The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-06-14
The Shadow on theAdirondack
-" HallOoi"
"Ah! o, excuse me! 7"

"Ah! q, excuse me"
was hurrying downstairs, and he
up, and so we had run into each 9th.
er's arms.
What q handsome fellow he was!
eDvied him his youth and freshness.
How could know that death had set
dawn his name in this very month
would have swapped chances with him
on the instant. The mere wavy luxu-
rance of his brown hair promised him
life. And as he stood there, cap in
hand, his face flushed, his eyes full of
light-half from excitement, half from
the glow of health-whO would have
said, Your forty years threaten less
than his eighteen!'
Yet here sit, living it all over, and
he lies in Greenwood. We had been
enjoying a delightful woodsy talk
about the Adirondack. 1 loved it's
grand old mountains, its lakes and
trouty streams, and forests laced by
winding deer-paths, its camp fires, and
the wild, half savage life which so
tacinates one who plunges into it from
amidst all the conventional contrasts
of urban society.
Harry had just been surprised by
than he had ever called his own be-
fore, and had promptly determined to
spend it in realizing his strongest de-
| Street.-The Adirondack"
We had discussed the approaches to
that attractive wilderness, and had
marked out the time to be spent on
Saranacs, on Big and Little Tupper,
and racket, and dear old Long Lake =
and we had talked guides, and boats,
and "fiies" and fishing tackle, and gone
through with the muliitudinous scenes
and successes with which they were
associated in my mind, until at last !
broke down.
"IIal, you rogue, this is all q trapl'
cried. " You've injected me. must
give up Newpor. and go with your
We had shaken hands upon it. his
face all aglow, and when, five minutes
after. we rushed into each other on the
stairs. he had bounded back to ask
about his gun.
"Take dOuble-barrel for buck shot,"
said, "You can practice with your
guides rifle on drizzly days, and be
ready for nice shooting next year."
In ten days from this time we were
floating on the waters of the Big Tup-
per. 1t is as beautiful sheet of water
as ever whimpled under moonlight.
You come to it after winding down
through Stony creek from the Sara
macs, and then down the Racket river,
twenty memorable miles, where every
curve of the stream gives you some
new picture of natural beauty which
man has not marred by mending.
One guido had gone before us with
the tent aud camp furniture and pro-
visions, and as our own man kept quiz
city at work with his oars, we were
dell. btfulIy by ourselves. The idle
ness, the dreamy pleasures that stole
in upon us as the curving stream
brought before Us without the slight
est exertion on our part, one exquisite
sical gurgle Of the waters under the
bow of our skif, and the perfect liber.
ty, inward and outward, to enjoy all
this, Tapped us in the sweetest con-
IIo1f Ial
leaning against me, and my hand was
unconsciously tousling his hair.
We did not go up to Stetsen's,
though il seemed hardly the fair thing
to pass the OLD settler by but we had
lunched at Halfway brook. and Creme
wanted to get to camp before dark.
We were more than willing to forego
the talk. We were sufficient TO our
selves. Nature had made US unsocial.
The Big Tupper is an afiluent to the
Racket and you turn into the lake on
the left,s;Oth to leave-at least we
were-ihe exquisite river along which
you have been sliding in your light
skifi, dreamy, with a peaceful, unde-
string soul, the whole day long.
But, If you are worthy, you are soon
comforted. Tho lake is hunting
ground. The deer have been driven
back, indeed. from the frequented
shores. But if they have had rest
from the hunters for week or so,
they will steal down slyly in the quiet
hours, to feed on the shore grass and
the succulcnt lily-pads.
The sun was setting, and in the
midst of regal splendors, just as we
turned into the. placid waters of the
lake, and after we had rOwed four or
five miles up we made for the shore
on our left. The tent was already up
and great fire cracking and blazing
before it. Our camp was on a fine
knoll, with curve of sandy beach on
either side of it, and the ''forest pri-
meval" stretching away indefinitely
behind it.
We had caught few trout at Half
way brook-one q noble fellow that
took my "scarlet ibis" Ike a gentle
man, although he had through and
through his body the round fresh
wound of an otter's tooth-and we ate
our first meal with all the Zest that
hard rowing and the cool, stimulating
air, and that subtle appetizer, the en-
thusiasm of the woods, could give it.
Then we hurried TO get ready for
our first hunt. Our guns were load
cd, the lamp of the jack filled and
trimmed, the wraps bundled up, and
i'm half an hour with paddle and bow
We were breaking into fragments the
images of the stars that were reflected
in the perfect mirror of the lake. We
took but one guido with us, leaving