South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1891-12-11
THElNrELLioErcnR
FRIDAY. DEC. ii. lss,
woLr rARM.

any yeAro EGO not long altar TIE
deciarnslon ofous nasisnal Ia jspend
sece. nan nAmsd Neville, In CON
psny With HE wiss ant ak children
doved from Tho ylciuity Of New Lon,
don. Conn, hosthward % Warwick
one Of the bill: towns Of Franklir
Q auty. Nsss. ~ air
The spring ~ veil sdvsncsd when
s6St arrived at their nee homo. %
tIss they wsrs not able 70 rsi.s sufii :
cisnt graia Ard vegetables upon which
TO sabstst dariu9 abe hrst winter,
which, anfostunstsly for them. sss Ia
early end wsa OF ususaal severity.
To make mAstsre worse, al or their
sheep ,sud swine were caught and
killed BY wild animals, sad one, the
most vaiuatls Of their coss, sleksned
and died. discs sfncs seafs
Mr.. Neville Was very Industrious
MAJ. aud worked ct bis trsde--that
Of . carpenter-hera and lhore smoug
the settlers. whenever An opportunity
offered. sff :
When there was no job in tina, line
in hand. he made improvements on
his own building. and worked away
enIarging his clearing.
The trees which we're felled by the
sturdy bows Of ths resolu,e farmer
carpenter and his eldest boy were
trimmed out and cut into logs With
which they fenced In a small euc,o..
ars where his animals. could he IN IN /.
age TO procure sny more that winter
might be .herded with safety.
The ueighbors lsu9 he'd good deal
over Thu very high and strongly IN t
she p fold that David Neville had
prepared. when he did no, possess a
sheep in the world, aud tbers was
no Immediate prospect Of any.
Build your martin box when you
have the leisure, and The martins will
he sure to find you,' said he.
One bright and quite mild day tha,
winter Mr.. Neville said TO iiis wife,
believe | shalt rig up my books and
lines and go down To the Connecticut
River to try my luck at ash,ng through
the ice. We are all OF us. I guess,
rather tired OF living on the par
Tidgcss and squirrels we snare. and
il 1 could get good haul Of fish, we
should enjoy the change.
The river is five miles distant, st
least. and the snow Is heavy, ssid his
wife. ] would not try the experi-
meut.
I know II will be a good long walk
said Mr.. Neville. but Their 9 is . strong
crust on the snow, which so-day's Gun
will not soften perceptibiy, and
think I Will make the ven ure to
night. l had so much experience in
fishing when We lived near the Sound
and the Thames River. toe, I am
cure to have good luck. VI
Fish are not very plentiful hers
among the hills. and l may possibly
catch enough TO exchange with some
Of the neighbors for bread stuff; you
know, wife. We are getting pressed
f.r food OF any kind.
Late In the afternoon David Ne.
vile started bravely Off with hand.
led half-bushel basket foil OF careful.
!y prepared pine torches on one arm,
. sharp axe over tho other, and his
hooks and lines In his pockets.
There were no matches in III 90
Jays, 90 he took with him q finder
box and Q small. tightly wound roll
OF linen cloth which, when lighted q,
one end, would burn slowly and keeI
FIRE for long time.
Fr.sl 6sh for breakfast, remem.
Der ] he shouted back cheeriIy, ne BIZ
struck of into the Wilderness.
God bless you; good luck TO you
answered his wife aud children, o.
they watched him on: OF eight.
On reaching the river, the frs
thing Mr.. Neville did was 60 bnild
Gre OF the dry limbs and trunk OF
fallen tree which he split up, for b,
knew thst u he stood long on the ic
be would become vefy cold. he tbel
set to work cutting hole in tho ice
which Was very thick and covere.
with snow.
The fish in grea. numbers swan "a
ward the uDususl light Of the Or
and OF the blazing torches he bell
over the large, square aperture b
had made through their frost i'm
prisoned habitat, and the solitar
fisherman could hardly drop bic lin
into the still. bl'ck water before th
bait was eteediiy seized.
For some time the exciting spor
went ON, and he was kept olosel
busy, batting bis hooks and puIiin
out The plump, lusty fellows, until
large pile OF them had accumulate,
on the ics near the FIRE.
After a while. growing hungry, Afr
Neville dressed one Of the hsh, i'm
psled It on forked stick, add held |
near the glowing Goals Of the 6re 40
I'll u Was thoroughly cooked.
Ii was a delicious rspass for thr
poor man, 10 whom as we'll IS BIZ
wife and children. the weary winte
nah been perpetual fast.
While The hungry fisherman VA
enjoying his toothsome supper, hi
heard an ominous bowling 10 Ga,
forest on the hillside that rose from
the western bank OF the river, and
Enew that is came from a pack o.
wolves.
The vicinity bad been infested will
them Of late. so much so that the
town Of Warwick bad offered lsre,
bounty for esch individusI captured
but Mr.. Neville. in his esgerness tc
apPease bis importubate hunger, had
been iu'tiscreeG enough to tempt The