Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-08-21

ed miles and miles through the timber
and suns had risen and set, when one
morning, before the week was out, I'm
Gle Simon was surprised to see the bot
tom Of the meal-chest.
Tough luck r said he, briefly; sbut
there's swamp pork to exc it out" Anc
he plunged his hand confidently into
the pickle,and had something ola chase
after two or three insignificant pieces
The two men lookedsat each other in
dismay for an instant.
sBut he'll be back day after, to-mor
row." said Ben. 5pg $50
sBut what if he shouldn't I" asked
the older man not so sanguine.
s.What can keep hint At any rate
we've got legs of our own"
"Precious stiff ones mine are! It
would besa 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. "He1l be sure
to come to morrow was the assurance
with which they comforted each other;
and when tomorrow passed without
bringing him, eve will wait another
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 course, and splin-
tered great boughs in the forest, and
uprooted blasted trees, and seemed ike
an invisible presence haunting the re-
cesses of the wood-some impersona
ton Of Thor, whose touch was 9 blow :;
and all the snow built up it's Aladdin
palaces, crystal by crystal; wrsathed
about the living green, tapestried every
boulder, bid the dead leaves and hollows
under the SCREEN for it was by no means
deep the weather was too bitter cold
for more than a light fall, just enough to
drape nature gracefully in it's folds, and
give q promise of more to come.
Before the sky had cleared the last
mouthfill of food had vanished, and ex
cept fora partridge that Ben had made
shift to kill with club-tor there were
no fire arms yet in the camp-and a
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 q tough
ing; and then there was no lack Of wa
ter.
In The mean while they were almost
as much concerned for Mr.. Bruce as for
themselves. He might have lost his
way, they feared or been overtaken by
the storm Of wolves; he might come in
to camp any moment too far reduced to
help himself, and need their weak as
sistance. Since their stomaohs were
idle, their brains became corresponding
ly active with fearful imsginations. Ev-
cry day they proposed setting out to
walk home-but perhaps he would
come tomorrow; and then they hated
to desert their post; besides, the wealth
er was singing cold, and, reduced qy
hunger, they might faint by the way,
frost bitten, or unarmed, encounter In
dian devils and wolves. Whatever he
might be able to endure himself, Ben
felt that Uncle Simon's strength was
utterly inadequate to the struggle. They
were beset with thousand preadven-
lures; there was not only lion in the
way, but all manners Of perils, real and
imaginary. So they waited, pesforce,
watching the days vanish in tender
dream of color, and the stars make their
silent journey across the deeps of heav-
en-, and the mornings dawn as the rose
blooms, unfolding petal after petal Of
exquisite bloom. They busted them.
selves still about the camp and howell,
giving thousand last touches, such as
they would never have thought of Civ
ing at another time gathering fire wood
and setting the rabbit trap In vain.
And one day the axe fell from Ben's
resolute hand, and hejust dragged him
self inside the camp, and stretched
himself before the fire. Uncle Simon
had already given out.
"Walking home could hardly have
been worse" Ben said simply. Per
haps he was thinking of somebody who
might have met him, kindly, lat the jour
ney's end, in view of the dangers he
had passed.
Perhaps Bruce Il come yet" replied
Uncle Simon.
! Through chink in the camp door
Ben watched the sunset fade like fire
among the woods, and one by one the
stars shine out, each in its appointed
solitude, and the northern lights palpi
tate rosily along the sky. The bowling
Of wolves echoed dismally, while nov
and then branch cracked in the forest
and the wind trembled among the pines
| Inside the fire made comfortable GLOW
under the influence of which he wa