The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-02-28
A Night in a
Maine Forest.

would have to be shipped from one of
the Canadian ports. since the Atlantic
seabOard was under an embargo. 1t
was determined that / should go to
Bangor, where the best horses were
then supposed to be found, purchase
what I wanted, drive them across the
state, and ship them from Halifax to
Bermuda. I had no trouble III s,....iI
four good strong animals, also harnti,'-
as and wagon. I engaged Tom
Hunter, a livery-stable keeper, to go
with me. He was a careful, reliable
man, and good company, too.
1t was bright and early one morn
ing in June when we set out ON our
long drive, a drive that was destined
to be not without adventure. Neither
Of us knew the way. I bought a
state-survey map, and picked out the
roads from that. They were in a
wretched Condition. Stumps, stones
deep ruts, recent heavy rains rendered
them almost impossible. Two Of my
horses We're under harness for the
first time, and they acted very badly.
1t took all our patience and skill to
get them into any kind of shape. 1t
was only after the beasts got tired
out that they settled down to slow,
steady pulling.
The first twenty miles were through
epen country, after which we had fif-
teen to twenty miles of dense forest,
in which, somewhere, We We're told,
stood an INN. 1t was 4 o'clock in the af-
ternoon when we drove up to shanty
at the. edge Of the forest. A typical
backWoodsman sat ON the fence,
smoking a pipe.
"Can 1 put up here for the nightT'
I asked.
The man surveyed me, horses and
all, a full minute without moving.
Then he calculated with am upward
drawl, "Naw."
"How far is it to the next house?''
I asked.
"a matter Of eight mile," was the
answer.
"Can't I stop here? I'm pretty
tired"
"You can stop, but I can't accom-
modate ye."
'Then that's the end Of it." I said
driving ON. I reflected that, now the
horses had got settled down to work
we ought to make eight miles in two
hours. Anyhow we could get there
before dark.
When we entered the forest the
road became infinitely worse than il
had been, and that is saying a. good
deal. 1t grew dark surprisingly fast
owing partly ITO the denseness of the
forest, but more to ominous clouds
gathering in the southwest, from
which mutterings of thunder were
heard. We walked the horses every
step Of the way. 1t became so dark
that I could not see even the hind
ones. 1t vas only when the lightning
flashed that we could move a few
steps forward. At last the storm
burst Upon us. Getting out, Tom
tied the leaders to trees, and he and
/ squatted under the wagon for shel.
ter
'Tom," said I, ''this beats ALL" "It
does indeed, sir" said Tom.
The horses stood fairly well during
the half hour or so that the storm
shook that forest. I am not afraid OF
thunder and lightning, when 1 am
properly situated, but don't like al
such time to be among trees. How.
ever, the fury of the elements at last
gave way to gentle rain, and by 1C
o'clock, just as we drove up to the
inn, bright moon was sailing among
the clouds.
''Hellor' I shouted. A man ap.
peared ait the door.
1--WE want to spend the night here
two men and four horses" l said.
'I don't see how 1 can accommodate
you," he said.
"You mustr' I cried 'Here, Tom
take the horses to the barn, and find
some fodder. You've got barn
haven't your" turning to mine host
''Wen, yes, just d cover for my
sheep, and kinder hate to turn them
out, for there's wolves about But
I'll risk 1t, and your horses can &c
inside
1t was true. The rude shelter
housed about a dozen sheep. These
were put into the pen, to make space
for our horses. The poor creatures
were glad enough to get a dry place
to stand upon, and some hay. They
were fretted nearly to death.
Then Tom and / went inside the
house. 1t contained one room for
sleeping, eating and visiting, with a
ladder in one corner leading to loft
A bed was ON one side, and fire in
an open fireplace upon another. Be
sides the host We're an old woman and
would you believe it?-as pretty a
girl as one often sees, clean and bux-
ON, and real fiirt, too. I coaxed her
a little that way myself, but Tom was
much more successful, and it kept me
In constant amusement to see the eyes
they made at each other. The old
woman cooked cornmeal mush in a
kettle over the fire. That, with a
pitcher Of good milk, made our supper,
and let me tell you, one is a long way
from starving on mush and milk.
Having eaten, we were given the
only candle the house contained, with
directions to hand it down when we
were ready for bed. Then we were
ready for bed. Then we We're taken to
the foot of the ladder and hidden to
ascend and "bunk into one of them
BEDS"
The loft, OR attic, was simply the
space under the pointed roof, the only
place where could stand erect being
the ridge-pole.
Besides the beds, there We're two
chairs, one going with each bed.
There We're no windows, and had it
not been for the storm Which had just
wet and cooled the roof, it would have
been insufferably hot. I did not quite
Like the looks of things. By pulling
away the ladder we could easily be
made prisoners. Tom said he guessed
1T was all right, and proceeded to
make himself ready for bed in short
order. I had partly undressed when
I felt a. sharp prick ON my leg. By the
light Of the candle, I saw an enormous
ant, certainly two inches long, with
it's jaws fastened to me. / killed it,