Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-11-13

iii and family little home in the wilder
ness, and hewipg stubbornly the heavy tim
bsr that covers all the land where he has |
planned Q farm, one need not leave the state |
In search Of the best land people have |
ps,sed by much that is fairly good, and there |
1, msny:s broad stretch of forest land, rich in
mineral and agricultural wealth well hidden |
Ia the Allegheny slopes aud far beyond 10. |
comotivss range of voice.
A place like this the writer found dozen
yean ago The only roads were blazed paths
through the woods; the settlers cabins were
few snd wide apart, the sandy margins of the
mountain lakes were tracked by the deer and
wolfand the peacefal silence that had reigned
for many ages was broken only by n steadily
repeated SOUND, far and faint, the voice OF an
oracle proclaiming that the "Lord OF cres-
ton" was coming to claim his own. The steady
strokes of an axe, followed by the mufiled
crash Of the falling tree, were the only sounds
or signs that told of mon as three of camp
ing party stood on the southern shore of
Esglesmere. This lake is at the very summit
of the Aileghenies, and the low hills that form
its shores are mountain submits twenty
thousand feet above the sea The shores
were densely wooded and the only settlers
cabin in the neighborhood was that of Mr..
Peel, which stood back from the lake hun
dred yards or so but the ruins OF a few small
houses proved that the place had been claim
ed by settlers long ago and tradition said that
these, with a larger ruin hidden in the woods
OF the west shore, were the monuments of a
glass factory built In this secluded spot long
before the days of railroads,
The outlet Of the lake is a little brook at the
same end as the Peel homestead, and on the
high bank near Il, where the smaller ruins
stood, we fourd landscape remarkable for
variety and contrast
On one side, not twenty feet below US, were
the waters of the lake; on the other a narrow
gorge spreading to wide valley that opened
up a great expanse OF mountains cliffs, and
glens, all thickly covered with noble forest,
while far away the mountains sank to even
undulations, the forest gave place TO the farm,
and the blue horizon line was broken by the
spires of villages and the smoke of railway
trains.
THROUGH THE FOREST AT NIGHT.
So dense was the forest growth about the
lake that 1t was impossible to pass around it
except by following the winding deer paths,
and these were merely narrow openings in
the thicket, barred at every turn by fallen
timbers OF great size with fsr.reaching
branches, no mean obstacle TO climb over In
the DARK, as the camping party found when
they started late one evening TO take position
at a salt lick and watch for deer.
We had crossed the lake in the morning
and made our camp near pile of fire wood
cut for the glass furnaces many years before,
and after tossing flap jacks in the blaze OF
This dry wood until We all had learned the
art and satisfied our ravenous hunger, we had
fixed ourselves in light marching order, and
with weapons and dark lantern plunged
into the thick darkness of the forest Only
the leader could see the narrow opening in
the bushes, the worn marks on the trees and
logs, that showed the way. The rest followed
silently and rapidly, over trees, under trees
down msrsby gulleys, up steep, slippery
banks. Then comes the writer's turn II lead,
and the lantern, flashed ahead, shows uncer-
tain swiftly moving shadows and, in marshy
ground, the tracks of deer, not yet filled with
the water that is trickling in them; crack
ling of the brush near by tells of the presence
OF big game. Two hours OF this work covers
aOonI one mile, and brings us TO point where
narrow strip OF woods along the water had
been cleared away and the salt lick left ex-
posed.
The lick was simply depression in the
ground, evidently caused by the paving and
stamping OF the deer and at the bottom of
1t their keen senses found the salt, although
we could not discover any traces of it.
Up A TREE.
The moon was just rising when We climbed
broad limbed tree in the margin OF the
woods. Our movements were as silent and
stealthy as possible, as we fixed ourselves in
position on the pieces of board that had been
nailed TO the limbs as seats by some other
hunting party; then came a series OF sharp
clicks, as the two double barrels and the rifle
that formed our armament we're cleared tor
action then came silence, and IL came TO stay.
ontil That night We never knew what silence
WAS.
Not a breath of wind, not a tramor of |
twig or Leaf in the whole mass of gloom and |
shadow We had lett. Beyond the little grassy |
clearing, like a polished shield of steel Law |
lhe lake not ripple not shiver, but |
steadily the deep and quiet water reflected |
on It's guardian mountain tops, the light not |
long before DETECTED from the mountain |
submits OF the moon. Tho only motion in
the visible universe was the twinkling OF the |
stars, and the only sounds those made by |
the party In the tree The noise of breathing |
seemed loud enough for an echo.
The position became uncomfortable, but |
movement would mean noise
Then from far OFT in the forest there came
faint stir disturbing the stiffness YES. il |
uistinctiy resembled noise. There that
was Inc swapping oi bough, the tread Of a |
Wild deer on dead leaves. Confident that |
the game Is too far away to hear small noises
we dare at last TO swallow and to sniff a lille
in our places. The distant steps have ceased
Silence again. The moon and cleaning lake.
the dark rim OF low nils over which dim
stars are peoping, all make one think of other
matters, OF the little lives men live upon the
earth and the trifles they call great How
perfect is the harmony OF nature, how in
HARMONIOUS tie work of man Here is a |
little mountain lake that does not suffer by |
comparison with the whole vast universe.
No wonder the owl is the symbol of wisdom:
Jackass would become wise under the
thought stirring power OF the silent night il |
only nature would let him keep awake,
" 1ou-wowoo-goO-whoop !"
This exclamation, in loud, clear half. |
human voice, came so suddenly upon us that
we all must have started; though we knew
at once II was sample OF owl eloquence A |
shadow left the tree above us and fIosted off
among the other shadow OF the woods
READY!
The smile OF the moon was cordial. TLroupb
the raIifed mountain air sound passes long
distances with great disLiuctness, and We hear
me hrm steps OF deer walking through the |
ow growth along the margin OF tn woods
nearer, nearer Every sense alert, every |
lerve and muscle.tense, discomfort and i'm. |
'atience all forgotten, we marked the foot
ans and sound OF swaying branches Then
vi was quiet.
There is shadow over yonder that we
mink was not there before 1t NAV be the |
,eer Will II advance across the Open snace 10 |
ne lick or will IL scent danger and draw /
'ack Shall we wait for further deyelop |
nent or hre at the shadow? A rustic and | a
issh OF branches close to us on the other | a
ao ue, tne sound OF something flying swiftly
'oMn Nv, the deer path In the darkness
!, lne game had passed quietly around the |
~ So.ns, Iouhu US out and left us alone. The
aauoW renamed whore II had lWays beep
me sarcastic grin on the face of The moon
vas unbearable. '''o i''oon !
Inc man with the rifle began TO slide down II
uo uee; the noise was terrific but he o.
uIeo US In horse-whisper that il was moth
ing. " 40" pooh tnlnk-
why, fellows! it's two o'clock and wa
aa.o poen petrihed in that tree four so,iS
camp. III gong To
upm pnt ,rains, 80 -. -.