The Bessemer indicator., 1894-06-30
A FEARFUL RIDE.

The young people Of to-day can
scarcely realize what = straw ride"
vas like hundred years ago. or that
the fun-provokins excursion enjoyed no
much nowadays nal an ancient md
necessary origin. 1t Is probable, how
ever, that as much fun md laughter
accompanied the straw ride then as
now. for young people are alike In all
nges and tho world over.
When our English forefathers settled
In the New Hampshire states. especial
ly Vermont and New Hampshire, they
established their homes Upon .he high
lands, because strange as 1t now seems,
the larger lakes. ponds md rivers
where the beautiful meadows now are
were compassed about with n lies and
miles Of thickly wooded swamps, which
were almost impossible even III sum-
mer.
Last summer climbed the mountain
which is the scene of this story, and
counted there forty old cellar holes,
overgrown with grass and brush. but
lndlsputable evidence of former homes.
I asked stupIdly-feelins certnin tho
answer would be, KILLED by indians
did all the people go to who lived
thcre?" The practical one of our party
answered, "Oh. they moved down grad
unlly. for as the woods wecs cut OF.
the swumps dried up"
A hundred yenrs ago the settlers on
the mountain made nothing of the deep
SHOWS which In winter covered nll that
country, but turned out with shovels
md ox-sleds-the only vehicles known
In the mountains IN those umes-and
manfully "broke roads" in order that
their social intercourse with their Not
chite" friends might not be interrupt
ed.
Especially was this the case In q GER
tnln winter, when MIR. Stevens, the
most 'forehanded" OF them all, had
built frame mansion and was going
to give house-warming ball. A string
of oI-teams was sent over the rough,
drifted road, md all was ready for
tho revclers. There were enough young
people to fill two slets, and Thad Wal
do and Freeman Eddy, each of whom
owned two yoke Of oxen. were chosen
rs teamsters. Their sleds were filled
with straw and blankets, ready for
their respective loads. and they started
uerrily of at 4 O'Clock, reaching their
destination before dark. They stayed
there until in the morning, gayly
dancing and feastmy, with never u
thought of danger.
When the tenmsters went out 10
tackle up" for the return home they
found the sky heavy With dark clords
and much warmer than when they
came over.
Guess we're going to have our Janu-
nry thaw," remarked young Waldo.
And I'm afraid We will get u slump
over the south side. 1t won't be very
easy riding over those stumps and
stones" remarked Eddy.
For mile or SO the high spirits Of
the party nlnde the woods md noun
tairs ring with song and laughter; but
hy the time thcy reached the heights,
the fatigue of the dnno. began to tell
ON them, and the younger of them
commenced making pillows Of the laps
of their elders who, also. eoon became
silent.
Waldo and Eddy, as they reached the
notch, jumped from their slcds to bet
ter guide the teams down the noun
tain, and the latter shouted as he
reached the road. odd Buck and
Bright will be more lively company
than that sleepy crowd"
followed tiiis sally was suddenly
drowned by a horrible scream which
seemed to fairly fill the pass, echolng
and reechoing through the mountains
as II being answered by a hundred
others.
The two teamsters sprang quickly
to the bead of their teams, now tremb-
ling and cuddling up to each other In
fright. The meh knew that they had
only a moment TO prevent wild stam-
pede down the mountain; for, as soon
as the poor oxen should recover from
their first alarm they would seek safety
In flight, when 1t seemed impossible
that the whole party could escape being
dashed to pieces.
Every person in the company, from
the oldest to the youngest fully nppre-
ciated their double danger. They knew
that t1lnt deiiant scream came from n
hungry panther-nnd that 1t meant
death.
Instantly every young man on the
sleds had his gun to his shoulder-they
never went without them in those
good old days"-peering sharply among
the hemlocks which lined the rond for
the two fiery eyes, the only pnrt Of the
ugly beast they expected to SEQ In the
cloudy darkness. Failing n shot they
knew that he would jump for them
when they passed under the tree where
he had lodged when he gave his warn
Ing scream. Should he miss 1t would
In nowise end the chase. for they
knew that by his huge vaultlng springs
he could soon forge ahead to vantage
ground In another tree.
The road through which these hnpless
young people took their fearful ride
is nearly obllterated now by n sturdy
growth of young trees. except Three
Lodges" around which the road ran.
No trees can ever cover those cruel
which must end such n race. even
should they keep together until they
reached the lslees.
In thirty seconds quick-witted young
Waldo had unhitched his leading oxen
and turned them into the deep snow,
hoping that they might possibly at
tract the panther. Thus he obtained
also better chance to control the 9TH
crs. BY this time second scream,
more defiant than tie other, rang
through the woods.
This second scream came from bc-
hind them over through the notch, and
was Immediately answered by the first,
making the poor. trembling oxen fairly
bound with fright, and this ti.re send
Ing them on on II mad gallop. The
teamstcrs instinctively caught hold of
yoke and horn. Young Waldo shouted
back to those In til, sleds. Hold on
| for your livcs!'
It was nm almost useless warming
The young men who had risen were
thrown among those who had not. their
extended guns dealing cruel blows MS
they fell. But not word of fear or
| complaint WIS uttered by the young
settlers. md no sound was heard for
n few minutes except Waldo's md
E1dy's shouts in their endcavors to
check the mad speed Of their teams;
yet 1t seemed to thosn In the sletls. MS
A