Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-04-30

He walked along jauntily enough, till
he reached the river. Here he was
to cross. His father had crossed in
that very place, early in the morning.
A sweep of nearly five miles, by the
road, was saved thus. But instead of
the broad sheet of ice lothian had eX-
pected to see, as firm and solid to
the oXen's feet as the ground itself,
his bewildered eyes looked upon a
bending, floating mass, with, in some
places, the water already rushing
through.
The ice was breaking up. lothian
rested his hands on his hips and put
on his thinking-cap. 81 wonder if
I'd hit on the right road, if L went
round?'' he said.
He thought a minute longer, and
looked at the black waters slashing
and dashing up against the blocks
and cakes of floating ice.
"Perhaps you think you've fooled
me Slick" muttered lothian, as he
looked; "but you amt come it, not
quite
Upon that, he turned the oxen, and
away the whole team trudged at a
brisk pace. lothian had made up
his mind to go round. He had been
this way with his father several times,
but it was rather ticklish business for
him to try it alone. About a mile
from the river-crossing, the rough,
logging road ran into three. One of
these roads led to the town. but the
other two went deeper and deeper
into the woods.
lothian whistled as he walked
along, he felt so grand. This was
the biggest log they had teamed yet,
and to think he should do it 1t seem
ed as if he was treading on air. He
could have gone a hundred miles and
not known it. The late afternoon
sun slanted through the trees, and
suddenly, the oxen came to stand
still. Their tongues were hanging
from their mouths, and they breathed
in long, hard pants, bending their
heads forward.
Come" said lothian, encourag-
ingly, patting their necks, "only
little bit further to CO." and he urg-
ed them on.
But they planted their feet hard,
they would not stir.
''Stupids ~ cried lothian, "what
do you want to stop now for, amt
you almost home -
Then it struck him all at once,
that the road had become rougher
and wider, land with terror he thought,
"What if / have taken the wrong
one?"
Once more he urged the oxen on,
with all his power, but they stood
motionless. They were a splendid
yoke of cattle, perfectly mated, and
white as snow, with large, blue, ten
der eyes, and looked at lothian, even
while they refused to obey him, with
a gentle humbleness that was almost
human.
And now a new terror beset Jo-
than. He thought of the wolves.
Even when he was safe in the cabin,
they made him tremble, and now he
was alone in the woods at their mercy.
AS soon as the darkness came their
horrid howlings could be heard. He
imagined their fierce eyes glaring
through. the trees, and he felt their
hot breath, as they snapped their
jaws and sprang at him.
For few minutes he remained
numbed with horror, without power
to move. But, his father had said
truly, he was "a chip of the old
block :" and after the first few min
utes he spoke to the oxen again.
81 know I've lost my way" he said
81 should have been in town by this
time, if I hadn't, and now I'm going
to head you round, and leave it to
you. You lead and I'll follow"
The oxen turned readily enough,
and lothian took his old place astride
the log. ''They'n know the way
home, and it's my only chance" he
muttered.
Night was coming on fast. If he
had had the strength, he would have
unclaimed the log and left it. AS it
was, he goaded the oxen on, almost
to run, although he stopped once
and gathered a heaping armful of
dry brushwood from the side of the
road. Then, as he hurried the team
on again, he slipped them under the
chains. His cheeks were flushed; f;
he was no longer weak and trembling.
"I'll fool 'em yetr' he murmured,
under his breath.
But his color fell again. "What
shall l do for match ?" he cried
out, in despair. And fumbling des-
perately in his pockets, he found one,
just one, in the pocket of his fathers
fur-lined waistcoat, which he had
happened to put on over his other
clothes.
Now this one solitary, common,
birthstone match was worth more to
lothian York than the biggest nugget
of gold that was ever dug, or the
largest diamond that was ever found.
He had heard his father tell how fire
would frighten wolves, and he was
going to try it. He stopped over and
lighted it cautiously. If it went out
his last hone died with If There