Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-08-10
;hey had found where White had been ,

! they had found where White had been q
| short time before. just at sunset we
were padding round bend, when /
heard something splash in the water be-
side the boat. Looking up, I saw the
boy just i'll the act of tossing pebble at
us. He drew back and motioned us to
land. We did so, and found the little
| imp at the foot of large hemlock tree.
"Here he is; I've freed him." said he.
"Where where? Do you mean that
he is up that tree ? He could never have
climbed it."
He's up there" said the boy, SEN
tentiously. ''Just you watch"
He moved off into the bushes. and
sure enough I saw something among the
lower branches high over our heads move
cautiously around, keeping the trunk
always between it and the boy.
Eldridge called out: "Come, Harry,
come down! what is the use, old fellow?'
Eldridge persisted throughout in talk
ing to White as if he were not out of
his head, but only little whimsical and
eccentric.
l, too, cried: "Harry! dear Harry!
come down." and burst into fit of
hysterical laughter. The idea of our
friends hiding like a coon in a tree
while we three were watching at the
foot like dogs was as ridiculous as dis
tressing.
"Confound you," said Eldridge,
warmly, ''come down. We can't wait
here any longer"
But the figure, with marvellous agil-
ity, went to the very top of the tree,
where it was completely concealed.
"Hell starve after O. SPELL said the
boy. "I'll whistle for ALI and Pliny."
His shrill whistle was ans cred from the
depths OF the woods, and soon the three
men appeared, breathless with haste.
A hurried consultation followed, and
Granger went to the boat and brought
the ak. Then, clearing a space at the
foot, he began to cut the tree.
His vigorous blows rang through the
forest. Dix was answering our eager
remonstraDces by explaining that it was
the only thing to do, though dangerous
that the tree would fall in the water,
and that Granger would "notch " it on
the opposite side in such way that it
would fall slowly and not break short
oH-when an exclamation from the boy
caused us to look upward.
beheld for an instant tattered fig
ure, with flaming eyes, run out Oh
dead branch. Then, before I could
catch my breath, it leaped with a cry
into the soft bushy top of a young pine.
The perpendicular distance as it reap
pears to my imagination, could not have
been less than twenty feet. For Sec
ond or two it chung to the lower side, as
the tough, elastic top bent beneath the
shock. Then it dropped from branch so
rapidly that it seemed to fall. Reaching
the ground, it ran like a deer for the
water, dashed In, and struck out for the
opposite shore.
In ten seconds the men were in the
boat and rapidly overhauling it. Then
ensued fearful struggle, the danger
being lest the canoe should be upset.
The skill of the men In securing deer I'M
der similar circumstances stood them in
good stead, and in q few moments they
had passed rope around poor White
and dragged him, half-strangled, to the
shore. AS soon as they reached shoal
water they jumped out and secured him
with the rope, aud hauled him, drench-
ed, hunted thing, into the boat. Then
they started up the stream with strong,
swift strokes, leaving the boy to guide
us home.
We reached there about an hour after
them, and found that they had White in
bed, well rubbed down with the back
woodsman's universal remedy whisky.
The younger Of the Dix brothers had
gone to the nearest village Tor the doc
tor. Harry had passed from the violent
-%o4a 10 e L
the doctor arrived next day he had taken
some food and fallen into sleep. When
he awoke he was nearly himself again,
but very weak. His strength returned
but slowly, and even now he is more re-
served and quiet than he was. I think
he is more willing to stake guide
than before; certainly he has never got
on the wrong river since.
Historical Brevities.