The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-12-06

Provisions for week, for week, fol
a week" and counting the days on his
fingers and losing the count, and begin
ming over and over again, as if it were 6
puzzle upon the solution of which his
life depended. And so the fever ran to
the ninth day and turned. and the patient
fell into quiet sleep, and awoke toe
weak and languid to put words together
or to remember anything but that he had
suffered fearful nightmare and it was
over. 1t was perhaps the third day after
the fever turned that he suddenly took
up the thread of life where he had drop,
ped it, and asked:
"How long have l been a-layin' here,
Luz
Twelve days"
where's Ben and Uncle Si?"
why, you left 'em in camp, father. u
LEFT 'em in camp! Twelve days ago, v
he gasped, with weeks provisions!
[ shouldn't wonder if they were both in
heaven by this time! What hev you bin
thinking of all this while, eh?"
Il didn't know they had only week S
provisions" said Louisa, showing a
ghastly face; "and I had to look after
you anu Ino lever.
"Well, don't wait another minute
round me; just harness up old Roam and
Quickstep, and take some brandy and
things-and don't let 'em eat all they
want; make Cruel; keep 'em short.
Come, start yourself, and don't be stand
ing still like ghost and folks a-dying
for lack of you"
'And you?"
"Tl take care of myself, and soil
grandma. Roam and Quickstep can do
the distance by nightfall. Take my
gun to keep off the wolves, and little
Tim, and lantern"
But how shall find the way?" Lou
1sa was already inside her pelisse and
mufiers
''Bless you, a baby couldn't miss it;
the trees are notched with star every
half mile, on the left-hand side. There,
take Tim, and be off
And as there was not an able bodied
man short of Shopton at that season who
wasn't off logging, and as Grandma and
Susette could take care of her patient,
and Ben was starving without her, what
could she do but go?
And how were they faring in the camp,
sixty miles away in the heart of the
wood, which was almost like primeval
forest? After Mr.. Bruce's departure
they had gone about their work with
will; while Uncle Simon was busy on
the hovel for the cattle, Ben had walked
miles and miles through the sweet-scent
ed wood, spotting the timber; and suns
had risen and set, when one morning,
before the week was out, Uncle Simon
was surprised to see the bottom of the
meal-chest.
Tough luckP' said he, briefly; /" but
there's swamp pork to exc it out" And
he plunged his hand confidently into the
pickle, and had something of chase af-
ter two or three insignificant pieces
The two men looked at each other in
dismay for an instant
But he'll be back day after to-mor-
row." said Ben.
'But what if he shouldn't" asked the
older man, not SO sanguine.
"What can keep him? At any rate,
we've got legs of our own
Precious stiff ones mine are! It would
be a nice excursion, sixty miles afoot
Why, we shall freeze to deathl
well, let's wait; no use running from
your shadow"
And they waited.
Hell be sure to come tomorrow,
was the assurance with which they com
forted each other; and when tomorrow
passed without bringing him, 1--WE will
wait another day; perhaps the oxen
were disabled on the road" For a
cto hoI IN, ao1I
not much snow; just enough to make
the world look lovely. The wind sung
among the pines like the voice of angry
water courses, and splintered great
boughs in the forest, and uprooted blast
ed trees, and seemed like an invisible
presence haunting the recesses of the
wood-some impersonation of Thor,
whose touch was blow; and all the
while the snow built up its Aladdin
palaces, crystal by crystal; wreathed
about the living green, tapestried every
boulder, hid the dead leaves and hollows
under the screen, for it was by no means
deep; the weather was too bitter cold for
more than light fall, just enough to
drape nature gracefully in its folds, and
give promise of more to come.
Before the sky had cleared the last
mouthful of food had vanished, and ex-
cept for partridge that Ben had made
shift to kill with a club-for there were
no fire arms yet in camp-and a rabbit
taken in rude trap of their own. con-
struction, they had not eaten anything
for two days. But they were robust
men who would have tough fight with
starvation before succumbing; and then
there was no lack of water.
In the meanwhile they were almost as
much concerned for Mr.. Bruce as for
themselves. He might have lost his
way, they feared, or been overtaken by
the storm or the wolves; he might come
into camp at any moment too far reduc-
ed to help himself, and need their weak
assistance. Since their stomachs were
idle, their brains became corresponding
lv active with fearful imaginations.
Every day they proposed setting out to
walk home-but perhaps he would come
tomorrow; and then they hated to de-
sert their post; besides, the weather was
singing cold, and, reduced by hunger.
they might faint by the way, frost bitten,
or, unarmed, encounter Indian devils
and wolves! Whatever he might be able
to endure himself, Ben felt that Uncle
Simon's strength was utterly inadequate
to the struggle. They were beset with
thousand peradventures; there was
not only lion in the way, but all man
ner of perils, real and imaginary. So
they waited, perforce. watching the days
vanish in tender dream of color. and
the stars make their silent journey across
the deeps of heaven, and the mornings
dawn as the rose blooms, unfolding pet
al after petal of exquisite bloom. They