The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-06-20
WORTHINGTON CO., SATURDAY, JUNE 20 1874

For some unexplained reason Harry
;Vane did; not 60 in Sny. Of the carriages,
but was mounted on horseback, and he
rode gayly by the side of first one vehicle
then another. When we had gone little
distance out of town the country air,
sights and sounds were so cxhilarating
that we in our carriages began to sing.
Harry, hearing us, rode up and Joined in
the song, he being particularly fond of
singing. Shortly we struck off into an
old ditty which he and I had sung to.
gcther countless times when we stood
each first in the esteem of the other and
no gay stranger had come between us.
For stanza or two Harry sang bravely,
but when we came to the refrain sudden.
ly his horse bolted and he rode off.
catching at his hat with one hand and
seeming to- draw rein with the other.
The remainder'of the party thought his
horse bad SHE'D and run away with him,
but saw thoroughly the whole maneuver,
and sudden pang shot through my
selfish heart.
"On reaching the lake at the point
agreed upon we separated into little
companies and wandered about at will,
but keeping within the vicinity of the
camp until the horn sounded for dinner.
We were all, as is usual at picnics, in
hungry mood, and we did not dine mine
ingly.,
grass for awhile, then formed plans for the
afternoons campaign. There were near
by several canoes or sroW-boats that were
kept for hire, and fair proportion of our
band decided in favor of an excursion on
| tho 1Qka Y7orfioo vNSur -
ton, some in another. The boats would
accommodate only four persons each, the
rowers and two others. Three boat.;oads,
twelve individuals in all, determined to
pay visit to the tower on the opposite
shore of the lake and about three miles
farther up. As we divided ourselves into
parties Of four, felt an irrepressible de-
sire to have Harry Vane, who had de-
clared for the tower, in our boat, 80
called out:
Harry, are yCu coming with us?'
meaning by us, Downs and myself.
~ shall never forget the look of min
gled pain and pleasure with which he re-
piled: No, Charlotte; George Law is
quartered in your boat
"It was halfpast three O'Clock when
we landed near the tower and drew
the boats up on the beach. This tower
was an octagon building three or four
stories in height, consisting of only one
room to each story, with narrow
spiral staircase leading from base to sum-
nit. At the top was an observatory not
much larger than good.sized bird cage,
which had once been furnished with
small telescope mounted on swivel, but
was now reduced to . very commonplace
spy.glass. The basement was a deep,
dungeon-like hole, with a grated door
through which one entered a subterranean
passage leading out to the shore Of the
lake. This tower, with its lean-to kitchen,
or, rather, cook k-house, was built on hill
at the distance of about 200 yards from the
| waters edge, and it was the product Of a
Quixotic Englishman, an old bachelors
fancy. The whimsical man did not carry
out his original intention Of making a
complete miniature castle of feudal times,
but suddenly abandoned the enterprise
and went as he came, nobody knew
whittier This odd little tower had been
surrounded on all sides, save the deep
bank next the water, by diminutive
moat, which was now dry ditch filled
with weeds and wild flowers there, too,
was the wreck of toy-like drawbridge,
and within the inclosure were several
quaintlooking garden chairs cut into the
stumps Of trees. There was fam
lily residing in the house, at least they
made it an occasional residence during
the summer, but that day they were ab.
sent, and the garrulous old servant in
charge showed us over the premises.
"We stole down by the ght of a lantern
through the underground passage to the
opening On the lake; we climbed the steep
stairs and peeped through the old spy
glass; sat in the grotesque chairs, and
gathered bouquets from the quondam
moat. All these vagaries consumed 80
much time that, before we were aware,
the sun was going down the westward
slope in way that when we noticed it
sent us to our boats with speed. We were
soon gliding over the water in jovial
spirits and at a fair rate of motion toward
the camping place on the shore next home.
The three boats kept near together, and as
we went we sang Tom Moore's Canadian
boat song. Just as our voices were ring
ing out
Grow, brothers, row, for the stream runs fast,
The rapids are near and the daylight is passed.
a sudden breeze almost took the light
| umbrella with which I was screening
myself and companion from sun and
wind 1--WE had left our bonnets at the camp
out of my hand. The breeze subsided for
moment, then came again more vigor-
ously than before, and held on steadily.
Generally, or frequently, a stiff breeze rises
on those lakes about or soon after sunset,
but now the sun was certainly half an
hour high. Sudden squalls, especially
when thunder clouds are lowering near,
accompanied by dangerous disturbance
of the water, are unpleasantly often the
concomitants of boating on those shallo "
lakes.
"Looking around the horizon we dis.
covered the cause of the suddenly-rising
| wind. A heavy pile of black clouds
! coming up behind us in the northwest
were spreading themselves along the
northern horizon and extending upward
almost to the zenith; and at the same
time we began to hear the thunder mutter
and see the lightning play, though not
very near. The weatherwise ones Of our
party said the shower was spending itself
north of US but we might get sprinkling
from its skirts, and the wind was sure to
be troublesome.
Meanwhile we had crossed the lake
and were making our way down t. the
landing adjoining, which was our camp,
keeping close in shore to avoid the com.
motion of the water.
"There is a peculiarly in that lake.
The wild rice, from which, it takes its
name, grows over almost the entire bot,
tom of the basin, and when at its tallest
the grain lies floating on the surface OF
the water, and the Indians, when it is