Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-12-09
HER WARRIOR DEAD.
How Wilhelm Escaped.

Ohio were formerly rich in materials
of wild adventure. The vast forests
of the region swarmed with almost
every variety of four-footed game,
and its numerous streams and lakes
abounded with fish and fowl, while
the pioneer settlers were as hardy
and daring class of men as eyer
pulled Il boat or set foot on noun
tain. Tribes of Indians. too, roamed
and hunted there, the bravest aud
fercest of the red race.
One of the pioneers CT this region
was Hessian named Neuenheyser,
deserter from that body of troops
hired from Germany by the British,
and sent to fight against the Amsri.
cans in the Revolutionary war. His
descendants still live in the same part
Of the country.
His son, Wilhelm, was the hero of
this story. Wslhelm was a lumber
man, and being much of his time in
the woods his encounters with wild
beasts were not infrequent. That he
should ever allow himself to 60 into
the forest unarmed, only proves that
experience itself sometimes forpets its
caution.
One day, near the first of June, he
had been peeling bark from skid"
of saw-logs. A skid" means here .
row of logs, laid side by side on cross
timbers, so as not to touch the ground,
but admit the air and become thor.
oughly seasoned. This arrangement,
too, makes them convenient to load
upon sleds in winter. Logs cut in
May or June are easily peeled, for
then the sap looscns the bark, and
when it is removed they are left ex-
ceedingly slippery until they dry.
The place of Wilhelm's work was
near the center of valley about a
mile wide, with a bluff on the west
side, and on the east gentle hills rising
from the bank of small stream. At
the foot of the hills stood a mill. and
clearing of several acres had been
made around it, in which were the
log houses of several settlers. West
of the stream, covering valley and
bluff and hills for many miles, was q
dense forest. A narrow roadway had
been opened from the mill to the skid
of logs but no farther.
An hour before sunset, as Wilhelm
was about starting for home, he heard
as he thought, a woman or child call
from the bluff. He answered, think
ing some member of one of the settlers
families had been out gathering early
flowers and wintergreens, and had
lost the way.
His voice did not seem to reach the
ear of the unseen caller, for in mo-
ment another more anxious cry came
from the bluff. Again he answered,
and again the cry, until he became
so intent ON making himself heard,
and finding out the apparent distress,
that he began half unconsciously, to
walk in the direction Of the sounds.
Wilhelm had very compassionate
heart, and as he drew nearer, and the
sad cry came to him more distinctly,
even his long experience of forest
noises did not suggest that it could be
other than human call. Perhaps il
was his very experience that made
him venture. He thought he knew.
AS he pushed on through the dense
thicket, he became satisfied, from the
singularly pitiful tone, that the owner
of the voice was women. He even
thought that he could make out the
words, ooh, / am lost! What shall
| do?" Then the cry grew fainter,
and ran into a low, continuous moan.
Stirred to deepest sympathy, Will
helm hurried on, keeping keen look
out up the hillside. He was excited,
and had no doubt now but that he
should see despairing woman sitting
helpless on the ground. He had
nearly reached the foot Of the bluff,
when suddenly the moaning voice
changed to an appalling shrek, and
he met a pair of fiery eyes glazing out
of the bushes on the ledge above him.
He had been drawn into the very jaws
of a panther. Why he should have
permitted himself to be so deluded.
he never could decide, for he knew
well enough that the wailIng of q
panther is often very much like the
voice of distressed woman. In
fact, so perfect is the likeness that the
most practised ears had been deceived
by it, and woodmen have sometimes
neglected real human cry for fear
of encountering a panther. Wilhelm
could only condemn himself for not
taking his gun with him, In such cases
that precaution is always wise.
Never before had our lumberman
been caught so totally unprepared in
peril. Even his jacknife was in some
pocket at home or on the saw-logs.-
Aware of his weakness, he obeyed