Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-02-28

We'll. ! thought, this will do. Once
the Gre Is started, l will take particu
lar care 1t don't 90 out. | built small
fire on two green billets laid on the
snow, and put my tin cup full Of snow
on top 70 melt. While waiting for this
to take place, perhaps ! didn't lean
against q blamed tree that grew near,
where ! SGT watching the fire, and fell
dead asleep, and never woke until long
after the fire had burnt itself dead out
and myself about froze to the heart
THE first thing did was to thank
God that | had awoke again in this
world; for, tired as | was, 1t puzzled me
to this day how shook of that heavy
sleep
when had my senses fully about
me, Judged by the height Of the moon
above the tree tops that 1t must be
somewhere about nine o'clock, and the
way some big spruce, pine and birch
were cracking with the frost was
enough to keep weak nerves ON the 60.
Some OF the reports were as loud as
guns going OIL.
My first move was to ascertain II
the fire was really dead out. Yes, too
true, there was not q spot remaining.
Well, here was In pretty mess-at
least twenty-five miles from camp, and
In what direction could not tell till
the sun came out.
"0f course, could locate myself OF
that moment by the moon; but what
tired man would undertake TO guide
himself through the nnderbrush dur
Ing the night?
mo blanket, no fire, and nothing to
cat except dry biscuit, which looked
and felt like stone In that cold eli
mattel Things looked dull. knew,
to fall asleep tho second time, was
death, sure, so to keep my blood warm
and to keep my eyes open, | tramped
around large pine tree, first with my
snow shoes on and after tho snow be-
came we'll packed ! walked around in
my moccaslned feet the rest Of that
blessed night. And this is the way |
coll this yarn Circulating because /
circulated around that tree all night.
Did soy oil night? 1t appeared TO me
like all month or all winter never
saw moon take such q time to crawl
up Into the heavens as tho one on duty
that night.
"It'sa true saying; Everything has
an end Even that bitter cold night
came to m end at last and, although
Twas both hungry and sleepy, could
not resist the temptation to follow a
couple Of miles on the moose track
just to see how the fellow got along
after dirk.
II had walked about three miles, and
was just on the point Of turning back,
when perceived the trail led out to q
rocky headland or cape. Well. | said,
talking to myself, we will just see how
he slid down there, and then for home.
"You can Imagine my glad feelings
when, on spying down over the preei-
pice, which was about ninety feet high,
to see my moose planted across the
trunk Of pine tree that lay crosswiso
on some other fallen trees that hung up
four or five feet from the ground.
81 was not great while making my
way around TO the foot Of the noun
tain, and there l was made acquainted
with the whole state OF affairs, as If
the moose had told me the story HIM
self.
"In running away for dear life
these are Bens own words, and not
pun Of the author-''in his mad rush,
and In the pickering light Of coming
night In the forest, he jumped clean
out over the cliff and planted himself
to the heart on length Of dry limb
standing straight up from the pine
trunk, And here ! found him."
"Dead?" asked Charley,
why, yes,' answered Ben, dead
as last years corpse
II began to skin him and cut the
meat up rough SO 1t would not spoil,
till VIC could come and get II. While
thus employed, heard shot fired
quite close to where was gave Q
halloo; and who do you think an.
swered? Why my chum, Nick, who
was making his way back TO camp by
short cut, and had Just fred at Q
partridge. lie was just about as
hungry as | was. So we Just turned to
and cooked high pile Of moose
steaks After slowing as much Of
this us was good for us, we had loud
smoke and sleep the rest Of the morn
ing.
AFTER dinner, by taking a straight
road that Nick knew Of, we reached
our head-camp just at dark. Here,
over our evening pipe, we had mutual
Jaw about our moose HINT.
"Nick was not so fortunate as to
find his moose on q pine limb, nor did
be even see him once during the days
run.
"'But tell inc, Ben, said he, after |
had told him my story and the night
had passed, why did you walk around
tho tree all nightY'
"'Why, answered, TO keep from
freezing; had no matches.
."You had your gun, hadn't your
"Why, darn it, yes, but | never
thought Of that way to make a fire
Nick said, i wish yeu would take
me outside tie camp and kick me
good. But he woall not. and only
laid back and laughed N Y Ledger
There are always few who bc1
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by the civilized world a thousand
years u e; slil yet within The last gen
Grafton IN eM;wNt English scholar
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