Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-12-19

repressble young Dorking rooster dem
onstrated how precarious was his retire |
ment in the loft.
Hear the insurance o. that thar fowcl ~
she would eXclaim in eXasperation.
"Spose'n tine bush-whackers war hyur
now, akin fur poultry, an | war a-tellin,,
EN-, eZ smilin' an mealy-mouthcd eZ !
could, that we hain't got no towels That
thar reckless critter would be in the fry
in pan fore night They'll Earn We ter
hold yer jaw, I'll he bound -
But the bush-whackers did not come,
and the next day the vail OF the falling
snow still interposcd. and the familiar
mountains near at hand, and tho long
reaches of the uneXplored perspective
were all obscured, and the drifts deepened,
and the fence seemed dwarfed half cover
ed as it was, and the boles of the trees
hard by were burier, bercft Of their ac-
customed height. II ceased late one al
ternoOn ; over the white earth there was
a sombre gray sky, but all along the hor-
lion above the snowy SUBMITS of the
western mountains n slender scarlet line
betokened II fair morrow.
Dick, in the WEAKNESS OF inactiOn, had
taken note Of the weather, and with his
hat drawn down over his brow he strolled
out to the verge of the precipice.
Overlooking the familiar landscape he
detected an unaccustomcd smoke mile
or more down the narrow valley. Al
though hut tiny, hazy curl in the dis.
lance, it did not escape the keen eyes of
the mountaineer. He could not distin
gush tents against the snow, but the To-
cation suggested a camp.
The bush-whackers still fingered at the
old hotel across the gorge. He could al
ready see in the gathering dusk the fire
light glancng litfully against the window.
He wondered if it were visible rs far rs
the camp in the valley.
lie stood for II long time, gazing across
ii "a 1pSnluta AL
ing, with the heavy pines forests about it
and the crags bclow,-their dark faces
scanned with white line Wherever drift
had lodged in Il cleft or the interlacing tan
giles of icy vines might cling. In the pal
lid dreariuess of the landscape and the
gray dmness of the lowering night, the
lighted window blazcd with the lambert
splendUrS of some great yellow topaz. His
uncontrolled fancy was trespassing upon
the scene within. His heart was sudden
ly all a-throb with keen pain. Ills idle,
vague iinaginlngS OF the Stalwart troopers
and what they were now doing had reviv
ed within him that insatiate longing for
the martial life which he had loved, that
inettable grief for the dignity of courage
which he had lost.
The drill had taught him the mastery Of
his muscles, but those more potent forces,
his impulses had known no discipline. a
wild inconsequence now possessed him.
lie took no heed of reason, of prudence.
He was dominated by the desire to look in
upon them from without,-they would
never know, -undiscovered, unimagined.
like some vague and vagrant spectre that
wandered forlorn in the labyrinthine old
house.
With an alert step he turned and strobe
away into the little cabin 1t was very
cheerful around the hearth, and the first
words he heard reminded him of the sea
son.
, His younger brother, robust lad OF
thirteen, was drawing "reminiscences of
other and happier Christmas tides.
"Sech poppin o guns ez we uns used
| ter hev!' said the tow-headed boy, list
lessly swinging his heels against the rungs
| of the chair.
"The Lord knows thar's enough poppin
of guns now = said his mother.
She stopped to insert q knife under the
baking hoe cake for the purpose Of turn
ing it, which she did with a certain deft
and agile flap, difficult of requirement and
| impossible to the unnitiated.
| II members she added vivaciously
1--WE uns used ter always hev hollow log
| charged with powder an tech it Off fur
the Christmas. 1t sounded like thunder
| like the cannon the folks hev got now "a
days"
AN hawg-kilin' times KEN about the
Christmas" said the boy, sustaining the
Folks he'd hawgs ter kill in them days"
was his mothers melancholy rejoinder.
EFF We blow mp II bladder, an tie the
e-end right tight, an stomp on it suddint
it will crack eZ loud ~ said the noise-lov-
ing boy. Peas air good ter rattle in 'em
too, he added with II wistful smile, dwell
ing on the clamors of his happy past
"Waal-folks ez he'd good sense seen
mo enjoyment in eatin spare-ribs an soust
an sech, than in stompin' on bladders.
hev never favored hawg KILN jeS' ter giI
| a hoy a
folks an church members a-jumpin' out 4
thar skins with suddint skeer all the
Chris SINUS"
, This was said with the severity of per
sonality but the boys face distended a!
he listened.
Suddenly his eyes frightened with ex-
= citement. Dick, he cried joyously, "bt
you uns n gOin ter fire that thar pistol of
, fur the Christmas :"
Mrs Scott rose from her kneeing pos
ture on the hearth and stared blankly a
Dick.
He had come within the light OF the fire
His eyes were blazing, his pale cheeks
flushed, his long, lank figure tense will
: energy. The weapon in his hand glitteret
as he held il ut arms length.
''Bein ez it air ready loaded ! reckon
medde ] amt so awk ard yit but coult
7 make out ter fire it eff | war cornered,
he muttered as II to himself. "Leastwise
t I'll take it along fur company"
Air we goin' ter fire it 'kase this b.
Christmas eve - she asked in doubt.
He glanced absently at her and said no
a word
l The next moment he had sprung out o
I the door and they heard his step crunch
ing through the frozen crust OF snow n
, he strobe away.
There were riffs in the clouds and tn
1 moon looked out. The white untrodder
road lay, gllttering avenue, far alonj
Il nf IA nd lnp for
= ests, Sometimes belts ofvapor shimmere
| before him, and as he went he saw abov
e them the distant gables of the old hote
=, rising starkly against the chill sky. i
view presently III the white moonligh
r were the long piazZas of the shattered oil
r building, the shadows of the equidistan
I pillars, distinct upon the floor. He ha
heard the sound of the sentry's tread, an
y and down the vista between the column
t and the shadowy colonnade he saw tn
. soldicrly figure pacing slowly to au'
p fro.
: lie had not reckoned on this precauto
c on the part OF the bush whackers. Blu
: the rambling old building was familiar t
n him in every nook and Granny. While tn
!, sentry's back was turned, he silently GREY
along the piazza to an open passage-wa
s which S l led to the grassy square within
r the moonbeams the snow lay trampe
e along the galleries on which opened III
h empty rooms ; here and there, as the door
swung on their hinges, he could Al
through the desolate void within, Ii
n bleak landscape beyond. There wei
horses stabbed in some of them, and in IL
n centre of the square two or three wei
munching their feed from the old musi
he stand, utilized rs manger. One Of then
N black mare, arched her glossy neck I
10 gaze at the intruder over the gauzy shee
N of gathering vapor, and he met her fu
'dilated eye with the moonlight in
II Then with start she went back to h,
IS corn.
le Only one window was alight. The
l. was a roaring fire within, and the rude
" glow danced on the empty walls and
the hilarious, bearded faces grouped abol
~ the hearth. The men, clad in butternl
C. jeans, smoked their pipes as they sat
logs or lounged at length on the floor
e, festive canteen was prominent adjun
ne Of the scene, and was often replenish,
mt from burly keg in the corner
nj As Dick knelt cautiously down by Il
ry window he suddenly recognized amor
IL this motley band of stragglers In
nd which he had cause to remember. He hi
h not seen this face since Jack Bryce look
n furiously down from his saddle, hackii
the while with his bowie knnife at |
p comrades bleeding right arm. No eneu