed my conductor up q
flight Of rickety stairs, into a small
room, where q cot was prepared for
my use. The woman set the light
upon a stool which served as a table,
a HnrHN NrnH# MI Il. -.rmMa 4.