The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-09-07

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II 'ktSy yHYT Illinois was n vii.
~ ~ ~ j derness then, and
Chicago wasn't much more than u
market town. The farmers used to
run in to buy parcel of sugar or her
rings. and they didn't thinS enough of
the place to put on their best clothes
when they went.
Well, there came frost and thaw
and another frost that left the roads
too rough aud icy for wheels, and not
icy enough for runners; and as luck
would have it Uncle Joel broke his
axe on hardwood knot and he
couldn't get to town to buy another.
Now, here's whore my story comes
in. ] was good skater in those
times, and for nll the fine records see
nowadays in the papers, and for Nil
the newiangled patent skates they
wear, I'd take my old wooden ones,
with the deerhide thongs, and the
long blades curling up over the toes,
and if | were thirty years younger I'd
back myself against the best of them
that draws breath bat that's neither
here nor there. / was II great skater.
and 50 offered TO skate into Chicago
and buy new axe for Uncle Joel
1t was clear, bright morning, and
the ice was smooth and white, rs thaw
ice most generally is. Well, | struck
n creek about ten rods from my uncle +
door, tied on my skates aud went
booming down the river. The stream
winds somewhat, rs you know, and |
calculate it was about twenty-five
miles into the city, but that wasn't n
circumstance to me. ! made the dis
tance easily in three hours, and was in
Chicago in time to dine ut noon.
Well, / met some pleasant young
fellows, and the time passed away un-
til, before l knew it, the suu was
away de gp in the west. was little
- ara :. -. -, = the 5Ry wass dear,
the moort was up, and "A moonlight
skate wasn't at all TO my dislike. Some
of the young fellows made few re,
marks abot wolves along the river, but
rather thought they were guying IN,
for n tenderfoot
"Never mind" ssid /, "for with my
skates and the ax I'm going to buy
don't fear any wolf or pack of wolve,
in the State of Illinois"
So nothing more was said. | went
ont and bought an aX. Then / cam,
back to the tavern, and, after taking
some supper, picked up my skates an,
lit out for the river. The sun was just
going down rs | sat on the edge of tn,
stream and tied on my skates; and
tied them tight. | knew that ther,
really were wolves along that stream
but for the matter of that the Stat,
was full of wolves, big black fellows
and fierce, too. They knew maj
from woman, and used to com,
prowling round the farmhuuscs whei
! the farmers were nj work, barking
under the women's very noses and ear
rying oil poultry and young pigs righ
| under their eyes and do you know
| strange thing might hs caused h,
throwing powdered asafoetida 81 rs l,
! fill the air with its odor? Wolve
within reach of that smell would be
come fascinated with it, and rushing
to where the odor was strongest the,
would stand bowling until shot dow
or dubbed 10 death.
But, however cowGrdly they nigh
be by day, when alone and nen
houses, they were less SO when tray
cling in packs by night andat no tim
were they to be despised 10y boy lill
me- alone, poorly armed and far fror
home; SO | tied my skates CAREFUL
and firmly, threw my new aX over m
arm and struck ont.
The snow lay on the ground il
patches, relieved by dark grays
greens and blnchs, where little knoll
and hillocls had been washed clean b.
the rains, The brushwood along tn
banks was leaness and brown. Tn
sky was cloudless, bat over all ther
was the thin, pink reflection from tn
setting sun, and the great, red path i
the ice, along which / was skating tc
wards home.
And | skated fast, not breGthlessly
but with Il long, swinging roll that
could have kept mp for hours. Ih
banks seemed to fly past poplar an
birch, brush and brambles, cabins an
rail fences. Here and there | passe
little creeks and could hear the waite
from them trickliug into the river III
derneath the ice, but save for thG
sound and the reaking of my skate
all was silent.
Lights were burning in the farm
house windows, but no noise can
from them; the men were sittin
around the fires with their wives an
children, and work was over for I'll
day.
After little l passed beyond thef
siona nf civilization batwepn Ian,