Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-04-04

In the midst of his iovialty, however,
Haar Antony did not lose sight of dis
erection. Though he pushed the bottle
without reserve to Dolph. yet he always
took care to help his followers himself,
knowing the beings he had to deal with;
and he was particular in granting put
moderate allowance to the Indians. inc
repast being ended, the Indians having
drunk their liquor and SMOKED then
pipes, now wrapped themselves IN tnelr
blankets. stretched themselves on the
ground with their feet to the nre, ana
soon fell asleep, like so many tired
hounds. The rest of the party remained
chatting before the fire, which the gloom
of the forest and the dampness of the AIR
from the late storm rendered extremely
grateful and comforting. The converse
ton gradually moderated from the hliar-
ity of supper time, and turned upon
hunting adventures and exploits and
peril5 in the wilderness, many of which
were 50 strange and improbable that l
viii not venture 10 repeat them, let the
veracity of Antony Wander Heyden and
his comrades should be brought into
question: There were many legendary
tales told also about the river and the
settlements on its borders; in which val
liable kind of lore the Heer Antony
seemed deeply versed. As the sturdy
bush heater sat in the twisted root of
tree that served him for a kind OF arm
chair, dealing forth these wild stories,
with the fire cleaning on his strongly
marked visage, Dolph was again repeat
eddy perplexed by something that re-
minded him of the phantom of the
haunted house; some vague resemblance
that could not be fixed upon any precise
feature or lineament, but which pervaded
the general air of his countenance and
| figure.
The moon had just raised her silver
horns above the round back of old Bull
hill. and lit up the gray rocks and shagged
forests, and glittered ON the waving
bosom of the river. The night dew was
falling, and the late gloomy mountains
began to soften and put on a gray aerial
tint in tho dewy light. The hunters
stirred the fire. and threw on fresh fuel
to qualify the damp of the night air.
They then prepared a bed OF branches
and dry leaves under a ledge of rocks
for Dolph; while Antony Wander Hey
den. wrapping himself up in huge coat
made OF skins stretched himself before
the fire. Ii was some time, however,
before DOlph could close his eyes. He |
lay contemplating the strange scene be- |
/ fore him the wild woods and rocks |
around--the fire, throwing fitful CLEANS |
ON the faces of the sleeping savages-
and the Heer Antony, too, who so
singularly, vet vaguely, reminded him |
of the nightly visitant to the haunted |
house. Now and then he heard the cry |
of some animal from the forest, or the |
hooting of the owl. or the notes of the |
whip-poor-will, which seemed to abound |
among these solitudes, or the splash of a
sturgeon, lcaping out of the river, and
falling back full length on its placid sur
face. He conrasted all this with his
accustomed nest ia the garnet room of
the doctors mansion, where the only |
sounds he heard at night were the church |
clock telling the hour, the drowsy voice
of the Waterman, drawing out all was
well; the deep snoring Of the doctors
dubbed nose from below stairs, or the
cautious labors Of some carpenter rat
gnawing III the wainscot. His thoughts
then wandered TO his poor old mother;
what would she think of his mysterious
disappearance what anxiety and distress
would she not suffer? This was the
thought that would continually intrude
itself, to mar his present enjoyment 1t
brought with it a feeling of pain and
conjunction, and he fell asleep with the
tears yet standing in his eyes.
Were this a mere tale Of fancy, here
would be fine opportunity for weaving
in strange adventures among these wild
mountains and rowing hunters: and,
after involving my hero in variety OF
perils and difficulties, rescuing him from
them all by some miraculous contriv-
ance; but ~ this is absolutely n true
story, | must content myself with facts
and keep 10 PROBABILITIES
At an early hour tbs next day there
fore, after hearty mornings meal, the
cncampment broke up and our gdgen- !
'JireIss embarked in the pinnace of An
tony Wander Heyden. There being no
wind for the sails. the Indians rowed her ,
gently along, keeping time TO a kind of J
chant of one of the white men. The day
was serene and beautiful: the river with
out wave; and as the vessel cleft the !
CLASSY water it left long, undulating
track behind. The crows, who had
scented the hunters banquet. were al !.
ready gathering and lowering in the air, /,
just where a column of thin. blue smoke, !
rising from among the trees, showed the
place of their last nights quarters. As /.
they coasted along the bases of the noun .
tains, the Beer Antony pointed out to
Dolph bald eagle. the sovereign of these
regions. who sat perched on dry tree
that projected over the river; and, with
eye turned upwards, seemed to be drink !,
ing in the splendor of the morning sun.
Their approach disturbed the monarch's !.
meditations. He first spread one wing !
and then the other, balanced himself for
a moment, and then, quitting his perch :
with dignified composure, wheeled .
slowly over their heads. Dolph snatched :
up gun and sent whistling ball after Q
him, that cut some of the feathers from 0
his wing; the report of the gun leaped =
sharply from rock to rock and awakened 8
a thousand echoes; but the monarch of d
the air sailed calmly on, ascending higher l'
and higher, and wheeling widely as he 8
assembled, soaring up the green bosom of
the woody mountain, until he disap-
peared over the brow of beetling preci- G
pice. Dolph felt in manner rebnked a
bythis proud tranquility, and almost re- a
preached himself for having so xvantonly a