The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-02-02

by feeling with my hands which side of the
trunks of the standing trees the moss was
growing on; | knew that il / could establish
to certainty this fact from several of the
trees, could from this circumstance have been
able to find the points of the compass but it
failed me because Of the utter darkness of the
night and the absence of such triaing thing
as match with which to make ghmmer of
light IN that oyerpOweFing gloom. Matches
are cheap enough, but if i had had the money
then would have been willing to give as much
cash for the little stick 7of wood with light
on the end Of it, as would have bought all the
logs contained in that forest of lumber
There was another sign that has never failed
the lost and distressed from wherever looked
up to
THE NORTH STAR.
While a lad at school had been taught how to
find this, the only relatively true and fixed star
and that night while lost and in such dire dis
tress in that dark forest alongside of the enc
my, who had by this time surely learned of my
escape, looked up through scaldiug tears for
the dipper" and the pointer" and through
the leafy branches of high old oak tree the
bright twinkling little North Star was looking
down upon me as | sat there on the old log.
What bright, beautiful, hopeful little en-
biem 1t was to me then; and how often have /
recalled this night, when I look up still and
find it.
felt as much relief at the discovery as if /
had found my lost trail in the sky. / knew
instinctlvely that somehow / should be able to
get there all right though | was sorely puz-
zled to discover that in appearance the star
seemed to be almost over the top of the mount
am that was so anxious to get away from.
did not then understand that the range of
mountains is nearly north and south.
passed miserable night,
50 full Of ugly sights, of ghastly thoughts,
That, as am a Christian, faithful man,
would not spend another such night
Though 'twere to buy world of happy days"
This quotation expresses IN the few familiar
lines my experience more completely than l
could attempt in a column description Of this
one night Of terror. 1t is bad enough TO be lost
under any circumstances; but at night,
IN a DEEP, DARK FOREST,
with the certainty of an ignominious death
pursuing me as phantom, almost mocking me
through the hooting owls, whose diabolical
laughter at my distress in having failed to
reach the goal that was in sight before dark,
was audible among the tree-tops, it was ap-
palling.
If ] could only have kept moving during
the night in any direction it would have
been something of a relief; but / couldn't stir
without stumbling over old roots Of fallen
trees. didn't mind that 50 much, but every
thing was so awfully quiet and solemn that it
oSChlOb do II every SIei ulGuc my Ittb HDilu
crash into the little twigs that made so much
noise that | was startled every time lest my
every movement would be heard for miles dis
tant. So the only thing to do was to sit
down on an old rotten log that ] had last
stumbled on and wait for more light. The
Wild scared thoughts and terrible, horrible
sounds that went through my head while sat
on that log in that dark woods that long, long
night can never be written or described. In the
picture there should be owls, bats and other SOL
emn birds Of the night sitting on the adjacent
trees, hooting IN chorus, and flying past crazy
looking youngster sitting like a knot on log,
wlld-eyed, and with frantic gestures that would
become person with an attack Of mania, who
attempts blindly to protect and defend himself
from imaginary enemies
We hear a great deal about the silence and
the majestic grandeur Of the forest, but that's
all poetry. There are more noises, and the most
horrible noises, too, to be heard in the deep
woods on a still, quiet night, than ever | heard
in the streets Of any city at midnight.
1t was these sounds that stiled the blood in
my veins and kept the cold chills running
down my back so that / sat there and shook
like one with an attack Of ague.
When | could stand it no longer, and found
it impossible TO move In either direction, / did
the best | could climbed tree In getting
up pretty good-sized tree l felt that 1 was out
OF the world and away from the danger of
crawling and creeping things for the time be-
ing, though the owls were more curious and
inquisitive than eyer. That woods was full Of
owls. / was more afraid of them that night
than Of panthers, or rebels either, because they
were SO numerous and too familiar.
Once
Up IN THE TREE
| kept myself busily employed and prevented
my mind from wandering too far by the neces-
sty for constantly changing my position
couldn't get fixed comeTtably on any limb or
crotch in that old tree, and I verify believe
that adapted myself to every position that it
afforded.
From my elevation in the top branches of
the tree ] could look out through the tops Of
adjoining ones. 1t was before the season for
the leaves TO be thick in that section, SO that
my view was scarcely interrupted by the bare
branches.
In one direction / discovered that what |
had at first taken for a heavy cloud on the
horizon was the outline of the mountain.
| There were no signs from my outlook of the
house and road | had seen last before coming
into the woods There was nothing whatever
TO serve as guide, except the North Star /
could only wait for daylight, which must soon
| come. 1t seemed as if l had been ages in the
woods | looked eagerly for the breaking OF
the gray dawn but / had been straining my
eyes ia the wrong direction, expecting in my
! daZed condition TO see the hfst gHmmer come
from the western horizon 1t was when
/ looked back of me with sigh Of discourage
ment that l first beheld the light of coming
dawn
Nights candles were at last burnt out
And jocund day stood tiptoe
On the misty mountain-top."
! In a moment | was filed with the old life
and fire of those boyish days Only stopping
long enough to get good view of the surround
/ ing hills or mountains / was able 10 discover
/ that the Gap from whence / came was appar.
/ emily closer than when | had first taken to the
! woods the night before
! If | didn't know exactly where to 90 to find
/ the Union pickets, / saw quite plainly where
/ not to go; and knowing that | would not make
/ q mistake in getting farther away from the
! Gap crawled hastily out of the tree, and in
/ another moment was hopping along through
/ the woods, which were yet quite dark down on
the ground.
The uneasy night birds had flown heard
chicken crow, and though it may have been
a mile away from me- was sure at the time il
was close behind me. / gteered as clear of that
as a sailor does Of fog horn, and as the light
began TO break through the tops of the trees
was able TO make better headway. The bis
mountain that had cast a shadow over The
world Of woods all that night loomed ur
grandly in the gray dawn; the Gap stood out
as clearly defined in its profile rs if it had been
cut out by chisel. There was nothing stir
ring anywhere but me; all the noises had an