Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-08-29

languid to put words together, or TO re-
member anything but that he had suffered
fearful nightmare and It was over. 1t was
perhaps the third day after the fever turn
ed that he suddenly took up the thread of
life where he had dropped it, and he asked,
"How long have 1 been laying here,
Luz"
"T Twelve days.
"Wheres Ben and Uncle 81 ?''
"Why, you left 'em in camp, father"
LEFT 'em in camp! Twelve days ago."
he gasped, "with weeks provisions 1
shouldn't wonder II they were both in
heaven by this time | wnat have you been
thinking of all this while, eh2 ?"
II didn't know they had only a weeks
provisions" said Louisa, showing ghast-
ly face; "and had to look Gter you and
the fever'
"Well, don't wait another minute round
me; just harness up old Roam atta Quick
step, and take some brandy and things
and don't let em cat all they want make
Cruel; keep em short. Come start your
self, and don't be standing still like ghost
anffolks a-dying for lack of you.'
"Aud you ?''
"rll take care of myself and SOIL grand
ma. Roam and Quickstep can do the dis
tance by nigntii,ll. Take my gun to keep
Off the wolves, and little Tim, and Ian
tern"
"But how shall find the way ?" Louisa
was already inside her pelsse and muf-
flers.
"Bless you, baby couldn't miss ii the
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 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 farng 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 through
the sweet scented wood, spottng the tim
Der ard suns had risen and set, when one
IN rning, before the week was out, Uncle
Simon was surprised to see the bottom of
the meal-chest
"Tough luck p said he briefly; but
there's swamp pork to exc it out" And
he plunged his hand confidently into the
pickle, and bad something of chase after
two or three insignificant pieces. The two
instant.
"But he'll be back day after tomorrow,
said Ben.
"But what if he shouldn't?" asked the
older man, not so sanguine.
"What can keep him? At any rate we We
got legs of our own"
"Precous stiff ones mine are! It would
be nice excursion, sixty miles afoot. Why,
we should freeze to death y
"Well, let's wait; no use running from
your shadow"
AAnd so they waited
"He'll be sure to come Tomorrow" was
the assurance with which they comiorted
each other; aud when tomorrow passed
without bringing him, 1--WE will wait an
other day perhaps the oxen were disabled
on the road" For 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 angry water courses, and splintered
great boughs in the forest, and up-rooted
blasted trees, and seemed like an invisible
presence haunting the recesses of the wood
some impersonaton of Thor, whose touch
was blow aud all the while the snow
built up its Aladdin palaces, crystal by
crystal wrcathed about the living green,
tapestried every boulder, hid the dead
leaves and hollows under the screen, for il
was by no means deep; the weather was
just enough to drape nature gracefully in
It's folds, and give Il promise of more to
come.
Before the sky had cleared, the last
mouthlul of food had vanished, and except
for partridge that Ben had made shift Ia
kill with n club-for there were no firearms
yet in camp-and rabbit taken in a rude
trap of their own constructing, they had
| not eaten anything for two days. But they
were robust men, who would have a 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 they were
| for themselves. He might have lost his
way, they feared or been overtaken by the
| storms or the wolves; he might come into
| camp any moment too far reduced to help
| himself, and need their weak assistance
| Since their stoMachs were idle, their brains
| became correspondingly active with fear
| ful imaginations. Every day they propos-
| ed setting out TO walk home-but perhaps
| he would come Tomorrow and then they
| hated to desert their post besides, the
weather was singing cold, and, reduced by
hunger, they might faint by the way, frost
bittep, or, unarmed encounter Indian dew
lis or wolves! Whatever he might be able
to endure himself, Ben felt that Uncle ST
mons strength was utterly inadequate tC
the struggle. They were beset with n thous.
and peradventures there was not only
| lion in the way, but all manner of perils
real and imaginary. So they waited, per
force, watching the days vanish in tender
dream of color, and the stars make their
silent journey across the deeps of heaven
and the morning dawn as the rose blooms
unfolding petal after petal of exquisite
bloom. They busted themselves still about
the camp and hovel, giving thousand las
touches such as they would never hav'
thought of giving at another time, gather
ing fire-wood, and setting the rabbit-tral
in vain. And one day the axe fell from
Ben's resolute hand, and he just drag
ged himself inside the camp and stretched
himself before the fire.
walking home could hardly have beer
worse" Ben said, simply. Perhaps he was