Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1878-02-07
A TERRIBLE NIGHT.
''By jove! Dick, I'm nearly done

''By jove! Dick, I'm nearly done
up"
$50 am I. Did any one ever see
such a sonfounded forest, Charley?
II am not alone weak, but hum
cry. Oh, for 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. lam already nearly starv-
ing, and if you increase my appetite
, much more it will 60 hard with me
if don't dine off of you. You are
Young, and Bertha says you're ten
| q -
Hearted, she meant. Well, so |
am, if loving Bertha be any proof Of
it. Do you know, Dick, I haze Of.
ten wondered that YOU, who love your
sister so passionately, were not jeal-
Gus of her attachment to me-
$50 1 was, my dear fellow, at first
-furiously jealous. But ther l re-
flected that Bertha must one day or
other marry, and must lose my SIS
.er; so l thought it better that she
should marry my old friend and col
lege chum, Charley Costar-e, than
any one else. So you see there was
a little selfishness in my calculations,
Charley"
"Dick, we were friends at school
and friends at college, and l thought
at both these places hat nothing
could shorten the link that bound as
together, but WAS mistaken. Since
my love for and engagement to your
sister feel as if you were fifty times
the friend that you were before.
Dick, We three will never part:'
$50 he married the Kings daugh-
ter and they all lived together as hap
py as the days are long" shouted
Dick, with laugh, quoting from a
nursery tale.
The foregoing is an extract out Of
the conversation with which Dick
Linton and myself endcayurrsi 10 be
guile the wa,', as we lratHlr.; ''ir"u@h
one of the forests of Northern New
York. Dick was an artist and / a
sportsman, so when one fine autuH II
day he announced his intention Of
going into the woods for a week to
study nature. it seemed to me an ex-
cellent opportunity for me to eXer-
else my legs and my trigger-finger at
the same time. Dick had some back
woods friend who lived in a 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, tavern known to
tourists and situated on the bounda-
rfes of Essex and Warren counties.
1t was a desperate walk; but we
started by daybreak, and had great
faith in our pedestrian qualities. We
expected to reach the nearest of the
Eckford lakes by nightfall. The for
est through which we travelled was of
the densest description. Overhead
the branches of spruce and pine shut
ort the day, while beneath our feet
lay frightful soil, composed priDci-
pally of jagged shingle, cunningiy |
concealed by an almost impenetrauie !
brush. As the day wore on, our
hopes of reaching our destination
grew fainter and fainter, and could |
almost fancy, from the anxious CLAN
ces that Dick cast around him, that
in spite of his boasted knowledge Of
the woods, he had lost his way. 1t
was not, however, until night actually
fell, and that we were both sinking
from hunger and exhaustion that
could get him to acknowledge it.
"We're in a nice pickle, Master
Dick" said l, rather GROSSLY, for an
empty stomach does much to destroy
a mans natural amiability. Son
found your assurance that led you to
set up as a guide. OF all men pain
ters are the most conceited."
.Co ne, Charley" answered Dick,
good humoredly, "there's no use in
growing SO loudly. You'll bring the
bears and panthers on US If you do.
We must make the best of bad job
and sleep in a tree"
''It's easy to talk, my good fellow.
I'm not partridge, and don't know
how to roost on bough."
"Well, you'll have to learn then;
for if 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, desperately. I'm going to walk
all night, and I'll drop before I'll lie
down.
"Come, come, Charley, don't be
fool"
81 was fool only when l consen-
ted to let you assume the role of
guide"
"Well, Charley, if you are deter
mined to go on let it be so; we'H go
together. After all its only an ad-
venture"
81.