The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-05-09
A. Night in the Woods.

soJourn OF three months with survey
ing patty in one of the widest districts
OF Canada We. were occupied in
tracing the course of hitherto uu
explored river, which unfolded to US a
succession of scenic effects, such as
would have delighted an artist and
roet, and which they ouy could de
scribe.
1t would be difficult to convey to the
reader who has not bivouacked out in
the woods, the luxury of those evenings
around the camp FIRE.
Alter deal Of story telling, we all
turned in for the night-thal is, we
rolled ourselves in our blankets, an
fell asleep with our feet toward til !:
| fire.
The stories told upon the eve,in;
have III my mind had all bcor, ab ,ut
wolves, some of whicl, rapaoinus crca
lures were said to be then in our neigh
borh'od. Owing, perhaps, to my ina
gination having ocen excited by those
tales, baI terrible nightmare. |
dreamed that wolves were pursuing inc ;
knew they were gaining on me /
could hear their howls growing more
and m ore distinct. There is q point of
agony at which all dreams must have
an end-I awoke with terrible start.
and found myself bathed in cold
sweat, and a prey to a sense Of terror
for which could not account Instead
of the cheerful blaze which had seen
ere fell asleep, adj was now cold and
dark. The fire, had suak to heap Of
red embers.| l could not distinguish
one OF my sleeping companions Good
heavens can 1 be still slumberiny
There, again, is the long, low, wailins
howl which heard so distinctly in my
dream.
sit up erect, and listen What is
that sounds tu.tl.ns .u,nnug the brush
weed--some Of the parry stircnyY No,
all are silent{ {as the grave Lam. the
foniy 5onc ava sii 20
again Surely ann mistaken. |
thought the dtc WAS aearer To me. jus,
in trout and SO it is. What then. c4n
be those two glimmcriug lights few
yards off? Now they ue movins |
awake the nearest slc.per-an Amcri
can named Silas Wood. The man starts
to his feet, rubs his cys. What is it 2
Look there, Silas He looks, and as
quick as lightning, seizes a burning
fagot, aud hurls it with all his force and
an unerring aim. The cleaning lights
disappear with rustic of tho brush
wood-a sharp. short bark close ut hand,
and then in minute or two, the lou :.
low wall in til C distance is heard
Silas then stirred and raked the burn
ing embers, and throwing on an i'm
mense heap Of dry brush, in second
the Egyptian darkness is dispelled by
bright fame which leaps up six feet into
the air and brings the sleeping figures
and the nearest trees into full relief.
'Silas, what does it all meanp l
asked.
1T means, SQUIRE replied the Amcri
can, speaking with his usual deliberate
| drawl-'wolves =
Wolves T I re.cchoed. Then those
two cleaning lights that l. took for glow
worms were-'
"A VOLTS eyes, squire; and I guess
his friends warn't fur off, awuitin'
kinder anxious to hear tell of their
scout. Hark if the darn.d things
ain aeroanin' and lumentn' over their
disappointment, as sure us my name 5
Silas Wood.
Once more the long low howl, mex
prcssibly sad and fearful, vas heard at
a greater distance. Now that [ knew
what il implied, it made the blood cur
dlo in my veins.
Il shall never forget VOLTS howl,
exclaimed; Il heard that accursed
sound in my dream as plainly us | hca,
it now But are we not in danger?
and l began mechanically to pile up
moro wood on the blazing fire.
No fears now, squire, replied the
Yankee eoolly the cowardly critters
darsn't oomeaneur fire like that. Be
sides [ reckon the leler | scared so with
that ere burning chip has told 'em it $
no 20 by this time. THEY'RE as cunnin O