The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-02-11
dew drop or 50 from his eyes, confessed
that little Dora Klein had been as true a
heroine as Joan of Arc herself.
An Unpleasant BedfeIIow.

|
u cabin at the base of one Of the
mountain ranges OF the Adirondacks.
He had been bought up in the woods
from infancy, and the rocks, trees and
| flowing water were his lesson books,
for in that desolate region schools were
out of the question. He was the son of
a guide who conducted hunters and
| pleasure parties over the lake and
| through the woods of the Shattagee
region, and by the time he was seven
teen years of age the boy was able to
act as a guide himself. His eyes were
SO keen that he could tell at glance,
by the traces upon the dry leaves,
whether bear, deer or panther had
passed by.
| The forest was his home, and he could
| lie down miles from home and sleep as
sweetly upon his couch of moss or
leaves as the best housed youngster on
his more civilized bed. In the summer
of 1873, he guided party a distance of
forty miles to the first of the chain of
mountain lakes, where his father waited
for them with canoes. From that point
they had no further need of him, and
the same afternoon he started on bis
return home. He had passed over ten
miles of the way when night came on,
and taking his hatchet from his belt he
quickly put up " lean-to''
1t did not take Jack long to build his
shelter, and when it was completed he
sat down under it, and ate some cold
meat and corn bread, which he had in
his haversack. When he had finished
his supper he pulled a quantity of moss
for bed, spread it upon the floor of his
rude tent, wrapped his blanket around
him and lay down. The croaking of the
frogs, the lay of the whippoorwill, and
the tapping of the river close at hand
were familiar sounds and quickly lulled
him to sleep. His rifle, loaded and ready
for use, was at his side, and his knife in
his sheath hung upon short, broken
limb above his head. Though he was
but II years old, Jack Featherly was as
strong as most men, and quite able to
take care of himself; for his courage
was certainly equal to his strength.
He slept for hours. The night grew
chilly, and it was well he had wrapped
his blanket around him to keep out the
damp air. 1t might have been o'clock
in the morning, just before the light
came, when he was awakened by
strange feeling of uneasiness, and gradu-
ally became aware of the presence of
of some large, soft body lying close to
his own. He could hear the heavy res
| pirations of an animals breath, and
even felt them on his neck. Whether
| the creature was ferocious or otherwise
he could not tell, but certainly some
wild visitor was lying close to him and
enjoying the friendly warmth of his
body.
Was Jack frightened Put yourself
| in his position and tell me what you
think about it,
My opinion is, that as brave as he
was, he would have been better pleased
with different bedfellow. Not that
Jack knew there was anything to fear
from this strange neighbor, but the
suspense was something even more un-
| comfortable than fear.
Painfully still he lay, without moving
| hand or foot, for he could not tell what
deadly assault the slightest alarm might
| provoke. But this inaction became too
horrible. Human nerves could not bear
| it.
Cautiously he reached out for his rifle;
his fingers closed upon 1t, inch by inch
he dragged it toward him till the barrel
lay across his breast and he could touch
the lock. His thumb passed the ham,
mer, but even now he dared not cock it,
for the click might startle his bedfellow
and force battle before he was prepar-
ed.
Sooner or later, however, 1t must
come, and necessity compelled him to
venture. Stiffening his muscles, and
drawing in his breath, he thrust back
the hammer of the lock, and the sharp
click, click, sounded fearfully distinct
in the dead silence. The wild animal
made quick movement, but Jack lay
like stone, and in moment his un-
known enemy seemed asleep again.
Would the morning never comel Jack
dared not fire in the darkness, for If he
missed his aim, and the creature proved
indeed beast of prey, there was no
chance for him. With his finger upon
the trigger and his hand upon the lock,
n