Daily Kennebec journal., 1873-08-09
Gales and Sketehss.
LOVE AND LOGGING.
CONTINUED FROM YBSTERDAY. /

fkOM
Louisa was too busy. and weary with
watching and nursing, cooking and look
ing after the house and seeing to grand
mas cold, and keeping order and qniet
among the children, to take note oil the
sick man 5 delirious words, though he was
constantly talking about the camp. sixty
miles away-where her own thoughts
wandered whenever she had time to think
them-bargaining with imaginary team
sters, haggling with Scales and Weigh
over groceries, and repeating, Provisions
| for 4 week, Tor week. for week. and
counting the days on his fingers and los
ing the count, and beginning over again
and again, as If it were puzzle upon the
solution of which his life depended. And
so the fever ran to the ninth day and turn
ed, and the patient fell into quiet sleep,
and awoke too weak and languid to put
words together. or to remember any thing
but that he had suffered fearful night
mare and it was over. It was perhaps the
third day after the fever turned that he
suddenly took up the thread Of life where
he had dropped it, and he asked, elbow
long have been a-laying here, Luz"
Twelve days"
Where's Ben and Uncle Si?''
why, you left 'em in camp, father
LEFT 'em in camp! Twelve days ago.
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 pr
"I didn't know they had only a weeks
provisions, said Louisa, showinga ghast-
ly face; land had to look after you and
the fever"
"Well, don't wait another minute round
me; just harness up old Roam and Quick
step, and take some brandy and things
and don't let 'em eat all they want make
Cruel; keep 'em short. Come start your
self, and don't be standing still like
ghost and folks a-dying for lack of YOU
And youa"
.'I'll take care of myself, and soll grand
ma Roam and Quickstep can do the dis
tance by nightiall. Take my gun to keep
OF the wolves. and little Tim, and a Ian
tern"
but how shall find the way?" Louisa
was already inside her pelisse and muffiers.
BLESS you, Il 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 rs there was not an able-b bodied
man short oil Shopton at that season who
wasn't Oft logging, and as grandma and
Susette could take care of her patient, and
Ben was starving without her, what could
she do but 90?
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 a will while
Uncle Simon was busy on the howell for the
! Al
though the sweet scented 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 mea-chest. am,
.Touh uckr' said he briefly; "ont
there's swamp pork to exc il out Ana nc
phln red his hand confidently into the pick
| ic. and had something Of chance after
| two or three insignificant pieces. The
two men looked I'd each other in dismav
for an instant.
But he'll be back day after tomorrow"
said Ben.
.But what il he Shouldn't? asked the
older man, not >anguine.
what can keep him. At any rate
we've got legs of our own" ot
Precious stiff ones mine are. Ii
would be nice excursion. sixty miles
aioot Why, we should freeze to DEATH
"Well, let's wait; no use running from
Your shadow" ma4
And so they waited. gs.s,..s
''lIell be sure to come tomorrow"
was the assurance with which they con-
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 storm had
set in, cold and clustering not much
lcoNCLUDgp ON rorRTH PAGE.