The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-03-16

4
From the Baltimore Sunday Herald.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK 4
Standing for a few moments on
this isolated peak, against which
the storms and lightning had vainly
ragged for ages, | could but wonder
if the ingenuity of man would ever
discover uses for these rocks ard
boulders, or coin wealth from their
sterile sides.
The scenery from this point vas
as wild as it was seemingly extrtva.
CANT in beauty.
Our way down was as difficult
and hazardous as it was up, but Of
little more interest.
When we were about hall way
down Mr.. Brow hing halted infront
of large cavern in the solid rock.
Here he said he had been TOLD that
when wolves and bears were plenty
in this region they would TAX, shell
ter from the storms, and the latter
live during the winter. Further on
Mr., b. stopped under a tai, half
dead tree, which had bit few
branches. When came NJ to him
he pointed to a number of bees
resting around hole some so feet
up the trunk, while could s.e others
flying about in every direction.
"This," he said, sis my first wild
beehive, though l have been hunt
ing and following the course of bees
in the forest since was a boy. My
grandfather was very fond Of hunt
ing them, and was very successful.
A little later, when | have finished
my dam, l will come here SEINE night
with the hands and we will have a
jolly time and doubtless secure sew
eral tubs of honey"
1t was after l o'clock when we
reached the encampment. We
found dinner ready on the table,
and some few of the hands and his
son Dick, a bright and attractive
youth of some IL summers, await
ing anxiously our arrival, for din
ner had been postponed little on
our account
| do not think / ever had such an
appetite. certainly never enjoyed
a meal more. Probably the appe-
tite, as well as the enjoyment of
my meal, were encouraged because
of certain feeling of relief l expe-
rlenced. 1 could but feel that |
had braved great danger, stared
instant death almost in the face and
came out unframed. | had often
heard physicians say that one
could imagine he had certain dis
ease until he was actually taken
down with it. l had just gone
through a territory where, if there
were no rattlesnakes, there ought
to be millions, and if the reasoning
was good in the case of the imag-
ination of the disease l could not
see why it could not hold good as
to the imagination of the pre-
sence Of rattlesnakes in the places
whice l had just left behind me.
After a good wash and a drink
only of that beverage which nature
had brewed all around me, with
Mr.. Browning, Mr.. Harne and
those l have mentioned, l took my
seat at the table. >~A
Our dinner consisted of nice soup,
the character Of which l cannot now
recall, bread, butter, milk and cold
mutton and ground hog, prepared
and brought from a neighbonng
farm, and which l meyer seen sur
passed, some broiled roe herring,
sliced tomatoes. with most charm
ing cup Of coffee made on the spot,
after which some nice sponge cake
and other delicacies that Madam
Browning sent out in the convey
ance.
After l had finished nay meal
summed up the result of the first
hours of my stay in the forest as
follows: l had sampled considera-
bly,, been worked up right smart,
from perhaps needless alarm, and
seen much that was new and
strange, that it was the place
for calm seclusion, pure air
and water, natural cheerfulness,
rare natural beauty, quiet and re-
pose. What else could 1 ask for,
what more could ! desire or expect
| so far removed from the crowdad