Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1881-06-22
THE LITTLE MOUNTAIN GUIDE.

THE LITTLE MOUNTAIN GUIDE.
Way up in New Hampshire, among
the great, big mountains, there stands
a little rough, implanted cottage, that
is built right on the edge Of high
ledge of rocks. When the wind blows
it seems as if the little house would
rock over and go tumbling down into
the gulf below.
But if YOU were to tell that to Susan
Gordon, who lives there with her moth
er she would laugh at YOU. For Susan
was born and bred in the wild, lone
some place, and she loves the rough
rock, covered with lchens, and the
scraggy pines, that grow almost hori-
zontally from the cracks and creviccs,
and hang down over the gully.
Yes, Susan Gordon loves her birth
place and all its surroundings. There
was not prccipice but she had climbed,
not q chasm nor a mountain cave but
she could guide you to.
Susan was delicate looking child,
and that is oil that could be said about
her, except that she had long locks of
hair, that not being kept very well
brushed, werc almost always in her eyes,
and that she limped slightly when she
walked
In the summer, when the mountains
-warmed with sight-seers, susan was
in the greatest demand. She could
hire herself out at almost any price,
for guide. The way she skipped
along, from rock to rock, and swung
herself down, and helped herself up,
by means of her little mountain staff,
made of ash, with q spike in the bot
tom. always astonished those who saw
her for the first time.
"Who is she? How does she dare
And see, she is lame too" stranger,
would say, watching her in wonder.
Then, almost always, there would
be some one who would answer:
Go to Uncle Ben, if YOU want to
know anything about her. It's a story
worth listening to, | can tell YOU.
And Uncle Ben, who was never
known to be guilty Of wearing coat
nor Of being found without pipe in
his mouth, was always ready to &C
over this story Of Susan Gordon.
oval" he would say, 'Pll begin al
the beginin'. When that ere child
was only knee-high to toad, she could
scramble with the best of EN-, She
could climb like a cat, and her head
was as steady as a house-top, Afraid
she wasn't afraid of nothin', and she
got to be great pet amongst all hands
and famous for knowing every tic k
and stone anywhere round the noun
tains.
oval, it., nigh on to five years sine,
the thing happened. | had beer
threshing pretty lively all that day
and ] was clean beat out by night
when Miss Gordon that was Susan
mother-she came runnin into iii,
house like a mad woman.
"Says she, ain't Susan here
SAYS |, she amt. For the Lord
sake'-for the poor woman's knee
began to knock together and sh
looked CHASTITY in the face, for tn
Lords sake | says, what's TO pay
Uncle Ben Styles says Miss Cor
don, nobody in the village has sec
Susan to-day. / don't know what's be
come of her; she was never away e
long before
"Cheer up, says |, she'll be bac
soon, all right. There's no such thin
as her losing her way
81 know that, SAYS she. 1T ain
that I'm afraid of; its thebears.
"Tbe last word came out with
scream, and she put her hand to he
mouth, as if she had the jumping tootl
ache. ] pitied her from the bottom {
my heart, and | did not dare to laug
ut her fears, for the fresh bear tract
had been found upon the mountain NJ
long way back.
81 tell You what, said land / d
1t more to quiet her, for she was takir
on orful, and it was like hunting for
needle in n hay-stack any way-'I to
YOU what, Miss Gordon-we'll take
hunt for her, we'll bring her back de'
or alive'--I was just going to say; b
7 stopped myself in time and got o
of the house.
oval, it didn't take long to rou
them, and off we started, twelve of
double-fsted men, with our carbin
on our backs and our flaring pine-kn
torches-for the night was dark
pitch. My dog went TO. He is g
ting oldish now, and had rather sic
in the sun, or by the kitchen fire, thu
climb the rocks; but then his ey
were as sharp as a fox's, and he W
ready for any frolic. Heaven forgi
me, though, for calling that frolicl
oval, as / said, we started twel
strong, and Box went with us. and
people stood at their doors and bid
God-speed, and watched us, as III
said afterwards, for miles and mil