Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1890-03-01
DIR. NEWELL'S PERIL.

4
summons reached DIR. Newell to attend a
patient ten miles from the little frontier
settlement of Osceola, where his Office
| was located.
A wood chopper had met with an &C
cident-felled tree on his leg, and ev-
cry moments delay put his life in jeop-
ardy. The messenger had ridden hard,
and having delivered his summons re-
turned Immediately, not waiting for Dr.
| Newell to come in from the round OF
calls he was making.
He had been gone two full hours when
Newell threw himself into his armchair
before the blazing wood fire and pre-
pared to make himself comfortable for
the evening. He was in just that con-
| tented frame of mine which is induced
| by a good cup of tea and warm fire after
one has buffeted the cold and disagree
ableness of a November hail-storm; and
it was in no very pleasant humor that he
received the intelligence, communicated
by the landlady, that "old Steve Brow
nell had got tree on him and was want
ing the doctor at once at Windy Gulch. "
Newell was handsome fellow, but he
looked undeniably cross over the pros
pect For once he had mind to con-
suit his own comfort before that of old
Steve. But no, he said to himself as
soon as he thought about it, he had no
business to hang out single advertis-
ing his profession unless he intended to
obey the calls made on him.
1t was matter of wonder to every
body who had wit enough to wonder
about anything, what ever sent man
| of Dr. Newelrs fine taste and cultivation
| TO such wild, uncivilized region as Os-
ceola. And among all his friends and
acquaintance no one ever suspected the
secret, which can be told in a very few
words.
Isabel Houghton, lovely Boston belle,
after flirting with DR.. Newell for two
whole years, suddenly married old Job
Sanders for his money and Newell,
driven wild by her peridy, vacillated
for week between hanging and shoot
ing himself. Finally he decided to do
neither, but, packing up his traps, he
emigrated to the western Wilderness, and
in the life of toll and adventure which
he led his cure was effected.
By the time he had been six months in
Osceola he could eat a square meal" of
bread and buffalo meat, and had so far
forgotten his passion for Isabel that he
could think of her frizzled yellow hair
and all, and whistle tune at the same
time.
DIR. Newell put away the prospect of
an evening of comfort and leisure which
he had been indulging and got into his
heavy overcoat and furred leggings again.
Lightfoot was taken out of the stable,
where he had been munching his corn,
Saddled in haste, and the doctor, leaping
on his back, left Osceola behind.
The night was rainy and dark, though
there was a moon couple weeks old,
and the path was none of the pleasantest
even in the daytime, when the sun shone
and the bird sang in the trees.
The first five miles of the way there
was rough wheel track, as far as Larn-
eds mills after that only bride track,
and that led through the primeval forest,
and there was no other means of deter
mining the right direction than the
"blazed" trees.
The doctor rode on in no very genial
mood, and reached the mills just as the
family there were closing up for the
night. They gave him cup of hot cot
fee and pocket lantern, for, as old Mr..
Larned remarked
HE might have to look at the trees to
find his way, and it would take right
smart pair of eyes to tell whether tree
was blazed or not such dark night.
A couple of miles were safely passed
over after leaving the mills, and the doc
tor was congratulating himself on the
fact, for wild beasts were numerous in
the forest-bears, wolves, and that great
terror of American forests, the cata-
mount. He was now within three miles
of Windy Gulch, and when the next
half mile was over the dreariest part of
the way would have been traversed.
Suddenly Lightfoot stopped, quivering
in every limb, and, with his slender ears
pricked forward until they almost met
and his nostrils dilated with fear, he
stood like rock, and no persuasions of
his master could induce him to lift a
hoof.
Surprised and vexed at this extraor-
binary conduct on the part of his hith-
erto tractable beast, DIR. Newell applied
whip and spur, but to no purpose. Light
foot had evidently made up his equinine
mind and was not disposed to change it
AT last, finding his exertions to induce
the horse to go of no avail, the doctor
dismounted and took a few steps for
ward. But he was brought to a sudden
halt by the vision of two balls of fire,
not half dozen PAGES from him, set
larkly in the background of a low
branching evergreen. He knew in mo-
ment what was before him. The balls
of fire were the eyes of catamount,
and the animal was lying on the branch
of the tree getting itself ready for a
spring. He could hear the fierce tail