The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1874-08-15
A TERRIBLE NIGHT.

a confounded forest, Charley?"
'T am not alone weak, but hungry,
Oh for steak Of moose, with a bottle
old red wine to wash it downl'
"Uharley beware. Take care how
you conjure 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 don't dine off of
you, You are young, and Bertha says
you're tender"
Hearted, she meant. Well, so am,
if loving Bertha be any proof of it. Do
you know, Dick, have often wonder
ed that you, who love your sister so
passionately, we're not jealous of her at
tachment to me-"
so was, my dear fellow, at first
furiously jealous. But then reflected
that Bertha must one day or the other
marry, and must lose my sister, SO 1
thought 1t better that she should marry
my old college chum and early friend,
Charley Costarre, than any one else.
So you see there was little selfshness
in my calculations, Charley" ..1
"Dick, we were friends at school, and
friends at college, and l thought at both
those places that nothing could shorten
the link that bound us together, but l
was mis- taken. Since my love for, and
engagement to your sister, I feel as If
you were fifty times the 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 are long" shouted Dick with
a laugh, quoting from nursery tale.
The foregoing is aslice out of the con-
versation with which Dick Linton and
myself endeavored to beguile the way,
as we tramped through one of the for
ests OF Northern New York. Dick was
an artist, and l was sportsman, so
when one fine autumn day he announc.
ed his Intention of going into the woods
for week to study Nature, 1t seemed
to me an excellent opportunity for me
to exercise my legs and my trigger fing-
er at the same time. Dick had some
back woods friend who lived in a log
hut on the shore of Eckford Lake, and
there we determined to take up onr
quarters. Dick, who said he knew the
forest thoroughly, was to be the guide,
and we accordingly, with our guns on
our shoulders, started on foot from
Roots, a tavern knowL to tourists, and
situated on the boundaries of Essex and
Warren counties. 1t was a desperate
walk; but as we started by daybreak,
and had great faith in our pedestrian
qualities, we expected to reach the
nearest of the Eckford lakes by night
fall. The forest through which we
travelled was of the densest description.
Overhead the branches of spruce and
pine shut out the day, while beneath
our feet lay q frightful soil, composed
principally of jagged shingle, cunning
ly concealed by an almost impenetrable
brush. AS the day wore on, our hopes
of reaching our destination grew faint
er and fainter, and could almost fan
cy, from the anxious glances that Dick
cast around him, that in spite of his
boasted knowledge of the woods he had
lost his way. 1t was not, however, un-
til night actually fell, and that we were
both sinking from hunger and exhaus-
tatiOn, that / could get him to acknowl.
edge it.
"We're in nice pickle, Master Dick -
said l, rather Grossly, for an empty
stomach does much to destroy a mans
natural amiabilty, "Oonfound your
assurance that led you to set up as a
guide. OF all men painters are the most
conceited."
Come, Charley" answered Dick,
good -humoredly, "there's 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.
l'm not a partridge, and don't know
how to roOst ON bough."
"Well, you'll have to learn then; fol
if you sleep on the ground. the chances
are ten to one but you will have the
wolves nibbling at your toes before day
light"
"Tm hanged if I'll do either!" said ]
desperately. "I'm going to walk all
night, and I'll drop before I'lllie down. -
"Come, come, Charley, don't be a
fooll"
81 was fool only when consented
to let you assume the role of guide"
"Well, Charley, if you are determin-
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