The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-12-31
CHAPTER VIII.

we nau TO go by wafer TO
place called City Point, and
thence to Pittsville. I made a |
mistake as to the hour the boat
started, and Dick and Co. went on
board without me.
Well, you will say | could fol-
low by the next boat. But how
about the tin to pay the passage?
My pocket was dry, and the treas
urer gone on. But ! had a good
set of backing brushes; so l sold
them, and followed on with the
proceeds-got to City Point. Ell
ephant gone on to PittsVille; that
l expected. Twenty miles or so l
had to tramp on an empty stom-
ache. And now does MT the Dew.
il send me a fellow who shows me
a short cut through a wood to
PIttsville: into the wood | go. l
thought it was to be like an En-
glish wood,-out of the sun into
a pleasant shade, and by, then you
are cool, into the world again.
Instead of that, "the deeper, the
deeper you are in it" as the song
of the bottle says, the farther you
were from getting out of it. Pres
emily two roads instead of one,
and then l knew l was done. l
took one road: it twisted like
serpent. l had not been on it
half an hour before l lost all the
points of the compass. Says 1, I
don't know whether ever shall
see daylight again; but if l do,
City Point will be the first thing l
shall see. You mark my words,
said 1.
So here was lost in what they
call a wood out there, but we
should call a forest at home. And
now, beng in the heart of it, l get
among the devilishest noises, and
nothing to be seen to account for
them; little feet suddenly patter-
ing and scurrying along the
ground, wings tapping out Of
trees but what struck most awe
into a chap from the Seven Dials
was the rattle,-the everlasting
rattle. and nothing to show. Of
ten 1 have puzzled myself what
this rattle corld be. 1t was like
a thousand rattlesnakes, and
did mt l wish I was in the Seven
Dials. though some get lost in
them for that matter. After all /
think it was only insects. but in
sects by billions; you never heard
anything like it in an English
wood.
! Just as I was loosIng heart in
this enchanted wood, heard an
earthly sound, the tramp of a
horses foot. 1t was music.
But the leaves were so thick
could not see where the horse was
he seemed to get farther of, and
then nearer. At last the sound
came so close I made a run, burst
, through a lot of green leaves, and
! came out plump on q man riding
: a gray cob. He up with the but
end of his whip to fell me, but
, seeing was respectable, "Halloo
stranger" says he, ''guess yor
J sort O. startled me-" "Beg par
don, sir" says 1, ''but 1 have los
: my way" Il see you are stran.
: ger" said he.
: So then he asked me where
? was bound for, and l told hin
|, Pittsville.
/ won't insult the reader by tel
: ling what he said about the cours.
4 l had been taking through tn
! wood. l might as well tell him
} his A B C, or which side his breat
: and butter falls on. Then Ia
: asked me who 1 was. So toll
} him l was one of the elephant
: dOmestics, leastways I did no
4 word it so candil: 81 was il
e charge of the elephant, and ha'
/ taken a short CUT
r Now he had heard of Dick
t and seen her bills up, so he knew
it was all right. allow am t.
s find my way out, sir?' said ]
e ''Find your way out?" said he
e "You will never find your wa.
/, out" Good news, that.
f He thought a bit; then lie said
e The best thing you can do is Il
s come home with me- and tomorrow
r l will send you on"
t 1 could have Rugged him.
b ''You had better walk behin'
n me-" says he; ''my pony bites
r So l tramped astern: and on w
, went patter, patter, patter throu 81
s the wood. At first felt as joll,
Jas a sandboy marching behin'
e his pony; but when we had pat
l tered the best part of an hour,
e began to have my misgiyings. i
all the enchanted woods ever
, had read of, there was small tri
t fle Of a wizard or ogre that too
you home and settled your hast