Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-06-20
CHAPTER VII.
/ FIND A COMRADE,

But I must go back little and tell you
what befell in my expedition.
| had scarce trudged out Of sight of my
friends, down the hill, when it struck me
that my footprints in the snow were in the
last degree dangerous to them, and might
lead Settle and his crew,straight to the din
gle Hero was fix. | stood for some min
utes nonplused, when above the stiffness of
the wood for the wind had dropped) a faint
sound as of running water caught my ear,
and helped me to an idea.
The sound seemed to come from my left.
Turning aside made across the hill towards
it, and after two hundred PAGES or SO came
on tiny brook, not two feet across, that
gushed down the slope with quite consid
cradle chatter and Impotence. The bed of It
was mainly earth, with here and there large
stone or root to catch the toe; so that, as
| stepped into the water and began to thread
my way down between the BANS of snow,
twas necessary to look carefully to my steps.
Here and there the crook fetched a leap
down a sharper declivity, or shot over a
hanging stone; but, save for the wetting
took in these places, my progress was easy
enough. | must have waded in this manner
for half a mile, keeping tho least possible
| noise, when at an angle ahead spied clear
| ing among the pines, and TO the right of the
| stream, on the very verge, hut of logs
standing, with a woodricll behind it.
Twas low building, but somewhat long,
and | guessed it to be, III summer time, a hab-
itation for the wood cutters. But what sur
prised me was to hear dull, moaning noise,
very regular and disquieting, that sounded
| from the interior of the hut. listened, and
hit on the exploitation. Twas the sound Of
snoring.
Drawing nearer with caution. I noticed, in
| that end of the hut which stood over the
stream, gap, or window hole. The sound
issued through this like the whirring Of a
| dozen looms. "He must be an astonishing
| fellow" thought |, that can snore in this
fashion. III have peep before wake him.
| waded down till l stood under the sill, put
both hands upon it, and, pulling myself up
quiet as a mouse, stuck my face in at the win
dow, and then very nearly set back into the
| brook for fright.
For | had gazed straight down into the up
turned faces of Capt. Settle and his gang.
How long l stood there, with the water
| rushing past my ankles and my body turn
ing from cold to hot and back again. | can
not tell you But twas until, hearing nc
| pause in the seepers' chorus, found courage
for another pesp; and that must have been
some :ina
There were but six rascals besides the cap
tain $50 that Jacques must have died hard
thought ~, and such a rattle of arms and legs
and swollen upturned faces as they made
defy you to picture. For they were packed
close as behring's, and the hut was filed uI
with their horses, ready sadded and rubbing
shoulder to loin, SO narrow was the room. II
needed the open window TO give them air
and, even SO, twas not over fresh inside.
l had 10 mind TO stay; but before leaving
found myself in the way of playing these vii
lains a pretty trick. To right and left of the
window, above their heads, extended two
rude shelves that now were heaped witt
what conjectured to be the spoils of thu
larder of the Three Cups" Holding my
breath and thrusting my head and shoulders
into the room ran my hand along and wa
quickly Possessed Of boiled ham, two capons