The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-06-15

had lain down farthest from the fire, around
which the indians were sleeping, one only
keeping watch.
"Lydia Corbin knew that their course had
been nearly northeast, and where she lay she
could see the north star. While little Joe
slept she fixed the points of the compass in
her mind, and selected certain southern stars,
to guide her course. In three hours the
moon went down, and she wakened the little
boy, and rising very gently they stole away
while the sentinel unconsciously dozed by the
fire. When they had got Sc far away that
they could no longer see the glimmer of the
campfire, they mended their pace and bur-
ried forward, keeping watch on their guild.
ing stars whenever an opening in the forest
permitted them to be seen.
"You can imagine the brave little woman
and the poor child struggling on at midnight
in the forest, stumbling and sometimes falling
over roots Of trees, captivity and perhaps
death behind, and freedom, but perhaps star
walton in front. They heard the hooting of
owls, but of that they had no fear, and the
distant screams of the catamount, but OF that
they had little thought, for more terrible
danger was behind; they feared the return of
the savages when their escape should be dis
covered in the morning. By the time the
birds began to sing their earliest song to her.
aid in the morning, and the stars faded out,
they had got more than ten miles away, and
Lydia ventured to give the patient boy a
hrnofhnr ebo ID
scarcely less. You may wouder how they
could make such journey, starting almost
wsrn out with their previous march, but
mortal peril helps the tired limbs to hold out.
Do you remember how our gallant Mechanic
Blues marched to Winchester and then
marched back with Banks's army to Will
Transport, sixty miles in one day? To be
sure they all sat down the next day and held
up their blstered feet to cool, but they did an
amount Of travel which astonished them
selves wnen tney thought it over afterwards
at leisure.
Choosing a sheltered spot where they
would be concealed if any savages should
pass, they slept for a couple of hours until
the sun was up and the morning warm, and
then once more toiled on their way. finally
reaching Royals river in the forenoon. This
was at once welcome and an unwelcome
sight. Welcome, because it assured them
that they had rightly kept their course, and
that they had got more than half way back !;
and unwelcome because they had no means
to cross it. They had crossed several smaller
streams on trunks of trees, stepping stones
and by wading, but this was too wide and too
deep for that. So here they took another
long rest and thought over the difficulties.
They had not starved on the way, for they
had found plenty of berries in the woods, but
these barely stayed their hunger, and they
were glad to find some shell fish in the muddy
bank of the river and to eat them raw. Il
think they are real good, aunty,' said the
boy. Then he lifted his eyes to hers with
look of deep wisdom, and said, Can't we
build raft?' "A raft, child? No; where
can we get the timber, and how can we
fasten it together?'
"But the thought was happy one. They
might find a small dry fallen tree on the bank
with which they could float across. So she
hopefully took the little ones hand and
walked up stream along the bank. They
found many trees lodged at different points
and, after long search, one that answered the
purpose. 1t was light spruce which, after
many wanderings on the river that had
mostly stripped it of limbs, had lodged inside
larger tree that was anchored fast to the
shore with its long limbs in the mud.
''Mrs. Corbin could not swim, but
she was used to bathing and familiar
with the water. She took off her shoes
and stockings and tied them with her
neckerchief to projecting limb of the
tree. Little Joe had been barefoot when be
started from home, and his tough little feet
had stood the journey very fairly. 1t was
startling thing to ask little chap of five
years to hold on to a log, with all but his
head under, and to push him out into deep
water, but Joe was brave little boy, and he
had played in the water at home, so that it
was not entirely novel to him. She selected
good branch for Joe to hold on by, and
then waded out, pushing the log before her.
Joe was soon off his feet, but holding on
bravely, and presently finding herself getting
up TO her shoulders she headed the big end
OF the tree for the other shore, but directed
little down stream, gave vigorous push
and found herself afoat. The river was not
wide at this point, but their Roadway was
soon lost, and they floated down with the
current. Lydia swan as well as she knew
how, striking out vigorously with her feet.
and even little Joe managed to help their
progress somewhat, moving his little legs like
a frog Fortune favored them by their coming
10 bend in the river which threw them over
near to the other bank, and finally, when
nearly exhausted, Lydia attained a footing
and pushed their log to the shore.
Thankfully regaining the woods, thew
rested for an hour and dried their wet clothes.
and then carefully noting the direction BY
the sun, the brave woman and her sturdy
little charge once more plunged into the
forest and bent their way towards the Pre-
sumpscot."
CHAPTER III,