Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-05-09

greenery, about two miles to the eastward
Smoker | shouted, as | slithered rapid
/ ly down the tree. Il have seen smoke"
repeated, as l reached terra trina, land
| where that smoke is we shall find a fire
and house, and somebody to show us the
way"
We resumed our journey in high spirits,
and after further tramp of half an hour
| or so we struck beaten track which led
Us to clearing a field of maize, an or
chard, and finally to a farmhouse.
| This was Weston's, and we found Yves
| ton at home, and, despite our disreDutable
appearance, received a warm welcome.
But Nab looked so very unlike queen,
| that when told him who she was he evil
IDENTIFY thought we were poking fun at
| him. But when he heard our story his
| doubts disappeared. The possibility of an
| incurslon of Cariberoes alarmed him great
| ly; he offered to accompany Us part of the
way to FaIrhaven, and to do everything IN
his power to facilitate our journey thither.
| We were too much fatigued to go on with
out rest. but we gathered that if we took
about six hours sleep, started at midnight,
! and travelled by light of moon, we might
! possibly reach our destination by the fol-
! lowing possibly" because much
| depended on the wind.
Nab asked what the wind had to do with
1t, whereupon Weston explained that we
could not foot it all the way to Fairhaven
much under two days and a half. but at
! DottrePs, distant about six hours, was a
| stream known as the ROothing doubtless
so named by some Essex man), by which,
! as it ran very swiftly, we could reach the
coast in six hours more, whence, with good
! luck and fair wind, we might make Fair
| haven Creek before nightfall.
AS for boats. Dottrel would see to that;
and if the queen desired he would, of
! course, be delighted to act as our pilot.
! After asking my opinion, and thanking
| Weston for his advice, Nab decided to
| take it, and trust to Providence for fair
wind.
In the meanwhile West0ns wife had
prepared Us substantial meal, of which
| we stood in sore need. She, moreover,
placed her wardrobe at the disposal of
Nab and her maid; and being as ragged as
/ any beggar, | gladly accepted the offer of
/ d suit of WeStOn's hOmespun.
| 1t was the first time had been in a Fair
Island farmhouse. The building was Of
wood, one-storied, and very roughly put
| together, and the internal arrangement
were primitive in the extreme. On
| other hand, if there was little refinen
| there was great plenty. The Weston's had
! fields and orchards, slaves and goats (Which
supplied them with milky, and food and
fruit in abundance; but none of the family
(and there were seven children) could
either read or write, and there was not a
book in the house.
Weston complained mucn OF une wear
and tear Of slaves arising from their use as
beasts of burden. 1t was this which made
them so savage and disconnected. IF they
had horses or oxen, he thought slave labor
might be dispensed with, and that would
greatly simplify matters SO far as the
Cariberoes were concerned.
This was obviously meant as a hint to
the queen.
al know" she said, thoughtfully, ''but
horses are not the only things we lack, and
when the present danger is past we will
have several changes for the better, as you
will see, Mr.. Weston"
The place-names in Fair Island were
rather peculiar. A farm or plantation,
even though it might afterward expand
into a village, was almost always called
after the first settler. Thus, Weston's
would remain Weston's, whoever might
subsequently become it's owner. Occupa-
tions and professions were mostly heredi-
tary, not by law, but by the force of Gus
tom. The parsons were all descendants Of
the "Hecate's" chaplain, and bore his
name; the doctors were Sergeants. the
school-masters, Switchers; the carpenters,
Browns; the blacksmiths, Coleses; and 50
forth. Lawyers, there were none; but
that, as Nab afterward told me, she looked
upon as blessing to be thankful for, not
as want to be deplored. Neither were
there any prisons, breaches of the law lex
cept treason, the sole capital offense) being
| punished solely by "sequestration" "a rig
orous form of boycotting) A few weeks
of this regimen was generally found quite
sufficient to bring the most hardened sim
ners to their senses; and wrong-doers who
expressed contrition and seemed really re-
pentant were always pardoned.
1t was hard work, rising at midnight.
felt as if l had only just fallen asleep; but
our business did not brook delay, and at q
quarter past twelve we set out on our six
hours tramp, accompanied by Weston,
who took US to DottrePs, and Dottrel placed
his best boat at our disposal, and agreed to
pilot US to Fairhaven.
Before we parted from Weston, Nab
asked him to keep a sharp lookout for the
Cariberoes, and If they appeared In force,
to send her word Immediately.
eff they appear" he said, grimly, 81 shall
disappear. don't want to have my throat
cut. | will come myself, and bring the
women and children with me-"
The swift-fiowing river carried us rapid
ly to the sea; the wind was fair; when the
sun sunk behind the mountain we were off
Fairhaven Greek, and by the time we
reached the landing place at the foot of the
hill it was quite dark.