The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-01-13
THE DOUBLE DANGER.

Among the earliest settlers OF Wood
stock, a beautiful town in the Green
Mountain State, was man by the name
of Sloey, who had left his early home
near the ca, and following the wind
ings of the new Connecticut, had at
last pitched upon a place in the wilder
ness, where he erected his cabin, and
then commenced an onslaught upon
the giants of the forest thai rear their
heads in stately grandeur about him,
but gave way beneath his relentless
strokes, and In a couple of years he had
quite an open space encircling his cab
i'll. During this time he had lived
alone, but when the second autumn
came another journey was taken to the
old home by the sea, and when he re-
turned young wife bore him company,
to share with him the joys and priva-
tons incident to a pioneer
Three years came and went, and the
clearing had greatly enlarged its Dor
ders, although no arms but his labored
within its bounds. The trees that at
first came up to the cabin had now re-
treated to a respectable distance, and
the ground they had once occupied was
now usurped by fourishing crops that
cheered the heart of the settler, and
encouraged him to still greater exer.
ton
The three years spent in the forest
by the young couple had been those of
peace and coktentment. \ son was
born to them at the commencement of
the second year of their married life.
and who was, at the time the adventure
we are about to relate transpired, nearly
two years old, and as bright a little fell
low as ever cheered the hearts of
parents, whose very life seemed bound
up in that of their child.
The nearest neighbors Of Sloey were
more than three miles away through
the forest, SO that it was seldom they
saw others than themselves. The set
tier was too much occupied with his
work to pay much attention to making
visits. and the distance was so great
that it was not safe for his wife to 90
alone, as the forest swarmed with wild
beasts, which rendered the night hid
eous with their cries. Bears and pan
theirs abounded, bat the wolves were
the most to be dreaded and proved the
greatest annoyance; for often they
would gather around the cabin at early
dusk and keep up their horrid cries
until the early gray of the dawn sent
them bowling into the dim a sizes of the
forest and up the dark ravines among
the mountains, where shadows almost
ike those of night Iurked all through
the day.
One day late in October business
called the settler to the nearest settle
ment of Importance in that section,
which CHANGED to be some eight miles
distant and he set out early in The
morning, telling his wife she need not
look for him till nightfall, as il was
very uncertain what time he would be
able to accomplish his business, and it
might be that he would not be at home
until late in the night, but come he
would before he slept, unless some I'M
foreseen event interposed to prevent it.
Bending over his child that was Sleep
ing in the bed, he kissed it, and then
having bestowed the same mark Of af-
lection upon his wife, he babe her be
careful not to stir from the cabin or to
allow the child to wander from her
sight, for fear that some harm might
come to them from the wild beasts.
With this caution, which she promised
readily to observe, he threw his rifle
over his shoulder and took his way
across the clearing, and his wife watch
ed him from the doorway until the for
est thicket hid her from his sight.
The morning had given promise of a
beautiful day, which assurance was
well kept until little past meridian,
when the wind changed to the east
ward, and dark clouds began to obscure
the sky to the south and east, giving
strong indications that storm was
right at hand. Busy with her work.
and the care OF her boy, Mrs. Slcey did
not notice the approaching storm until
when the sudden darkness
that seemed all at once to throw a deep
gloom about the cabin reminded her
that the night and storm were close at
hand, and going to the doorway she
gazed anXlously towards that point in
the forest whence she expected to get
the first sight other husband.
Although her gaze was long and ear
nest, 1t was not rewarded by a glimpse
of her husband then with look at
the dark clouds that seemed to hem
the little clearing in as if with a huge
pail, she tried to calculate how long It
would be before the rain would begin
to fall, and to guess the distance her
husband might be away, and the
chance he had of reaching home before
the storm
Standing in the doorway the gloom
seemed to her to deepen every moment
while the wind that had been signing
dsmally in the forest died away. leav-
ing everything almost as still as death.
Inc Kettle singing on the hearth re
called her to the fact that she had
commenced preparing supper, and
turning away from the door, she an
preached the rude stone fire place. and
paying due attention to what was cook
ing there she approached the bed upon
which the boy Was sleeping, and found
the air of the fast deepening night APP
peared to strike him where he lay. Not
caring to close the door, as she wished
to catch the first sound of her husbands
footsteps on his return, she bethouoht
herself of a quilt that was in the loft,
which she could spread upon the bed
without disturbing her little son.
Listening for moment to make sure
no footsteps were approaching, she as
cended the rude ladder, and felt her
way along in the darkness the loft was
with windows-to the spot
where she supposed the object of her
search to be lying, but it was not there.
Elthe she or her husband had moved
t, and cropping her way about in the
gloom, she, after a few moments delay,
IN finding it, and taking it
On her arm. she aDDrOorhe6 the lander