The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1874-10-10
A TERRIBLE NIGHT.
BY b. WEBSTER.

by Jove! Dick, am nearly done
up.
$50 am l. Did any one ever see
such COMPOUNDED forest, Charley g
IL am not alone weak, but hungry.
Oh for steak Of moose, with bottle
Of ola red wine to wash it down -
Charley beware. Take care how
you conjurc up such visions in my mind.
/ am already nearly starving, and if
you increase my appetite much more it
will 60 hard with me if no not dine off
Of you. You are young, and Bertha
says you arc tender"
''Ilearted, she meant. Well, so ] am
if loving Bertha be any proof Of it. DO
you know, Dick. have often wondered
that you, who loved your sister so pas
sionatcly, were not jealous Of her at"
tachment to me-
$50 was, my dear fellow, at first
furiously jealous. But then l reflected
that Bertha must, one day or the other,
marry, and must lose my sister; so
] thought it better that she should mar.
ry my old college chum and early friend,
Charley Costarre, than any one else.
So you see there was little selfishness
in my calculations, Charley.
''Dick, we were friends at school and
friends at college, and I thought at both
those places that nothing could shorten
the link that bound us together, but |
was mistaken. Since my love for, and
engagement to your sister, feel as if
you were fifty times more my friend that
you were before. Dick, we three will
never part
$50 he married the kings daughter,
and they all lived together as happy as
the days arc long" shouted Dick, with
laugh, quoting from nursery tale.
The foregoing is slice out of the
conversation with which Dick Linton
and myself endeayored to beguile the
way, as we tramped through one of the
forests Of Northern New York. Dick
was an artist, and was sportsman,
so when one fine Autumn day he an
nounced his intention Of going into the
woods for week to study nature, it
seemed to me an excellent opportunity
for me to exercise my legs and my trig.
ger finger at the same time. Dick had
some backwoods friend who lived in a
log.hut on the shores OF Eckford Lake,
and there we determined to take up our
quarters. Dick, who said he knew the
forest thoroughly, was TO be the guide,
AID we accordingly, with our guns on
our shoulders, started on foot from
Roots, tavern known to tourists, and
situated on the boundaries Of Essex
and Warren counties.
1t was desperate walk but as we
started by daybreak, and had great
faith in our pedestrian qualities, we ex-
pected to reach the nearest Of the Eek :
ford lakes by nightfaQ. The forest
through which we travelled was Of the
dcnsest description. Overhead the
branches Of spruce and pine shut ont
the day, while beneath our feet lay a
frightful soil, composed principally Of
jagged single, cunningly concealed by
an almost impenetrable brush. AS the
day wore on, our hopes Of reaching our
destination grew fainter and fainter,
and could almost fancy, from the anx-
ious chances that Dick cast around him,
that in spite of his boosted knowledge
of the woods he had lost his way. It
was not, however, until night actually
fell, and we were both sinking from
hunger and exhaustion, that [ could
get him to acknowledge the fact.
"We're inanice pickle, Master Dick, ;"
said I, rather Grossly, for an empty
stomach does much to destroy man s
natural amiability. "Confo1nd your
assurance that led you to set up as a
guide. Of all men painters are the
most conceited.'
''Come, Charley,' answered Dick,
goodhumoredly, ''there is no use in
growing so loudly. You'll bring the
bears and panthers on us if you do.
We must make the best Of bad Job
and sleep in tree"
''It's easy to talk, my good fellow.
I'm not a partridge, and don't know
how to roost on bough.''
swell, you II have to learn, then; for
ifyou sleep on the ground, the chances
are ten to one but you will have the
wolves nibbling at your toes before day
light
"l'm hanged if I'll do cithcr!' said
!, desperately. 'l'm going to walk all
night and I'll drop before I'll lie
down."
Come, come, Charley, don't be a
fool!'
II was only fool when l consented
to let you assume the role Of a guide, -
"Well, Charley, if you are determined
to go on let it be so. We Ngo together.
After all it is only an adventure
Il say, Dick, don't you see light p
by Jovc, so there is? Conc, YOU
soc, Providence intervenes between us
and the wolves and hunger. That must
be some squatters hut
The light to which I had 50 suddenly
called Dicks attention was very faint,
and seemed to be about half mile dis.
tant. 1t glimmered through the dark
branches of the hemlock and spruce
trees, and weak as the light was,
hailed it as a mariner without com.
pass halls the star by which he steers.
We instantly set out in the direction Of
our beacon. In a moment it seemed
as if all fatigue had vanished, and We
walked as it our muscles were as tense
as iron, and our joints oily a. 4 piston.
shaft.