The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-08-22
OLD.TIME "REMINISCENCES.

OLD-TIME "REMINISCENCES.
Rough Travelling In Virginia and Kentucky,
in Early Times.
BY W. W.
On one occasion it was my fortune to
take a horseback trip from Big Sandy
to the Kanawha valley, across the coun-
try; and, as my time was rather limited
was constrained to ride after dark in
q region at that time altogether un-
settled and wild and, worst of all in
my case for night ride, one quite un-
familiar to me. On the night in ques-
ton, had gone on several miles after
passing the last cabin seen In the after
neon, and as the thick darkness came
down like pail, preventing me in the
dense forest from even seeing the ground
itself under my horses feet, to my dis
comfort and perhaps dismay, began to
hear the deep muttering of thunder re-
echoed by the mountain ranges in the
far distance while so rocky and rough
was the winding pathway along which
my tired horse was stumbling that there
was no such thingas hurrying him in the
chance of finding some place Of shelter
for the night, and from the coming
tempest.
OF course, I blamed myself for not
stopping at the last cabin L had passed,
instead of tempting untried and wild
forest paths at that time of night, but
that did not help the case, and L could
only drop the reins on the neck of my
faded steed, and leave him to find his
way to some :" clearing" if such was
within reach, in time enough to escape
the storm.
was creeping along in this manner,
slowly, my horse sometimes stumbling
over log or fallen tree and coming to
his knees, at other times sliding down
some hank, when, in the far distance,
i heard something that sounded
worse than the muttering thunder to
me-that pest of those wild mountain
regions at that period-the scream of a
panther. 1t came occasionally in short,
snappish quavers, making my horse
FESTIVE and fairly tremble under me
and yet, after hearing it once or twice,
i felt treasured when it seemed to grow
fainter, as if dying away in the distance,
finally ending altogether. But it had
had the effect of hurrying me forward
Mt whatever risk of possibly breaking
my neck, until at length 1 was satisfied
that had gotten into the bridle-path
again, as I came to an open piece of
water, the crossing of creek, appar-
entity the faint reflection of the sur
face, despite the deep darkness, making
il plainly perceptible.
Surprising, of course, that it must be
ford" or regular crossing place, !
rode straight across, and found myself
on the opposite side in thicket OF
laurel bushes-I could feel them-but
my horse couldn't climb up the steep
bank. Thoroughly perplexed, and get
ting nervous as the heavy thunder
storm was rapidly coming closer and !
had no desire to be caught out there in
the creek, or even on its banks, / got
off my horse and down into the water,
and undertook carefully to feel for
horse tracks, to see, if possible, how,
after entering the creek, they turned on
leaving it. Unable to satisfy myself,
i next tried, in the deep dark
ness, to ride down the bed of the
creek; but fifty yards or so of expert
ment, as / foundered in and out of deep
holes and over sunken logs, satisfied me
that it wouldn't do; so, returning TO the
ford once more, fortunately sharp flash
of lightning showed me horse tracks,
and sort of path leading down the
bank of the creek on the same side /
had approached it; and finally sharp
gallop of twenty minutes, as the light
ming was more frequent, enabled me to
reach a clearing and cabin, and to get
my horse and myself under shelter just
as the storm came down with the utmost
fury, making me thankful enough that
1t had not caught me out in the dark
woods. That jaunt was one of many
such experiences, where l had, in the
blind forest paths, to trust the instincts
of my horse for holding the right di-
rection to places Of shelter, although
as IL proved-he was not capable of
leading off after getting clear of the
woods and into the bed of the creek.
L had dropped in upon a settler
named Bill Short, who, late as it was,
did not intend to let me go supperless
to bed. With house full of children,
and only the one room below and the
loft above it to accommodate the whole
crowd, he was about the jolliest chap
had encountered for many day. TAX
ing down some strips of dried venison.
his wife soon made sort of savory stew
of it, and this, fanked by corn-dodgers
hurried up in the same handy way, and
some honey-for he had found bee
tree few days hefsre-left me nothing
to wish; for, besides this, milk supplied
the place of coffee, to me always a first
rate substitute or alternative.
The lodging was not SO easily man
aged; at least there was no chance for
me except on the floor. with my saddle
for pillow and my saddle-blanket un-
der me; but it has always been a puz-
zle TO me where and how the good
woman slowed away eight children,
three of them daughters almost grown,
although two truckle-beds played
large part in disposing of the smaller
fry, and the loft sufliced for the boys,