The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-01-02
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY.
EY ALFRED C. HARDY.

cts no use" exclaimed Hal, despair
ingly, throwing down his gun, and then
throwing himself down after ii, its no
use trying any longer. We might as we'll
give up and die at once. We shall never
find our way out of this Wilderness"
"That isn't like YOU l said. ''You are
furnished, weak, low in spirits, and half
sick, | believe Otherwise YOU would not
despond SO easily. Cheer upr'
I'm too nearly starved for that. | be-
lieyc | am half sick, as you say. My
head aches as if it would split" He sat
half up, rs he spoke, putting his hand to
his brow, and looked disConsolatcIy
around.
I was nearly as discouraged as Hal; ;
but ] was careful not to betray my feel
ings in word or look. Hal and | were
very dear friends. He was twenty and l
ten years older. lie was the son of rich
parents, in New York, and l was a sort Of
a guardian to him; at least during our
summer rccrcations; having been ap-
pointed to act in that capacity by his dot
ing father who reposcd perfect confidence
in my friendship.
Becoming tired Of the seashore, Hal,
with rcstiessneSS common to persons of
his age, had got it into his head that it
would be q fine thing to make pcdes-
trian tour northWard, through the woods
to Canada. He had heard Of a party Of
students who had started On this cxcur-
sion a year before; and he longed to imi-
tate their example. But his plans met
with no sympathy from me. | had set
tied at Old Orchard for at least month
and | did not want to hear anything OF
adventure. But Hal was enthusiastic on
the subject. "We would hunt, fish and
camp he said, and everything would be
glorious But | was an old campaigncr.
and l knew that camping out meant eve
rything that was disagreeable, especially
at that time of the year. | reluctantly
consented, at last, however.
Wen, our journey VI the Kennebcc was
very pleasant; but when we had left the
boat, and the stages behind us; and when
we saw the last house, and began to camp
out under the trees, Hal grew hOmcsick.
The realities We're not what he had antc-
ipatcd Instead of sound Slumbcrs, we
had 10 fight mosqutous through the
| night: and when morning came. the mos
| quitocs were reinforced by swarms OF
| singing flies. On the third day. after
| entering the woods. we had a rain storm
| Atnight we tried to find nook that would
! shelter us; ana IN so doing we lost our
way; nor could we discover it again the
next morning. We wandered about until
we were entirely bcwildcred, and when
night came We're thoroughly exhausted
| We hunted and fishcd now, not from
| pleasure, but from necessity. Our provi-
si0ns were gone, and we were III danger
ofliteral starvation.
That dav Hal had been vainly trying tC
secure some game for our dinner. He
looked already ten years older than wher
we started on this journey. Exposure ano
unaccustomed cxertion had told on him
tCartuliy. There was hectic tint on In!
cheeks, and an unnatural look about III:
ewes. What if he should die here! AnC
what should hinder him from dying, i
his strength should fail, if he should tal
sick2
These thoughts were passing through
my mind. when | caught the sound ol
something stirring in the forest. Instant
ly | graspcd my rifle, and stationed my
self behind n clump Of shrubbery. Was
it a deer! Neryously l raised my rifle,
and my finger was on the trigger, when
Hal sprang to his feet, knocked up the
weapon, and cried, excitedly, Hist! look
there"
A light breeze. at that moment, had
partly blown aside the bushes in front
disclosing a young girl, perfect both in
form aud in feature, lying on the fores:
! pomuuq pCoIq lou :s7p!s Iol le AIss7ps!
SuuV 'Uaas JIGq 'smIE L9H 'uEsnW 7l!Vs
aJdmls u! possoIp srM GUS 'dooIscpuno
's7QaIIq Su!MopuqsIoAo 9Wos Iopun 'sselS
hat lay at her knee; ; her long hair, unbound,
flowed over her shoulder; her lips, which
were literally like ripe rosebudS, were
| half parted, like those Of an infant, smiling
in lis sleep. As l looked, she moved
slightly. and recognized the same sound
which had heard before, and supposed
to be the stealthy tread of fawn. A
picture of more bewildering loveliness
had never seen. My rifle fell to the
ground. Halls noise in rising and his ex
clamation. awoke her. She raised hel
head; looked around startled; and then