The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1886-10-14
Sketches for the Boys.
BY REV. T. GERRIsH.


Being but Il boy myself it affords me the
greatest pleasure to write this series of articles
for the boys / have always noticed that when
Il man says good thing the boys have inteIi-
gencc enough to appreciate it, and when he
makes a failure they usually have sympathy
enough to say ''givc the feller another chance"
In this my second letter | want to tell of n
tramp | had through great forest and up a
| big mountain in the Territory of Washington.
There We're hyc persons in our party, whom
we called Michigan, Vermont. Oregon, Maine
and the guide. We left the village early in the
morning to ride out and look at some big tim
| ber We had one wagon drawn by two horses,
| in which four of us found seats while Michigan
| rode on an Indian pony. The carriage road
| extended seven miles into the forest, and there
| in the log stable of deaf Dutchman we left
our animals and were to make the rest of the
| journey on foot. We were armed with roll
| of blankets, two dinner baskets, some fish
lines, a hatchet and Winchester rifle. Mchi-
| gan and Vermont carried the baskets, Oregon
| the rifle the guide took the blankets and
| Nlaine-the fishing lines. Under the broilng
| sun we made our way three miles through
| dense jungle. thick thorn bushes, fallen logs,
| great rocks, deep canons and rushing streams
| of water Three hours We're thus employed
! Several disasters occurred during that time
Maine undertook to walk down steep hill on
a smooth fir log four feet in diameter, his feet
went more rapidly than his body, and the re-
suit was that he Slid for forty feet down the
| log upon his back. Michigan undertook to
| cross steam of water upon the rocks when
one of his feet slipped from the rock and his
| boot filled with water, but 50 great was the
! quantity thus absorbed that the balance of the
| party crossed the bed of the stream dry shod
| Oregon stumbled while walking upon the great
| rocks across raging torrent and then gently
| q a. he St
| There was lots of fun during these three
hours. Then we halted for dinner, having
reached the Old Indian trail which we We're TO
| follow to the mountains. During this time
| Michigan and Maine had been named The
HnStlefS' by their companions, a compliment
which they recprocated by calling the others
. Tie DudrS."
| The guide now decided that there was not
| time enough to reach the big timber and return
| to the dinner camp that night, and that we
| would remain where We We're until the next
! morning, then go to the mountains and return
| to the village that day The afternoon was to
| hc passed i'll trout fishing, the mountain
streams atlording fine opportunity for such
! sport. The ru>1lerS, however, decided that
while trout fishing might be big business
enough for the dude> it would not answer for
| them. So they took the Winchester and Went
out along the trail TO hunt for bears, while the
| dudes began to fish for trout. We had not
| gone far before we saw Il Great red squirrel
| upon limb of Il tree, ten feet from the
| ground and about twenty feet in advance of
| Us. 'llcre goes said Michigan. taking de
liberatc aim. 1T is too bad to kill the little
fellow, but the temptation is too strong to
resist; ! hope he will die painless DEATH"
and crack went the rifle. The smoke cleared
| away and there sat the squirrel, Winking for Il
moment in Il most laughabc manner at Michi-
gan and then >campeing up the tree. 1T was
| evidently painless DEATH" | suggested to
| which Michigan tartly replied. The fault is
either with The rifle Or the pcsEy squirrel. for
| my aim was all right.
| The ruStlcr- then held council of war and
| determined to play a joke upon the dudes by
| pushing along the trail, reaching the noun
| taInS, looking ut the BIZ trees and returning to
camp that night, while the dudes were catching
| Il few little trout. Coats and all super1luous
| clothing were thrown of, and these two worth
| les started forth on the trail at the rate Of
| three miles an hour. Michigan was short,
stout, flcshy and heavy. while Maine was tall
| lean and Jnk. The trail wound over the foot
| hills, up and down. nearly all climbing and
| descending. These foothills Were covered with
Il gigantic growth of tir and cedar. The
| ru>tlCr- raced on through the forests, stopping
| now and then to measure a fir tree which was
| sin. seven or eight feet in diameter, with Il
| beautiful trunk rising one hundred and fifty
| feet without a limb: 4 forest where three or
| four hundred thousand feet Of clear lumber can
| be cut from single acre. stately cedars six
| feet in diameter Stood beside those mountain
|
| which was covered with brakes which stood
| eight Or ten feet high so that standing erect
| they could easily look through the grove be
meath the branches as you can through the ap-
| Pile trees iii the orchard. On, on they went
| but no signs of the mountain; it was up hill
! and down hill. Then the rllstiers reflected
| upon the following points: Neither Of them
| possessed any knowledge a> to how far off the
mountain actually was they had no matches !;
