Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-10-15
Charles First Camping Out
BY FERN.

Charities First Camping Out.
BY FERN.
Charlie was Fifteen to-morrow,'' and
his father had promised to take him on q
fishing trip to Karls Pond for a birthday
excursion, and camp out all night.
Camping out had always teen one of the
forbidden pleasures of the little boys life,
for he lived 10. a State where wild animals
were still abundant, and where it would
be dangerous for young folks to be alone in
the woods at night. So Charles knowl
edge of camping had been confined to the
stories which, with open eyes and ears, he
had often listened to around the great fire.
place at home stories told by the trappers
who sometime stopped for a night, or by
the neighbors ON their return from some
expedition after marauding wolf or bear.
But to- morrow he was to go with father
into the ''reaP' woods, more than ten
miles away, catching fish, cook them over
the Goals, and sleep beneath the stars by
the side of the roaring fire Was it
not splendid? ~
Early on the morning Of the day Charlie
was up and stirring, and, long before many
of the far-away drowsy city boys had
opened their eyes to the morning glory of
Gods bright sun, he and father had eaten
breakfast, and were rolling away over the
rough road That led to the pond. s.
A long, tiresome route it usually was,
but Charles wonder at the ever-new and
curious sights and sounds that were present
ed to him drove WEAKNESS far from them,
and even papa found the miles were slip
ping away with unwonted speed as he an
swered the many questions of the boy at
his side Once they saw hill-fox cross
the road way ahead, and Charlie could
hardly be kept from springing out and Civ
ing chase then, at the fording Of little
creek, frightened mink swan wildly down
stream, leaving broad, wavering wake on
the water behind him; squirrels were
plenty, too, frsking aud jumping along
every old log, and darling hither and thith
er among the wayside bushes; and, lastly,
when almost at the pond Mr.. Arnold sud.
denly stopped his horse. and picking his GIN
which sat upon a tree just before them, and
then, with quick, sure aim, dropped the
bird to the earth, bidding his bow. as he
did SO, to run and pick up their dinner.
An unusually pleasant ride it was through
the morning sunlight, and, as at the last
turn the road soped sharply downward,
and Karls Pond in all it's silent beauty Law
before them, Charlie shouted with pure
delight, and fairly laughed with Joy and
anticipation as they ratified down the stony
pathway to the beach. Here Mr. Arnold
unhitched the horse, watered, and the turn
ed him loose to Craze. -s
But he willrun away! y said Charlie.
"Not far, my boy" smilingly answered
his father; "and if he does he'll come
back at night when the wolves begin to
how'll .@fSQf1
go, do the wolves howl up here? am
so glad! shall love to hear them IN, =
Mr.. Arnold laughed heartily, +. Perhaps
SOP
:, Preparing the fishing tackle which, they
had with them for use, they were soon en-
gagged in the sport of catching the beautiful
trout from the clear depths of the water
{ before. them, for KarPs was trout pond
not only in name but in fact, and fairly
swarmed with the speckled fish. - II
f An hour or two passed, and then, as the
sun shone holly down, MIR. Arnold propos-
ed resting for time and then eating din
ner, after which they should clean the fish
and salt 4themsto take home 85S
"And sha'n't we fish any more ?'' asked
Charlie. - !" ''''.' .
essYes, toward dusk. my son. You no
tee that the trout don't bite now as they
! did at first, and from noon until about four
O'Clock we cannot catch any, for they lie
hidden during the warmest part Of the day."
Dinner of trout and partridge Did you
ever eat such a one Charles thought il
tasted better than any meal he had ever
partaken Of Then came the busi hess OF
dressing the fish, after which both employ
ed themselves in gathering wood for the
night fire
Is it SO cold that we need a fire. all
night, father? asked the boy 80
Not always; but it is generally pleas
ant and also safe. The wolves are "a raid
Of fire, you know, and keep away from it. }
''But would they bite US if we didn't
have any ?" .~ -r.swwo
Probably not" answered Mr. Arnold.
Wolves are cowardly, fellows unless very
hungry or gathered together in large packs.
But we'll have our fire anyway. The
horse can find US, then, if he wanders far
away" And so the wood was. gathered.
Then three hours more of fishing, supper
fully as sweet as was the dinner, and the
shadows began to fall. ''Light the fire,
Charlie" said his f.ther. The boy obeyed,
and as the bright CLEANS shot up through
the coming darkness, glimmering out ove1
luC SliCuG WdttI Ou tuC Ouc udl1u anu LICK
ering through the silent woods onthe other,
it seemed liked fairy-land, and Charlie ex-
claimed in ecstacy
90, father, wouldn't it be splendid to
live in the woods always!" 81 ~
For an hour or more the brig eyed boy
sat on that old tree stump and alternately
sang, asked questions and kept silence, un-
til Mr. Arnold said it was time to !" turn
In - then the blankets were unrolied,
more wood placed upon the fire, and, Sc.
Letting warm, sheltered spot, the two lay
down to sleep.
Mr. Arnold, much of whose earlier life
nao been passed in the wilderness, was
soon snoring in blissful Inconsistencies OF
on aoout MN, but the strangeness OF the
situation drove sleep from Charles eyes.
an anu; uy as hard as he might, he could only
lie listening to the voices of the woods and
: ae nlga' fIrst came the frogs along the
&edge OF the pond close by, whose varied
nOfQC nd oil