The National tribune., 1883-03-15
HERMIT OF TIE WOOD,
And How Tom Swift Came to Make
His Acquaintance.
(By Susan Hartley S,CeH.1

Tom Swift was spending the winter with his
grand parents away off in the country where
there were deep pine woods and logging camps,
a mountain that looked like q huge loaf of
frosted cake in the snow, and pond two or
three miles long, where there was such skating
as Tom had never seen before.
But Tom was very busy boy, and had little
time to indulge in skating or any other sport;
for as his father was dead and his older brother
John cripple, he considered himself the head
of the family, and was very anxious to become
its support. John possessed good deal of tai
eut for drawing and painting, and it was pre-
diCted that he would become great artist some
day if he received the right instruction. But
Mrs Swift, though she worked very hard at
her needle, had as yet been unable to procure
any teacher for him, and it was to this end
that Tom was saving his money now.
All the men in the neighbOrhOOd who were
not either too old or too inirm were at work in
the woods, so Tom was employed not only to
do the chores, such as bringing in wood and
water feeding the cattle, and going to mill,
about his grandtdthUrS farm, but on several
others near by and he had already placed fif-
teen dollars in his bank. He bravely renounced
the mola5ses tafy and marsh-malIow paste at
the village store, turned his back on the thrill
ing shows at the TOWn-haH, sported n broken
jack-kniie in the face and eyes of all the other
boys and, take it altogether, was quite hero
in the way of Selt-denial.
But one day, in the frostiest winter weather,
grandpa suggested that he should take hOli-
day. Joe Crandall was to be at home tO-mor-
row. and was willing to take Toms place for
the day, so that he could spend it wherever
and however he pleased.
"Well," said Tom, delighted with the pros
pect, Il will go into the woods with Israel"
1t was cold sparkling morning. Tom was
obliged to scratch the frost from the pane when
he got out OF bed at five o'clock in order to get
6
hour. Israel was already in the barn with his
cleaning lantern, the cocks were Growing like
mad, and Debby was stepping briskly about
the kitchen with lighted candle. The fire
snapped as if it had been charged with gun
powder, footsteps crunched in the snow, and
ones breath was like smoke in the frosty at
moSphere.
At half past five breakfast was smoking on
the table; at six Israel had his horses harnessed,
and away they started for the woods; lantern,
still burning redly, hung upon one of the stakes
in the sled. The bells stirred the still air with
merry holiday sound; the lights commenced
to vanish from the village windows; the pale
sky frightened to crimson, and cast rosy reilec-
tions on the snow. Israel, as usual, when not
singing his favOrite song about the "turtail-
dove" was deeply reflective, but Tom was in
the highest spirits, and whistled and chartered
like magpie.
When they reached the logging camp, deep
in the blue gloom of the pine woods, the men
who inhabited it were already at work chop
ping logs, and the merry ring of their axes
echoed from the distance. But they left
| bright fire, which was composed of nearly
cord of wood, burning on the large Hat stone
which served for a hearth, and the place pre-
sented q very cheerful appearance. There was
no chimney but the smoke escaped from
large hole in the roof overhead. One could see
out-of-doOrs through the chinks in the logs
which formed the walls, and yet enjoy the
pleasant warmth The hunks where the men
slept at night were filled with clean fragrant
pine boughs, and across the poles which pro-
jected from the foot Of these hunks was placed
the deacon seat "a long bench which faced
the fire, extending from one end of the apart
ment to the other; so that when one grew
weary of reading and storytelling and watch
ing the blaze of the great fire, he could tip back
into one Of these soft yielding beds without any
effort whatever.
Various cooking utensils, guns, and fishing
rods were hung on the wall. A group of bar
relS stood in one corner, over which was
hanging shelf piled with earthen dishes and an
array of bright tins. 4 great board, which
would become 4 table at dinner time, was fas-
tened against the wall.
"Now don't get lost in these pesky woods,
youngster," said Israel, as he thawed his half
frozen fingers by the fire. Better stay round
where we're a-chOppin' N not stray off no great
distance"
- shan't go far away, because l want to be
sure to be back in time to help John get dinner
It's jolly fun to get dinner i'll camp. But I'm
not afraid of getting lost. Why, I've been
through the woods all alone in summer" said
Tom grandly.
ooh yes, you can go through by the road
ary time if you keer to walk fur enough; but
if you 90 roundabouts you'll find there amt no
end to the woods. They reach clear through
ter the North Pole, whar the bears n wolves
live, most likely. Pve been round here con-
sid'able, N hev got some idee what they be-"
81 guess the North Pole must De Muggins-
vile, thcn," said Tom, cOntemptuously; "you
can see the Mugginsville steeple from any tree
you chance to climb"
"Wcll, be careful boy.
MY love she sent me turta- dove,
IN a-toOral-loo, N a-tooral-loo'"
And Israel hastened out-Of-doors to join the
choppers.
There was nothing that Tom enjoyed so
much as "prowl" in the winter woods. 1t
seemed like place in a fairy tale, dim, mys-
teriouS enchanted. The sky which peeped in
through the spaces between the tree-tops
seemed like quite another sky than that which
arched over the village. Even the breeze which
brushed the pine twigs seemed to have a sort
of magic in it, and whichever way Tom peered
through the long dim vistas he imagined that
there were hidden wonderful things. In this
bowery nook the White Cats palace might be
lifting its airy towers. In the midst of that
tangled thicket the giants house which poor
little Hop-o'- -my-Thumb found might be con-
ceaIed. And who would wonder to meet any
of the fairies and goblins of the old stories in
this lovely glade where an under ground brook
is singing?
For Il moment O. two he watched the men as
they felled q huge tree, and then wandered
away by himself over the firm white snow
crust, which did not show the least signs of
breaking with his weight. He skinned over
the bogs which were quite impossible in sum-
mer but were frozen hard now, with their tall
reeds pricking through the snow. Then he
discovered fox tracks deeply printed in the
crust, which was soft snow only the day before
yesterday, and followed them eagerly for long
time hoping to find the den of the sly old fel-
low, which was doubtless the one that made
his way into the camp one day when the men
were out, and helped himself to a plump
chicken which was waiting to be cooked for
dinner.
So intent was Tom in making this discovery,
that he did not realize at all how far he was
going, but followed on and on until finally the
prints of foxie's feet came to a sudden end be-
fore great tract of brush ground, which was