| they had no food their clothes were wet with
1 Air.ltih 'ItaYy in, II.
! seven miles at least from the dudes and it was
| four o'clock i'll the afternoon. They We're
nearly exhausted, but it would never do to 90
| back without seeing the timber after having
| Travelled 50 far Another hour of swift walk
| lng and the base of the long looked for noun
| tain was reached. Then in the midst of 81
| heavy shower of rain they sat unt,cr biz fir
| tree and talked the situation over.
During all the afternoon there had been indi-
| cations of came: fresh tracks of both bear
and deer had been plenty. They rerkoned that
| they could see to follow the trail on their re-
| turn until nine O'Clock: it was then five They
would climb an hour and then break for camp
ana trust TO their good fortune to get in before
| dark. The mountain rose steep and rugged
| before them. and both We're nearly exhausted;
| Michigan'S ankles and feet were badly swollen;
Maine was in but little better condition. They
| would climb ten minutes and then rest three,
and would take turns in carryn" the old Win
| chester. which now seemed to be a> heavy as II
rilled cannon. Their Joke upon the dudes had
now become a serious matter to the rIStlers
| but it was too late TO Withdraw. II was thirty
minutes past six by Pacific time. Maine was
thirty rods iii advance: he was carving the
| rifle in his hands. not having strength cnoIl~h
| to get it lIp on his shoulder.
There was bio fir tree fallen across th. trail.
1t was far too lon@ to 90 around, and too high
10 climb over hut III l,ftn,. rn,lrs,. N,s ,IrrI7J
upon. And As he undertook TO climb ND over
| the lo~. there was a scramble, and = ~runt on
| tbr othnr si1n. ,nI -. Na;,,n ,,nn,,n,; oynr tn
his surprise ana horror. \ nror cinnamon bear
| aDpcared There was uot inurh L,pvnr ~
| these hears orc nnrfnrtIv harmless. I'M thn
rustlcr wos badly fri~LtannI. hr boI nnT
strength cnou~h to RIM or even shnnt for helm
| If was n momrut of intnnsn excitement in thr
mi,Ist of which he rithnr ti,ni tb. r;nn or nI.n
if went OF itself: the or,n citbnr kirl,rI ar clse
! ihr rrnort n,ralyln,J thn b,otnr,s muscles for
| the next instant he found himself 1rninr dawn
| The mountain hack kwar,ls anI NOT unon lis fcrt
| either Nirhir,n hnor;n,f thn ra,lnrt nnd Sne-
in~ his rommanion '.omn.77 Inu.n tbn mo,mtain
| IN Snrl, D., n,ai,,nr lu,nos,J I ,,..s ,c;IontniI
shot. he rusheL mn mi .,i,. in :, hrnotbInSs
,onc ..Whnt's thn n patto.s" ,ti,', "
| ..N,ttor :, nia.nintnI lJ.i,o ron,1,lino4 10
| bi fant ..o s,nnrt M, ~, ~, II h,tnt I,7,r
tn stav in tbn rn.,. mmtiI ,bo i,,,sor i; JI nt'nr
anG hn nI ii~oI 70 a,n .", ,"ff ,, IL I'LL
m,nnnr-
| wnrd of fnv,,Ionot;o,, ana +bon h,tb cln,hoa
mn to thr loo anJ timiiI, Inni,nl aver Vas
thnrr Ne VIZ wnrhim,, nnoTI' I'M j,,njrnJ
| noImds Thn muI1In If FL" ':,,n was s, rnor
| lin when Jisrbartn1 tbat III, ~ III hnnn
| ;,,..,l H.. .l,a e.: -, -, ~