Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-08-29

grandma COlu, anu keeping Ofuer aHu
quiet among the children, to take note
of the sick mans delirious words, tho
he was constantly talking about the
camp, sixty miles ayay-where her
own thoughts wandered whenever she
had time to think-bargaining with
imaginary teamsters, haggling with
Scales and Weight over groceries, and
repeating, "Provisions for week, for
a week, for week." and counting the
days on his fingers and losing the
count, and beginning over again and
again, as if it were a 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 a
quiet sleep, and awoke too weak and
languid to put words together, or to
remember anything BUT that he had
suffered a fearful nightmare and it was
over. It was perhaps the third day
after the fever had turned that he sud-
denly took up the thread of life where
he had dropped it, and asked, ''How
long have been a-laying here, Lu?'
"Twelve days"
sWhere's Ben and Uncle Si?"
"Why You left 'em in camp, father" ="
cleft 'em in camp! Twelve days a.
60" he gasped, "witha weeks provi-
sions! I 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 a
weeks provisions" said Louisa, show
ing a CHASTITY face; ''and I had to look
after you and the fever"
"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 gruei; keep'em short.
Come, start YOURSELF and don't be
standing still like gaost and folks a.
dying for lack of you.
"And you?''
"I'll take care of ayself, and soil
grandma. Roam and tnickstep can do
the distance by nis3aH. Take my
gun ta keep eass Z oi<-sa, end little
Tim, and a lantern"
"But how shall [ find the Way?"
Louisa was already inside her pelisse
and muff1ers.
"Bless you, baby couldn't miss it;
the trees are notched with a 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 grand
ma 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 a
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 tho
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 luck!" 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
a chase after 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 old 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 nice excursion, sixty miles
afoot. Why, we shall freeze to death !''
"Well, let's wait; no use running
from your shadow"
And so they waited. "He'll be sure
to come tomorrow" was the assurance
with which they comforted each 9th
er; and when tomorrow passed with
out bringing him, owe will wait an
other day; perhaps the oxen were dis
abled on the road" For a storm had
set in, cold and clustering; not much
snow; just enough to make the world
lovely. The wind sang among the
pines like the voice Of an angry water
course, and splintered great boughs in
the forest, and uprooted blasted trees,
and seemed like an invisible presence
haunting the recesses of the wood
some impersonation of Thor, whose
touch was a blow; and all the while
the snow built IN it's Aladdin nalaces