Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-02-12
Continued.
RIP VAN WINkLE.
A PosTAuMoUs WRITING OF DlEDRloH
KNlCKERBOCKER.


kNlCkERBOCkER.
Poor Rip was at last reduced almost to
despair, and his only alternative to escape
from the labor of the farm and the clam
or of his wife was to take gun in hand
and stroll away into the woods. Here
he would sometimes seat himself at the
foot of tree. and share the contents of
his wallet with Wolf, with whom he
secution. "Poor Wolf" he would say,
''thy mistress leads thee dogs life of it,
but never mind, my lad, whilst live,
thou shalt never want a friend to stand
by thee Wolf would wag his tail. look
wistfully into his masters face, and if
dogs can feel pity, verify believe he re-
ciprocated the sentiment with all his
heart.
In long ramble of the kind, on a fine
autumnal day. Rip had unconsciously
scrambled to one of the highest parts of
the kaatskill mountains. He was after
his favorite sport of Notwithstanding,
]
echoed with the reports of his gun.
! Painting and fatigued, he threw himself.
| late in the afternoon, on a green knoll
covered with mountain heritage. that
crowned the brow of a precipice. From
an opening between the trees he could
overlook all the lower country for many
a mile of rich woodland. He saw at a
distance the lordly Hudson, far, far be-
low him. moving on its silent but maies-
tic course. with the reflection of a purple
cloud. or the sail of tagging bark, here
and there sleeping on its CLASSY bosom,
and at last losing itself in the blue high
lands.
On the other side he looked down into
deep mountain glen, wild, lonely, and
shagged, the bottom filled with frag-
ments from the impending cliffs, and
scarcely lighted by the reflected rays of
the setting sun. For some time Rip lay
musing on this scene; evening was grad
ually advancing: the mountains began tC
throw their long blue shadows over the
valleys; he saw that it would be DARK
long before he could reach the village
and he heaved heavy sigh when he
thought of encountering the terrors Of
Dame Van Wrinkle.
, As he was about TO descend he hearC
a voice from a distance hallooing, "Ril
Van Wrinkle. Rip Van Winkle." HI
, looked around. but could see nothing bu
a crow winging its solitary flight acros
the mountain. He thought his fame!
must have deceived him. and turne,
again to descend. when he heard tn
same cry ring through the still cvenin:
air. rip Van Wrinkle. Rip Van Wink
le.''-at the same time Wolf brstled u
his back. and giving low growl. skulk
ed to his masters side, looking feartull'
down into the glen. Rip now felt vagu
U apprehension stealing over him he look
u ed anNiously in the same direction, an
perceived IA strange figure slowly tolin
t up the rocks. and bending under tn
Il weight of something he carried on hi
! back. He was surprised to see any hu
| man being in this lonely and unfrequent
: ed place. but suppoSing it to be some on
Il of the neghborhood in need of his assist
y ance, he FASTENED down to yield it.
on nearer approach he was still nor
Il surprised at the singularity of the strans
: er's appearance. He was short squar,
II built old fellow, with thick bushy hail
1t and grizzled beard. His dress was {
d the antique Dutch faShion-a cloth je
d kin strapped round the Whatsoever;
5 pair of breeches. the outer one of amp
lie volume, decorated with rows of buttol
II down the sides, and punches at the knee
ir He bore on his shoulders stout Ike;
lie that seemed full Of liquor, and mac
ii signs for Rip to approach and assist hi
TT with the load. Though rather shy al
III distrustful of this new acquaintance, X
ut complied with his usual alacrity, al
mutually relieving each other tn,
III clambered up narrow gully, apparen
III ly the dry bed of "A mountain torren
al As they assembled, Rip every now al
to then heard long rolling peals, like di
SIS tant thunder, that seemed to issue out
a deep ravine, or rather cleft betwe'
ed lofty rocks, towards which their rugg
~ path conducted. He paused for an
ID tant, but supposing it to be the mute
od ing of one of those transient thund
he showers which often take place in mou
yh tain heights, he proceeded. Passi
,s through the ravine. they came to IN
4 low, like "A small amphitheater, surrour
in ed by perpendicular precipices, over t
III Drinks of which impending trees 81
I'm, their branches, SO that you only caug
m glmpses of the azure sky and the brig
% evening cloud. During the whole til
-od Rip and his companion had labored on
tho silence, for though the former marvel
SIS greatly what could be the object of carr
ing key of liquor up this wild moi
=. tain, yet there was something stran
' and inconrprehensible about the unkno'