Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-12-18

For several hours, through this inter
minable wood, we drove at a rapid rate,
but with no perceptible change OF scenery.
At last our faded animal came to dead
halt: and, by the light OF friction
match-that modern Distinguishing
to our watches, we came to the pleasant
conclusion that it was about bedtime, but
with no prospect of soft bed IN perspect-
i've.
However, something must be done !;
and leaving my companion IN charge Of
the vehicle, l set out on foot to ascertain
if anything like a human ha5ltatIon was
within hailing distance.
The rain was still falling in torrents.
| Now, albeit | am a great advocate for
! cold water, yet candOr compels me to &C
knowledge that there are times ana places
for its use. as we'll as bounds to the guam
titv: and the indiscriminate application
of immense doses from the shower bath
of thunder-cloud is anything but con-
ducive TO comfort. However, there was
20 help for it, and no use in grumbling.
After wading through mud and water
for nearly mile, | was brought to stand
| by coming in contact with a fence, and
| directly beyond / could distinguish the
dim outline of a small house and barn.
| Clambering over the fence-for there was
no time to waste in searching for a gate
4 found the door, and gave rap by no
| means gentle or subdued. AS this seemed
to produce no effect, rap number two fol-
| lowed in quick succession and an octave
above its predecessors. A shuff1ing sound
| from within announced that the inmates
were stirring. A CLEAN Of light shOne
| through the chinks between the boards,
and steps approached the door. Then the
rafting sound of heavy chain falling to
the floor sounded anything but agreeable.
! Strange, thought I-dOors fastened with
chains. All through that part of the
country had been used to seeing nothing
but latch-strings, and you may well i'm
agine that the sound of heavy chain
raised no pleasant emotions. What sort
of people are these? Where have | wan
dered? But these ideas were cut short by
the sudden opening of the door.
A tall, athletic-lOoking man stood in
the entrance, holding in his hand a sput-
tering candle, whose rays hardly reached
| beyond a circle of two feet in diameter
and served to render everything more
| gloomy To my inquiries as to whether
| he could find accommodations for the
night for two travellers, he returned an
swer that he "didn't know, but would go
| and see." And leaving me standing on
| the outside, he went shuffiing off.
After an absence often minutes-which
| seemed to me an hour-he returned, and
| after very minute inquiries as to who we
were, whittier we were bound, and whence
we had come, said he would try to accom-
mOdate us.
Thanking him for his hospitality, l re-
traced my steps as quickly as possible to
the spot where had left my companion,
whom | found was just on the point Of
starting off himself in search of me, sup
posing l had lost myself in the darkness.
With much coaXing our tired beast was
| induced to move on, and we took up the
| line of march for our hotel. My friend
agreed with me that the circumstance of
the chained door was rather suspicious,
| but we thought anything better than pass
| ing the night in the woods, and concluded
to venture. Reaching the house, we found
our new acquaintance holding open the
| gates of the enclosure. The rain, by this
| time, of course, had ceased; for who ever
| knew the rain to continue when one was
well sheltered? The suffering candle
| had changed hands, and was now held by
a second individual, similar in frame and
| appearance to the first Together they
| embarrassed and led the horse into the
barn, and then returned to assist in IN
| loading the vehicle.
Heavy" said one, apparently the elder
| taking up our valises.
eyes," remarked my companion, 1--WE
| intend to do some sporting, and are well
supplied with shot"
[ thought half smile played around
the mouth of our host at these words, but
| might have been mistaken.
In very short time, our moveables,
| guns tishing-rOds, etc, were duly deposit
ed in what appeared to be the " best
ROOM" and leaving the candle, which ap-
| peared to splutter more and more, as if
! Indignant at such late hours, upon the
table, our conductor babe US goodnight
and left the apartment.
The room was furnished very much the
same as other rustic parlOrs. Upon the
wall hung plan of SoICmon's Temple,
and a spirited colored engraving repre-
senting Andrew Jackson upon a milk
white horse. A pin-cushion and stone
| lemon adorned the mantel. One window
| looked out upOn-we could not tell what
| for the darkness. This window was secured
| by large nail, which fitted into a hole
| just above the sash. The door had no
fastening but by inverting a chair and
| placing II against the dOOr-we made a
| sort of alarm clock, which would arouse
us m case any one should attempt an en-
| trance.
You may rest assured it was a long
time before we got 10 sleep, for all the old
| stories we had ever heard about robbers,
and travellers murdered in their beds,w
continually conjuring up visions not at
/ all welcome. We criticised every action
we had seen and every word we had heard
at this outOf-the-way place-the chained
| door-the remark about the valises, ETC.,
and came to the conclusion that we were
IN suspicious hands. However, despite
all watching, we at last fell asleep, and
| how long we slept | know not but | was
aroused by my friends shaking me vic
| lently by the shoulder with one hand,
while the other was laid across my mouth,
! probably to prevent my calling out.
| Whispering me to listen, we could dis
| tinctly hear sort of subdued, grating
| sound, seemingly proceeding from the
| next apartment Rising, and cautiously
making our way to the door, we could see,
| through the cracks in the board partition,
by light in the adjoining room-for it
was not yet day-our two new acquaint-
ances seated by table, one of them busily
engaged in whetting a large knife, while
| the other was taking out the knots and
| disentangling coil of rope. Every now
and then the elder, who held the knife,
would pause and draw his thumb across
its edge, as if to feel its sharpness; then
slowly shaking his head, would resume
his occupation.
"Not sharp enough yet?" said the
younger, looking up from the gordian,
l L, N.ol, I, L.,