The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-06-08

galloped all the way to Shopton for the near
est doctor.
"Ahem Nothing more nor less than a
fever" said he, the instant be laid his eyes
on Mr. Bruce.
"Is he dangerous? ?" asked Louisa.
"Dangerous9 Oh, | guess he'll pull
through. I'll leave this prescription, and be
round tomorrow. There's Mr.. Maverick, of
the tavern-Maverick's tavern, at our place,
had the same symptoms a week ago. and he's
about to-day. There's no telling about
these things; different constitutions take
diseases differently. AT least, you needn't
be alarmed at present. Good morning"
with an emphasis on the good. Louisa
thought it was anything but good morning
after the comfort of his professional presence
was withdrawn. But the next day her
father was no better, nor yet the next,
though the doctor assured her that he was
doing as well as could be expected. whatever
that might be.
Louisa was too busy, and weary with
watching and nursing, cooking and looking
after the house and seeing to grandmas cold
and keeping order and quiet among the
children, to take any note of the sick mans
delirious words, though he was constantly
talking about the camp sixty miles away
where her own thoughts wandered whenever
she had time to think them-bargaining
with imaginary teamsters, hagglng with
Scales and Weight over groceries, and re-
peating Provisions for a week, for week."
and counting the days on his fingers and
losing the count and beginning over and
over again, as if it were q puzzle upon the
solution of which his life depended. And
so fever ran to the ninth day aud turned aud
the patient fell into quiet sleep, and awoke
too weak and languid to put words together,
or to remember anything but that he had
suffered a fearful nightmare and it was over.
1t was perhaps the third day after the fever
turned that he suddenly took up the thread
of life where he had dropped it, and asked,
"How long have | been a-laying here, Lu ?"
Twelve days"
Where's Ben and Uncle Si?"
"Why, you left 'em in camp, father"
LEFT 'em in camp! Twelve days ago, +"
he gasped, "with weeks provisions |
shouldn't wonder if they were both in Heav-
en- by this time! What hev you been think
ing of all this while, Ell ?''
81 didn't know they had only a week $
provisions" said louisa, showing a ghastly
face; ''and l had to look after you and the
fever"
"Well. don't wait another minute round
me just harness up old roam and Quickstep,
and take some brandy and things-and don't t
let 'em eat all they want; make cruel keep
'em short. Come start yourself, and don't
be standing still like ghost and folks a-dy
ing for lack of you"
"And you?"
"I'll take care of myself, and soil grand
ma. Roam and Quickstep can do the dis.
tance by nightfall. Take my gun to keep
off the wolves, and little Tim and a Ian
tern"
'But how shall / find the way?" Louisa
was already inside her pelsse and mufflers
"Bless you, baby couldn't miss it the
trees are notched with star every half a
mile, on the left hand side. There, take
Tim and be Off"
And as there was not an able-bodied man
short of Shopton at that season who wasn'
off logging, and as grandma and Susette
could take care of her patient, and Ben wa:
starving without her, what could she do bu
go?
And how were they faring in the camp
sixty miles away in the heart of the wood
which was almost like primeval forest
After Mr.. Bruce's departure they had gont
about their work with will while Uncle
Simon was busy on the hovel of the cattle
Ben had walked miles and miles through th,
sweet-scented wood, spotting the timber
and suns had risen and set, when one morn
ing before the week was out, Uncle Simon
was surprised to see the bottom of the mea
chest
"Tough luck r' said he briefly, "but there
swamp pork to exc it out" And he plunged
his hand confidently into the pickle, anC
had something of chase after two or thre
insignificant pieces. The two men lookeC
at each other in dismay for an instant.
"But he'll be back day after to-morro W,
said Ben
"But what if he shouldn't" asked tn
older man, Iot SO sanguine.
"What can keep him? Atany rate we'v
got legs of our own"
"Precious stiff ones mine are 1t wouldn'
be nice excursion, sixty miles afoot. Why
we should freeze to DEATH p
well, let's wait; no use running fror
your shadow"
And so they waited.
Hell be sure to come tomorrow" wa
the assurance with which they comforte
each other; and when tomorrow passe
without bringing him, "Well wait anoth,
day perhaps the oxen were disabled on th
road" For a storm had set in cold and blu
tering not much snow just enough to mai
the world lovely. The wind sang anon
} the pines like the voice of angry water cou
ses, and splintered great boughs in the 70
est, aud uprooted blasted trees, and seem,
! like an invisible presence haunting the r
t cesses of the wood-some impersonation
, Thor, whose touch was blow and all Il
while the snow built up its Aladdin palace
crystal by crystal wreathed about the livir
green, tapestried every boulder, hid the DEF
leaves and hollows under the screen, for
5 was by no means deep; the weather was t.
. bitter cold for more than light fall, ju
g enough to drape nature gracefully in
folds, and give promise of more to com
Before the sky had cleared, the last mout
e ful of food had vanished, and, except for
r partridge that Ben had made shift to X
r with a club-for there were no fire arms y
a in camp-and a rabbit taken in rude tn
/, of their own constructing, they had not ca
en- anything for two days, But they we
robust men, who would have tough fig