Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-02-27
A Race For Life.

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do better than to give it in about his
own words:
81 had been invited by an uncle to
spend the fall and winter at his
home in the northern part of Mime
sofa. My uncle was engaged in lum-
bering, and partly from desire to
see my friends, and with a view also
of ascertaining how | should like the
country, and if | liked it and the
prospect seemed favorable, to 60 into
the business myself, as my uncle had
made ne a good offer to do SO, l ac-
cepted the invitation.
| had finished my college course
that year, and after the long, steady
pull at books, the life of freedom and
wild sports that pictured itself to me-,
gave an additional impulse to my re-
solve to pass the winter with them.
The family consisted of my uncle,
aunt, three daughters, 'all grown up,
and son, a strong. active boy of
seventeen. Although | was six years
his senior, | found him as companion
able as one of my own age. An ar
dent lover of outdoor life and sports,
[ could not have asked for a better
guide or cOmrade.
He knew every tree and shrub in
the woods and its uses, the habits of
wild game, and the best way of cook
ing it, too. He could ride, hunt and
shoot in manner that filed me with
respectful admiration. and add to
this a frank, fearless, generous ma
ture, sunny disposition that moth
ing seemed to cloud, and you have
my cousin and companion, Frank.
Many was the long tramp we
had together, forgetting fatigue, cold
and hunger in the excitement of the
chase.
There was one source Of amuse-
ment to which we were both passion
ately misunderstanding and the
number of lakes of various sizes in
this state, frozen by the intense cold,
presented as fine a field to the lovers
of this pastime as one could wish.
We were perfectly at home on the
ice, and spent many hours gliding
| rrl1t 1oly
turning to explore this or that little
stream that emptied into the larger,
or examining some track that entered
the woods.
One moonlight night we'll re-
member the date, the 23d of Decem-
ber-we started just at the edge of
the evening to skate up the river,
which glided almost directly past our
door.
A full moon rode in the clear,
cloudless sky, where stars twinkled
and sparkled like jewels, and every
frost-covered tree and shrub twinkled
and flashed back a greeting. The
broad river, cleaning far ahead, lay
like a web of satin bound on either
side by the dark forests.
1t was very cold, but we were warm
ly clad, and the brisk exercise sent
the blood tingling to our very finger
ends. No sound met our ears save
the ringing of our skates, the crackle
of the ice as we swiftly sped over
it, or the crash of some over-burden-
ed limb in the woods.
We had skated on almost in ST.
lence for over two miles, when | pro-
posed returning. Frank assented,
and we had skated back a short dis
tance when | happened to remember
that the girls had asked me to get
them some red berries that grew on
u shrub in this vicinity, for Christ
mas decorating.
Reminding Frank of this, we de-
cided it was best to get them then,
as the morrow promised to be busy
day, and the girls would want them
early that afternoon to commence
their decorating, which they had
promised should be unusually fine
with our help.
We retraced our steps about quar-
ter of a mile, and after little search
found the berries. Selecting the fin
moonlight, we soon had all we could
conveniently carry.
In turning accidentally struck my
foot against projecting branch, and
in trying to save myself from a fall,
sent my berries spinning across the
ice.
Frank burst into aloud laugh at
my mishap and awkwardness, in
which | joined him, our voices ring
ing out loud and clear, and echoing
back with startling distinctness. L
was just stopping to pick up my fall
en- branches, when a long, low, trem-
ulous sound reached my ear, ending
in prolonged howl.
Evolves = said Frank, at my side,
in an instant. Quick, look at your
skate, the one you struck; see if it
is all right. We've got to skate for
it now
At that moment we heard the snap
of twigs, as though some animal was
making its way through the woods.
Hastily examining my skate and
finding it secure, we dashed down
the river, the trees that lined its
shores seeming to fly past as they do
when riding on fast express.
They are after u.s. said Frank,
| ~ L 4