Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-05-21

they found Comic" quite sufficient
About the time the expedition was
setting oct from the Ryckert camp. far
away in Beardsley settlement very
small boy was being tucked comfortably
into the straw and bear-sl1ins Of roomy
pung. A. his grandmother kissed the
round, expectant little face, size said to
the driver, a slim youth Of perhaps
eightaAn:
DO you think. now. Mart, the goin'
won't be too bad? Re you sure the
pung amt likely 20 slump down and
upset2 And then, there's the ice! This
warm spell must have made it pretty
rotten! VIII il be safe crossin' the
streams? Somehow o. other. do jist
hate lettin' Arty 90 along this mornin'r'
Don't you be worryin' mite, marin"
responded Mart Babcock, gathering up
the reins. Their amt no ice 10 cross,
seems Their amt no rivers In our rowt
exceptin' the Siegus, an that's got a
bridge to 1t. I'll look after Arty, trust
me. His pad be powerful disappointed
IL didn't bring him along this time, to
say nawthin' Of all the hands"
well, well, said the old lady in a
voice Of reluctant resignation; II sup
pose it's all right; but take keer of him,
Mart, as if he was the apple OF your
eyer
1t was soft, hay, melting day when
Mart and Arty set out on their long
drive. The travelling was heavy, but
the air was delicious, and our travellers
we're in the highest spirits. The visit
to the camp was Arty's dearest treat,
and was allowed him three or four times
during the winter.
Toward noon the hazy blue of the
morning sky changed to a thick gray,
while the air grew almost oppressively
warm and the woods were filled on all
sides with the strange innumerable
noises of the great thaw. The dull
/ crunchings Of the settling masses of
snow at first thrilled the child with
vague alarm. Then, treasured by his
companion, he grew interested in try
| ing to distinguish the varied sounds.
The unbending of softened twigs and
/ saplings, the dropping of loosened bark,
| the stealthy tricklings of unseen rillets
all these filled the forest with a sense
OF mysterious activity and hustle.
Every little while Mart stopped 70
give the laundering horse rest and en-
enlargement Jerry belonged to Steve
Doyle; but, being a great pet with his
owner, and devoted to the child, and
at the same time somewhat too old to
endure without injury the hardships of
winter numbering, he had been left at
home in luxury the last two winters,
with nothing to do but make weekly
trip to the camp on the little st. Fran
els. In all cases Jerry was treated with
| affectionate consideration, which he
amply repaid by his intelligence and
willingness.
When our weary travellers reached
the top of the hill overlooking the
camp, Jerry was pretty we'll tagged.
There was the camp, however, not half
a mile away in its clearing at the end
of a straight bit of road. Arty clapped
his hands, and stood up to see if he
could catch a glimpse of his father
looking out for him; and Mart CHR
ripped cheerfully to the horse.
Just at this moment the rain, which
had been threatening for hours, came
down, 1t came down in sheets. The
horse was urged to a run, but the
travellers, ere they reached the camp,
were drenched as if they had fallen in
the river Arty, moreover, was
drenched in tears for few moments on
learning of his fathers absence; but
soon, with the delighted pettings and
caressings of the three or four woods
men who had been left in the camp, tho
little fellows disappointment was as
suaged, and he was making himself
merrily at home. The camp, however,
seemed to him lonely and deserted:
and when, after supper, getting the
cook to wrap him up in an oil-skin
coat, he went out to the stable to give
Jerry big piece OF camp ginger bread
and bid him goodnight, his disappoint-
ment welled up again, and he gave way
to few more tears on the afectionate
animals neck.
Around the blazing fire little later
Arty was himself again. The men sang
songs for him and told him stories, and
/ blew little clouds of bitter smoke from
their pipes into the brown thicket of his
/ curls. lie sat now on one rough fellows
/ knee, now on another's, and absorbed all
the attention of the camp, and was al
/ lowed by the cook TO eat all the ginger
i bread be wanted. When he got sleepy
/ he was put into his fathers bunk; and,
I since he was determined to have it so,
Mart was allowed to sleep beside him.
/ Arty having gone to bed, there was
nothing for his admirers to do but fol-
4 low his example. Their hearts filed
with tender memories and generous
thoughts, stirred up by the presence of
the child among them, the backwoods-
men turned into their hunks and soon
4 were fast asleep.
That night the floods came. The tor
rents rushing down every hillside
/ speedily burst the already rotten ice.
Some miles above the camp jam
formed itself early in The EVENING"
mixed mass of lce-cakes logs and rub
bish; and this kept the water below from
rising rapidly enough to warn the camp
of its danger Just as the gray of dawn