The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-05-31
The Black Faif.lI.

Held; and, though IN the pleasant seasons
some one walked the path every day,
when the winter storms came week and
more sometimes would pass without the
neighbors calling upon the widow or she
upon them
The school-hoUse was distant, and the
boys staid at home much of the time in
winter, studying their school books,
which they had brought home, and help
ing their mother.
Though the neighbors did not visit
the widow in the stormy weather, one
visitor never failed to come to her home,
however severe the weather might be;
and this was Jack, the great black New
foundland dog, that belonged to farmer
who lived on hill more than mile
off. He had a strong affection for them
and they for him, and many time they
would go out in the forest together; and
when her boys were under the care of
Jack the widow had no fears for their
safety.
1t was funny to see Jack after great
fall of snow. He would come plunging
through the drift where the snow was
deepest, capering about and rolling in it
asst he liked it; and then when he reached
the widows house he would run barking
round it, or scratch at the door till the
boys let him in, and would then seem as
glad to see them as if he had not been
there for a month Sometimes the
farmer would tie some meat or bread to
Jacks collar and point toward the
widows, and he would then start off with
it, as if he knew what it all meant, as he
probably did
The boys, with Jack, would often go
out into the forest to gather firewood for
their mother, and would get as much fun
out of it as they could. They would try
sometimes to fancy themselves lost, and
would get into the thickest of the wood,
for they knew that Jack would know the
way back if they should get lost. One
day they cut down a number of small
spruce trees, and put them together like
had seen, bound together at the top, and
He'd in all the open spaces with rushes
and long grass that grew near by. 1t
made very nice tent; and they then
brought in bundles of dry branches and
grass for beds, until they thought they
would as lief be lost as not, with SO
much to make them comfortable. But
they got tired of it at last, and then went
home.
Among other things which they did,
they set traps for rabbits and birds: and,
though they seldom caught anything,
they hoped they might. The winter was
about setting Ii, and there had been q
light fall of snow, when one day they
saw near their house the tracks of several
rabbits; and they thought they would go
out and look after their traps and see if
any little animals had got into them.
Jack had that day gone to town with his
master; so the boys determined to go
without him. They went away before
dinner, and, as their kind mother feared
they might be hungry, she did them up
large bundle of bread and other things
to eat, telling them to be careful and be
back in good season.
The day was clear and bright. and thew
went away very happily into the woods.
They went here and there, looking at
their old traps and making new ones,
when, before they knew it, the sun
was hid by clouds, sudden wind rocked
the trees, and snow began to fall very
fast. They were a good way into the
woods, but made no haste to return: and.
when they tried to find the way out. the
snow had covered the ground and they
did not know which way to go. They
were now really lost, and they felt afraid
that they should die in the forest and
never see their mother again. But they
kept walking and walking, till they were
so tired they could scarcely move; when,
Just as they were about sinking down ON
the snow, one of them cried out:
why, Tom, here is our Indian hut
that we made last summer"
$50 it is, Bill, said Tom, ioyfully.
"And we will go into it and stay till the
storm is over. I guess it will not snow
much. -
So they went in, and found it lust rs
they had left it-as nice little hut rs
need be, for protection against the snow
and wind, which they heard roaring
among the trees. The snow still kent
falling, and as the boys peeped out
through the door they could scarcely see
foot before it, it was so binding, as it
was blown about by the wind.
1t grew darker and darker, and thus
they knew it was night but they were
brave boys, and had talked so much
about dangers and being lost in the
wood that they were not downhearted.
and their only thought was for their
poor mother, who they knew would be
almost crazed on their account But
they ate some of tie bread their mother
had given them, and they scraped
together in the dark the grasses, that
were now hay, which they had picked
IN the summer, and, saying their pray
ers, covered themselves with the grass
and lay down to sleep in each others
arms
The next morning, when they awoke
and tried to look out, they found their
hut entirely covered with snow. They
could not get an opening through large