Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-10-13
IN THE PINERIES.

Hour after hour and minute after
minute the road had become more and
moro dim and uncertain, and as dark
ness set in 1 found myself deep in the
wilderness, completely lost, hungry
and tired, with no prospect in view
but to spend the night without any
shelter in the open air.
Although l had to acknowledge 10
myself that l did not know in what
direction was going, l was still loath
to stop. l kept on going somewhere,
stumbling here and falling there, un-
til at last l was tod seary to get up
again and lay where 1 had fallen.
Twas deepwithin the pineries of East
ern Texas, Th9 ground under foot
was soft and springy and felt as if it
had been but newly made-fresh from
the hand of the Creator. But the giant
pines lowered high above me, and /
knew that the ground was at least as
old as the trees, not made purposely
that day to bawildsr me in its shad-
ows and the deeper darkness of night
-As lax upon the ground wasrg :. 4. J,
fallen, peering through 1910 oSltiss 3
riffs in the tree tops above me, watch
ing the twinkling stars, and the drift
ing gulf clouds, an unearthly scream
reached my ears. Never before had l
heard cry so piercing, sound SO un-
earthly.
Again and again the cry came
through the darkness, and it was only
by sheer desperation that | managed
to rise to my feet, the better to enable
me to look <dbout, and if possible TO
discover the source from which the
cry emanated | strained my eyes
looking through the darkness, but |
could see nothing except the nearest
trees rearing their giant forms into
the deeper darkness above me.
For a minute or two after the last
terrible scream there was dead 81
,,lence, unbroken even by the gentle
soughing of the wind in the tree
tops. Then the hoot of an owl in the
distance reverberated through the for
est, and its sound, generally startling
and uncanny. seemed as sweet as mu-
sic in my ears. Again and again the
owl hooted, and in few minutes an
swering boots rang through the dark
pess from every direction, and soft
flutter of wings was heard above as
they few hither and thither in search
of food or trying their wings in wide
circles for fuu and pleasure.
/ had begun to grow calm and col
lected again under the soft influence
of the waiting wings of the owls and
their occasional calls to one another,
when suddenly, close to my ear, a
sharp, rasping voice inquired:
''Where is Mollie?"
looked around hastily, but could
see nothing, and all could hear after
the voice was hushed was the futter
of wings and the monotonous boots
of the owls.
How long [ sat and listened 1 do
not know The sameness of the
sounds of the forest luiled me to sleep
at last, and L slumbered lightly upon
the ground.
1t might have been an hour or it
might have been only a minute that [
had lost consciousness in sleep when
something or somebody tapped me
smartly upon the cheek and piercing
cry for help rang through my ears and
echoed through the darkness of the
forest. L sprang to my feet and
looked around me with wide awake
and staring eyes.
| could see nothing. Then from a
thicket little to my right came the
means of a man as if in mortal agony
and presently voice asked complain
ingly
"Where's Mollie?"
Not knowing Mollie or her where
abouts, was, of course, unable to an
swer, but as is usual in cases where
ignorance of the question precludes a
reply, | proceeded to PROFOUND q
question of my own.
''Who are you?" asked.
For several moments there was .
dead silence, which construed tc
mean that the inquirer for Mollie wat
doubtful about revealing his owl
identity.