New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-07-09
DEATH ROCK.

u EBmongrthe first to build his cabin on
'She steep bank overlooking the smiling
valley of the Saco was a man who bore
the name Of Luke Garland.
With his wife and child he had made
the long journey through the trackless
forest from the settlement at Dover to
this, spot,sMhich he had selected for a
new home.
Once arrived there, he had hastily
thrownupa temporary shelter, COM
posed of rocks, and bark stripped from
the trunks of the hemlock and the
birch, and, with his family housed
therein, he set to work to build stout,
substantial cabin, that could defy the
elements and the wild beasts and saw
ages that roamed through the forest.
1t was the work of weeks to finish it
to his mind; but at last it was complet-
ed, much"to his pride and satisfaction,
and they took up their abode therein.
This done he turned his attention to
the forest~below the bank on which his
new home stood, with the determine
ton of getting as large a spot cleared
as possible, for the reception of seed
the ensuing spring. Until then he had
to depend upon his rifle alone to pro-
vide e'food necessary for their susten-
ance.
But this was an easy task. The for
est and mountains abounded in game,
and.when he went forth in quest of it
he never,returned empty-handed.
For couple of months after they
had become settled in their new home
all went.well with them.
I nj baH OF fo1t
timid at being so far removed from
neighbors, got. over this in a great
measure and became contented with
her new home.
Now and. then a party of redskins
would make their appearance at the
cabin, causing momentary sensation
of fear, ,buta;as they appeared peace
ably inclined this feeling soon passed
of
The, cabin'stood almost upon the trail
that led through the Great Notch to the
regions beyond, and it was owing to
this fact that,it had SO many visits from
the red men.
Luke Garland always treated them
with courtesy, and, when food was
plenty in thercabin, they never went
away hungry.
Thus the summer passed and the
early autumn days were upon them.
Already the naples ON the sides of the
mountains, had donned their robes of
crimson aud gold. and high on the top
g most bluffs the snow-white tracks of
winter became: visible.
One day the settler, took his rifle and
plunged into the forest in search of a
new supply of food. He was not so
lucky as was .hisgwont, and when at last
he started;a deer his ill7luck pursued
him, for instead,o his bullet bringing
the game down it it, only inflicted a
wound, and theeaeer. bounded swiftly
away through the forest.
Hastll y relaading his rifle Luke fol-
lowed swiftly along the bloody trail.
From the amounted blood. the creature
was losing heifeltsnre that it could not
run far before it would sink to the
earth. But he dls.raiscalculated the
strength of the animal, which. led him
over nearly "a mile of ground before he
came upon ut .llyingaeadtin. its tracks.
Throwing THE CARCASS across his
shoulder he l0st 40 time in turning his
footsteps hemeward.
For something like. ah .hQur,rhe kept
steadily ON ,his way, and then his course
took him across tthet Indian trail of
which we have before> spoken. Stand
/ ing upon lit he hesitated for a moment
s which way to take. 10. follow it would
T. make the distaneeih0me a little great
=. sr; but then be knew that.t the way was
>,snoother, and this WAS Of, some. con-
sequence considering she. burden. he
bore.
He decided to take the trail, and with
out furtheC loss 1fItime hurried onward,
but had gone hardly a Dozen, rods be-
fore he paused abruptly. >Gasting his
eyes down at his feet, asity We're, by
chance, he had seen something that had
instantly brought him ito "a standstill.
It was the imprint OF "a Moman's foot
in the soft earth. -.
tOr an Instant he stood asmationle
gas though made of stone, gazing, upon
nit. Hesknew as well us though he had
sEeen, her leave it there, THAT it was his
HWifes.
1T hadAoeen made but "a short. time,
sanG, along with it were these, of ,a,num-
her of sayfges.
liz another instant the 6ruth had
Nwass,bRing: carried off by the Indians.
Berahance lis child had been murder
al;anG his cabin given to the .Hamss
Thej thQught:ahilled his blood; aRd made
his lhaaEt stand still.
BUTT, was. only for q momest tha4t
this sPeh,,was kpon him. The next he
had oastIt off with the burden he bore
With: thud tie carcass of the deer
struck upon the earth, and an instant
after l1r1he was bounding along the
trail with but one thought in his ltaind
Ito rescue Isis wise and avenge him
self upon her captars. This he would
do or lose his own life in the attempt.
Darkness at length came, but this
did not impede his, movements in aug
great degree. Thanks to his knowledge
of that section, gke did not go astraN.
Nearly all the 5tine he was upon the
trail, although the darkness was SO
dense that he saw it. not.
It was we'll on toward snidnioht when