Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-12-11

Puck. or mocking mountain sprite. The
powderiny mountain drifts that were fly
ing about had already hidden his small
footsteps. The twilight was nearly gone,
large flakes of snow began to fall thickly.
and an ominous roar could be heard in
the tops of the pines. The storm was
upon me. | thought it best to take care of
number one, rs | had lost the half one,
but | was sorely troubled and could not
bear to leave the boy behind. Yet, though
my conscience smote me, | hurried on as
fastas possible through the painless woods,
often straying out of my course in the
whrling tempest, till | reached, | hardly
know how, the charcoal-burners at the
top of the pass. There | got warm and
rested a little. and then got on little far
Their to Plauterkill Falls, where ] spent
what was left of the night.
Next morning started early to get
back to my work, though it was II very
hard tug, and the storm was not much
ahated. But | did not want the boss to
think that had been carousing over night,
valued my character Il great deal, and
meant to keep it up. l tried to persuade
the people at Plauterkill to 90 over for the
boy, but they would not go out-of-doors
that day, they said. for Jones's boy, or any
other boy. He might take care of himself.
Our numbering was stopped for while
by that storm, and our gang was sent over
to Rondout to ship timber, and from there
back to Glenn's Falls, and | never knew
what became of that boy. | always blam-
ed myself for not staying with him for
the night, or ut least till his father came,
and for my cowardice in caring more
about losing my place, or possibly my life
tfor | came mighty near being lost in that
storm, than for the safety of that fine,
manly ltte fellow, whose bright face
haunted me for many day. Well, time
went on. | was married to the very girl
for whose sake alone took to the woods
that day; | tried to gain some education
an read all the books | could get; rost
to be II partner and then boss-lumber-
man myself. | grew rich, and middle
aged, and old, and still heard nothing o.
the boy, though | made many inquiries
after him. never had any children of my
own, to live, and kept wishing | couC
adopt that boy; for strange to say, il
never occurred to me that if he were
alive, he would be II middle-aged man
only eight or ten years younger than
He always appeared to my fancy as The
fine, handsome child of ten whom | haC
seen darting through the cabin door into
the forest, dim with winter twilight.
used often to 90 up and down the rive
then on business, but | never much fan
cied to pass by the Catskils. | don
know how it was. but it seemed us if tina
little fellow had somehow got Il hold OF
my heart, and wouldn't let 90. One day
was on the Albany boat,-it was in til,
fail of ls60,-and when, about noon, o
later, we came in sight of the fine ole
mountains, looking Just the color of blue
bells and periwlnkle flowers, turned NJ.
back to them. There was handsum,
man, with hair Just turning iron-gray
standing near, who looked ut me rattle
hard, us l wheeled short round, as if h,
wondered what | was about, for | suppos,
| | looked as if | had something on m,
mind.
SO said to him: " don't much like t,
look at those splendid old fellows, because
| have been always afraid that may have
been partly the cause of the death of a lit
tie chap, away up there by Overlook
many years ago"
Why, how was that. " said the gen
lin, III no s,o,,- Inst as bovo tald Il =
,,n,, ari bo I;otonaJG WIN - o,oo,, t,v;nlI
N lie oro. hnf tho w,tor s,dod in ,hom
zoo '''' y ' '''N- 1' '''''-
" Thor v s.il bo q nv, friend don,
,ro,lLo rorrsolf INV NOVA ohont thot how
Van ,ro;,o ~, at III 10 bta,nn Ia iS st;y,
,live to nv certain EnowIodoa. fo, her
|hn st,nJs h1rore Won and HE 1on,o's pan
Iopo. -
I conld scarcely believe NV senses an,
II was :, minnie cr two hnfore 7 could tok
if MI in
" Won th,t bov'r said I. and startinc
back, I nearly went over the guards in m,
wonder " Whv Won must he Rim Val
Wrinkle hin,seln INT. do tell me ali abou
if y
.Wcll ~ s,id he :" 7 was tickled enoucl
,,ben I found had ontwittpd Won. an,
s,w Won on AWAY beaten. I knew NV fa
ther would come for he never broke hi
word to mo and in ,hont an honr he iii,
leone. bnt he'd Ind a very hard time oct
tine there Nv mother was better. and
wonldn.t do tn fry he said to oct hom
th,t nipht tell Won we had a rouol
! lime in th,t lint. all showed in and nearI
frozen. bnt we mon,grd to hold ont iii
the next afternoon. when the storm abate,
u little and HUNGER started ms hack I,
Woodstocl, We mnnaued to struuoL
tbronrh NV f,tber carried me most a
tho w,v on his hnck. there we're \ few
/ C,rm.hnnse. ,t tbo foot If Overlook TO res
in. and, nlthouph we were almost frozel
naain, we reached Woodstock befor
nioht f,ll. was rs much troubled abou
Won rs Won were nbout me. for did no
link Won knew the woods as we'll rs m,
father was RIGHT abont nv father, vol
seeP was sure he would and come h.
did. hnt we didn,t oct ont nnv more ston
(or y, GOOD while
III diI NOT r,ro for DANCER NV fube
di1't if he'I Given me- his word he ken
if and tpnt nina So hero 7 am ri,
Van Wink|n If Won ike and Won MAJ
make friends ,cain with onr iollv monnt
aims who are GOOD friends Of mine too
WIN. haven't we both made our none
ont If 'nm--vou in lumber in stonep
wns bromrht nm AMONG them, and I'm
fond If then, know every nook anl
crnnny If ,pm and I ronld have told va,
That DIV where to find the deer Won wer
nftrr even knew of famous bear