The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-01-04
Terrible Night.


A Terrible Night.
tBy joye! Dick. I'm nearly done up
$50 am 1. Did any one ever see such
q contOunded forest, Charley?'
Il am not alone weak, but hungry.
oh, for a steak of moose, with a bottle
of old red wine to wash it down.
Charley, bewarel Take care how
you conjure up such visions in my
mind. am already nearly starving,
and II you increase my appetite much
more, it will go hard with me if 1 don't
dine off you. You are young, and
Bertha says you are tender
Hearted, she meant. Well, go 1 am,
II loving Bertha be any proof of it. Do
dered that you, who love your sister so
passionately, were not jealous OF her
attachment to me-
SO was, my dear fellow, at first
furiously jealous. But then 1 reflected
that Bertha must one day or other mar
~, and must lose my sister; so l
thought 1t better that she should mar
ry my old college chum and early
friend, Charley COstare, than any one
else. So you see there was little sell
fishness in my calculations, Charley
'Dick, we were friends at school and
friends at college, and 1 thought at
both those places that nothing could
shorten the link that bound us togeth-
er, but was mistaken. Since my love
for and engagement to your sister,
feel as If you were fifty times the friend
you were before. Dick, we three will
never partv
$50 he married the Kings daughter,
and they all lived together, as happy
as the days are long, shouted Dick,
with laugh, quoting from the nurse
ry tale.
The foregoing is ali extract out of
the conversation with which Dick Lin
ton and myself endeavored to beguile
the way, as we Cramped through one
of the forests of Northern New York.
Dick was an artist and l a sportsman,
so when one fine autumn day he an
nounced his intention of going into
the woods for week to study nature,
it seemed to me an excellent opporCu-
nifty for me to exercise my legs and my
trigger finger at the same time. Dick
had some 0ackwoods friends who lived
in log hut on the shores OF Eckford
Lake, and there we determined to take
up our quarters. Dick, who said he
knew the forest thoroughly, was to be
the guide, and we accordingly, with
our guns on our shoulders, started on
foot from Roots, a tavern known to
tourists and situated on the boundaries
of Essex and Warren counties. 1t was
a desperate walk; but we started by
day break, and had great faith in our
pedestrian qualities. We expected to
reach the nearest of Eckford lakes by
nightfalI The forest through which
we travelled was of the densest descrip-
ton. Overhead the branches OF spruce
and pine shut out the day, while be-
meath eur feet lay frightful soil, COM
posed mostly of Jagged single, cum
nIngly concealed by an almost impen-
etrable bush. AS the day wore on our
hopes of reaching our destination grew
fainter and fainter, and I could almost
fancy, from the anxious chances that
Dick cast around him, that In spite of
his boosted knowledge of the woods, he
had lost his way. It was not, however,
until night actually fell and we were
both sinking from hunger and exhaust
ion, that could get him to acknOwl-
edge it.
Were in a nice pickle, Master Dick
said 1, rather Grossly, for an empty
stomach does much to destroy a mans
natural amiability. 'Confound your
assurance that led you to set up as
guide. OF all men, painters are the
most conceited.'
'Come, Charley answered Dick,
good humoredly, there's no use in
growing so loudly. You'll bring the
bears and paHthers on US If you do. We
must make the best of a bad job and
sleep in a tree
Its easy to talk, my good fellow.
I'm not. a partridge, and don't know
how to roost on q bough.'
well, you'll have to learn, then; for
II you sleep on the ground the chances
are ten to one that you will have the
wolves nibbling at your toes before
daylight
I'm hanged if I do either said I,
night, and I'll drop before Pll lie
down.
Come, come, Charley. don't be a
FOOL
Il wasa fool only when consented
to let you assume the role of guide.'
.sWel, Charley, II yon are determfu-
ed to go on, let it be so; we'll go to-
gether. After all it's only an adven-
ture.'
Il say, Dick, don't you see a light p
BY Jove, so there is! Come, you
see Providence intervenes between US
and the wolves and hunger. That
light TO which / had so suddenly
). Ilek's attention was very FAINT,
ltl1I tahe about half mile dis
1t|[ ilGlered through the dark
bf11G1szs 81 he hsalock and spruce
trees, Ga4 = t.se iI<ht was, hall
ed IL as a~1A4tIz EFll=o1k compass
halls the star u E1Ich Ii EeEs. We
instantly set out Ia t1e 1lEcg<Isu q our
beacon. In q MONIES. i aes as
though all fatigue had V-1Ie1s snd
we walked as il our muscles EsFe as
tense as iron and our joints as ouY rs a
piston shaft
We soon arrived at what seemed to
be clearing of about five acres but ii
may have been larger, for the tall for
est rising up around it must have di-
minished its apparent size, giving il
the appearance OF q square pit rather
than q farm. Toward one corner Of
the clearing we diseerned the dusky
outline of log hut, through whose sin
Ii gle end window faint light was
streaming. With 3 sigh of relief W.
i. fastened to the door and knocked. i
!, was opened Immediately and man ap-
! peAred on the threshold. We explain.
. ed our condition aud were instantly
J invited to walk In and make ourselves
> at home. All our host said he coulC
offer us were some cold Indian COIL
cakes and q slice Of dried deer's flesh
20 which we were heartily welcome
These viands, in our starving condi
I ton were luxurious to US, and We lit
: orally revealed in anticipation of 3 full
! meal. Tie hut into which we had s,
I iunceremoniously entered was Of th'
. moet poVerty-stricken order. Is con
sisted Of but one room, with q rud
q