Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-03-21
THEIR WEDDING RIDE.

were to be married that day. In the
evening, according TO the local usage
of that part of Maine, all their young
friends were to visit them for a sort oil
wake" or ''rouse."
This rouse was not after the manner
of the rude chivari with which wed
ding is sometimes saluted in Canada,
but merely a friendly gathering OF
newly welded couple, who in pretend
ed grief at losing them from their
former status, seek to delay the nup-
tails by sitting up late with them.
There were certain old time ceremo-
MES, handed down from the long
past.
The Methodist minister, Mr.. Beck
with, had been sent for to oificIate at
the marriage, and was expected at III
o'clock in the forenoon. But Mr..
Beckwith was stationed at Rochelle
fourteen or fifteen miles away, and
there had been, only day or two be
fore, heavy snowfall that literally
buried that whole northern country
TO the level of three feet, while drifts,
in man places were eight and ten feet
deep.
The road leading southwark through
the forest to Rochelle had been broken
open with an OK team; but at this sea
son, there was little or no passing
from the settlement to the towns be-
low 1t was feared that Mr.. Beckwith
would not get through, or hearing
that the road was blocked, would not
start TO come.
Ten o'clock struck then II and 12;
but the clergyman did not appear
BY 2 in the afternoon his arrival be
came so doubtful that the youthful
Luke, determined that his marriage
should take place in spite Of the snow
and weather. harnessed a stout work
horse into a "pung," and wrapping
'Viry comfortably in buifaloes and
blar kets, set off for Rochelle in search
of the clergyman
1t is not often that Methodist min
lister fails a young couple in such a
crisis; there seems al ways to be kind
of bond of sympathy between clergy
men IN this denomination and young
people everywhere.
Mr.. Beckwith had started promptly
at 7:30 that morning. At $50 he was
wallowing in drift ans had broken
his harness.
At 8 he was on his way again. AT
10 he was in another snowbank in
which he broke his sleigh thllls.
Obliged to turn back, he procured an
other team and started again. One
o'clock found him wading through
the drifts, with nine miles between
him and his destination. He had
done his best and was not discour
aged.
Luke Grst got his sweetheart snug
ly into the pung, and then whipped
up his steed.
'Mr and Mrs. SOuman will he home
by Sl' he shouted to his friends. III
we cannot get the minister, Wen get
the squirrel"
Away they went along the snowy
road, out from the little settl,men
into the woods through which their
route lay. Such are some of the diff
ficulties which hedge in a wedding in
the backwoods in December. The
weather was bitterl Y coid-mercury
down to zero, and the snow was flying
III the wind But warm hearts were
in that old pung; and for the horse il
is unnecessary 10 say that he was not
likely to freeze fro II lack of exercise
They drove about three miles and
had come to Millbrook hollow, where
there is "A deep ravine on one side of
the road, and a high bank covered
with thick hemloCk lrces On the other
Just nj the harroweSt portion of this
pass, where the road turns round the
base of projecting ledge they met
an enormous moose, coming at full
trot along the road from the other
way! Luke had his horse at a round
trot and the moose was within TWEEN
ty yards of the horses head when
Luke first saw him.
1t was scare on both sides? The
horse, badly frightened, leaped out of
the track on the upper side, capSlzing
the pung, and tumbling both Luke
and 'Niry into the SNOW; while the old
moose, with a tremendous snort, went
out of the road on the other side at a
single bound, and disappeared in the
ravine below.
Luke crawled out got his horse bv
the bit and quoted him. Then he pull
ed 'Niry out and righted the puug
Neither of them We're injured in the
least; the snow was soft, and 'Niry
was we'll covered with wraps. She
laughed, and said she thought it was
Mr.. Backwith coming.
But Luke with hunters instinct
wanting To see where the moose had
gone, gave 'Viry the reins to hold
while he got on the log railing. on the
lower side of the road-over which
the moose had jumped-to look for
him
CHANGING down through the brush
into the gorge beneath, he saw AT
first only the deep trail where the
animal had plunged into the drift and
foundered downward. Then he saw
something moving in the show still
further down.
1t was the antlers of the moose
just his herns-protruding from the
soft deep drift. The creature had
literally buried itself over its back!
1t floundered on, but only went deep.
or. The DRIFT there was fifteen or
twenty feet in depth-all light soft
snow.
"Niry" cried Luke, in great excite,
ment, heres that moose, stuck like
fly IN cup q moiaSSeS! III L can
only kill him, he's with $50 to us"
And seizing the snow shovel which he
had put in the pung, Luke, with that
weapon alone, started after the ami
NAL.
Hold on to Jack nowm he called
to 'Viry.
Viry, on her part, was DESTROYS to
have the moose secured, but she felt
some alarm "Oh, do be CAREFUL" she
pleaded. Don't let him hurt you,
Luker
Luke, eager and determined, wal
lowed down in the ravine. He at,
tempted to approach the ANNA, on
one side. But the moose, hearing
him, plunged frantically through the
snow, and in a moment Luke slump
ed shoulder-desp in the soft drift,
and the moose was completely buried.
at length the young man approach
ed within striking distance, and
struck the animal with his clumsy
weapon. The blow had no serious
effect on the creatures thick neck,
but served to make it rear up, and its
hind hoofS catchlnc on a loo, or rock