Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-03-05
during all the journey of one day.


fire, and having smoked their pipes,
coiled up under the smoke, and in few
minutes were fast asleep. The chief
pealed a small spruce, and with its bark
and stick. yard in length soon made
''a jack, or half lantern, open in front
and dark behind. He next got some
dry roots of pine, full of gum, and high
ly infamible. Then some dry, outside
bark of the cedar, which he pounded
very fine, and tied with green bark,
which was the Indian candle" By
midnight the jack was in the bow of the
canoe, the pitchy roots in the jack ready
to be lighted up in an instant. and the
Indian candle lighted and slowly burn
ing, like the end of dry rope. They
were going to hunt deer in the Indian
way. In the bow of the canoe sat the
young man just behind the jack, while
the old Indian sat in the stern to paddle.
In the perfect silence and darkness, the
canoe moved up the river toward the
outlet of Long Lake. The plunge of the
muskrat. and the lunge of the otter as
he gamboled and slid off the steep bank
into the water, were frequent; but no
deer was heard. At length noise like
a calf walking in the water was heard,
and the young man raised the Indian
candle and swung it in the air few
times, and it was all in light blaze.
He then applied it to the pine knots in
-.. @ @ va. low a Strong light thrown
out in front of the canoe, while all be-
hind the jack was perfect darkness.
Slowly. and without lifting his paddle
from the water, and almost without
moving 1t, the Indian turned the canoe
towards the deer. As it neared the an
imal, he was standing in the water knee
deep. He looked at the light without
moving, while his eyes seemed to be
balls Sf fire. oeeF He seen saepBHd e Iictnre c+ &c
thrown upon the canvass by magic
lantern. The bats are flying in all d.
rections, the owls seem te-be holding
jubilee, and hoot and laugh and sneeze
in all imaginable tones. The strange
light changes the trees on the banks of
the river into all manner of shapes, cas-
ties, towers, churches and palaces. The
thin, cold fog rises from the river like
veil, and again the banks are covered
with domes and pyramids and cones of
silver. The wild cat, too, screams. and
'hO "~lc ~ +hn a;s+~.,no 10 hnulino Rn+
the deer The Indian and the young
man keep their eyes on him alone.
There he stands, huge buck, with his
monstrous horns, and his eyes of fire
He dreams of no danger. He never
thinks of what may be behind the brill.
liant light. The canoe hardly moves,
and the Indian gently shahOa it, as
much as to say, can go no further.
The rifle rises up, the outer sight just
so as to have the light strike it, while
the back sight is in the dark. But the
young Hawk knows what he is about.
Quick as thought he raises the deadly
iron, and stream of fire leaps from its
muzzle. The deer gives one supernatural
leap high in the air, and drops dead
"The Saranac Hawk no forget where to
point the winding gun yet" said the
Indian, in great admiration. By strain
ing every muscle, they got the deer into
the canoe, and returned to the starting
place. The two sleepers were now
aroused, who proceeded to dress the
deer, and to roast unweighed steaks for
their repast. After which the two hun
tiers went to rest; and they sat up, and
cut up the deer and dried it in the smoke
and blaze of the fire. They worked, and
the others slept, till ten o'clock the next
morning, when new meal was cooked,
and nearly hundred pounds were
cured and ready for transportation
They were now prepared to return and
carry their plans into execution.
About a fortnight previous to the
commencement of our story a young mai
was walking home with charming girl
the choice and the pride of his heart, II
one of those deep and beautiful glen
which are so frequent in Vermont. Theil
parents had removed into this new anC
wild country years ago, and had liveC
as neighbors and friends, their log house
being but two miles apart. But other
had come in, and the forest had fallel
, before the ringing ak; the humbl
school house was seen at an early date
and all the blessings which followed il
{ the wake of shrewd and watchful indus
| try. Robert Ralston and Mary Parke
: were the eldest in each family, and fror
infancy they we're SO frequently in eac
: others society. that it happened yer
e early, if either were absent from th
0 little log school house, the other foun
it long and proftless day. Robel
r was sure to find the earliest flowers {
e the wilderness in the spring, and til
:, sweetest wild grass in the autumn, an
n Mary was never forgotten. If tt
: wolves were more plenty than common