The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-01-17
A TERRIBLE NIGHT.

A TERRIBLE NIGHT.
"By jove Dick, Pm nearly done up"
$50 am |. Did any one ever see such
a COMPOUNDED forest, Charley ?'
81 am not alone weak, but hungry.
Oh, for steak of moose, with bottle of
old red wine to wash it down -
"Charley, beware Take care how
you cOnjure up such visions in my mind.
| am already nearly starving, and if YOU
increase my appetite much more it will
90 hard with me if | don't dine off of
you. You are young, and Bertha says
you're tender"
Hearted, she meant. Well, so | am,
if loving Bertha be any proof of it, Do
you know, Dick, | have often wondered
that you, who love your sister so passion
ately, were not jealous of her attachment
to me-"
q SO | was, my dear fellow, at first
furiously Jealous. But then | reflected
that Bertha must one day or other mar
~, and | must lose my sister; so |
thought it better that she should marry
my old friend and college chum, Charley
Costarre, than any one else. So you see
there was little selfshness in my calcu-
lations, Charley"
Dick, we We're friends at school and
friends at college, and thought at both
these places that nothing could shorten
the link that bound Us 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 partw
$50 he married the Kings daughter
and they all live together as happy as the
days are long," shouted Dick, with a
laugh, quoting from nursery tale"
The foregoing is an extract cut of the
conversation with which Dick Linton
any myself endeavored to beguiIe the
way, as we tramped through one of the
forests of Northern New York. Dick
was an artist and | sportsman, so when
one fine autumn day he announced his
intention of going into the woods for a
week to study nature, it seemed to me an
excellent opportunity for me to exercise
my legs and my trigger-fnger at the
same time. Dick had some backwoods
friend who lived in log hut on the
olloiES II IShlolu 1Ldhe, anu llltTt 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 cur shoul-
ders, 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; put
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 forest through which we
Travelled was of the densest description.
Overhead the branches of spruce and
pine shut out the day, while beneath our
feet lay a frightful soil, composed prin-
cipally of jagged shingle, cunningly CEN
cealed by an almost impenetrable brush
As the day wore on, our hopes of reach.
ing our destination grew fainter and
! fainter, and | could almost fancy, from
the anxious chances 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 nice pickle, Master Dick
said |, rather Grossly, for an empty
stomach does much to destroy a man,
natural amiability. Confound voul
assurance that led you to set up as 6
guide. OF all men painters are the most
cOnceited."
"Come, Charley" answered Dick
good humoredly, "there's no use il
growing so loudly You'll bring the
bears lind panthers on us if you do. We
must make the best of bad job and sleeT
in tree"
cts easy to talk, my good fellow.
Pm not partridge, and don't know how
to roost on bough.''
"Well, you'll have to learn then: fol-
if you sleep on the ground the chances
are ten to one that you will have the
wolves nibbling at your toes before day
light"
"Tm hanged if | do either" said !
desperately. "Fm going to walk ali
night, and I'll drop before I'll lie down"
Come, come, Charley, don't be a
fool"
81 was fool only when consented to
let you assume the role of guide"
We'll, Charley, if you are determined
to go on let it be so; we'll go together
After all its only an adventure"
q l say, Dick, don't you see light?'
By Jove, 50 there is. Come, you see
Providence has interviewed between Us
and the wolves and hunger. That must
be some squatter's hut"
The light to which | had so suddenly
called Dicks attention was very faint,
and seemed TO be about half mile dis
tant. II glimmered through the dark
branches of the hemlock and spruce
trees, and weak as the light was, | hailed
it as mariner without compass halls
the star by which he steers. We in
stanuy set out in the direction of onr
beacon. In moment it seemed as if all
fatigue had vanished, and We walked a.
if our muscles were a. tense as iron. and
our Joints as oily As piston-shaft.
We soon arrived at what in the dusk
seemed TO be clearing of about five
acres; but it may have been larger, for
the tall forest rising up around it must
have diminished its apparent size, giving
1t the appearance of square Dit rather
than farm. Towards one corner of the
clearing was discerned the duskv out
line of a log hut, through whose single
end window faint light was streaming.
With sigh of reliefwe fastened to the
door and knocked 1t was opened inn
mediately, and man appeared on the
threshold. We explained our condition,
and were instantly invited to come il
and make ourselves al home. All our
host said he could offer Us was some
cold Indian corn cakes and slice of
dried deer flesh, TO all of which We were
heartily welcome The-e sisnds IN our