Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-09-21

grew so heated, man could
scarce endure the touch of it; and
the little patch of earth and
fern. which kept cooler, was only large
enough for one at a time. We took turn
about 70 lie on the naked rock, which
was indeed like the position of that saint
that was martyred on grldlron; and
it ran in my mind how strange it was
that in the same climate and at only
a few days distance, l should have Suf-
fered so cruelty, first from cold upon my
island. and now from heat upon this
rock.
All the while we had no water, only
raw brandy for a drink, which was
worse than nothing; but we kept the bot
earth, and got some relief by bathing
cur breasts and temples
The soldiers kept stirring all day in
the bottom of the valley, now changing
guard, now in patrolling parties hunting
among the rocks These lay round in so
great a number that to look for men
among them was like looking for a nee
die III bottle of hay; and being so hope
less task, it was gone about with the
less care. Yet we could see the soldiers
pike their bayonets among the heather,
which sent a cold thrill into my vitals;
and they would sometimes hang about
our rock, so that we scarce dared to
breathe.
1t was in this way that l first heard
the right English speech; one fellow as
he went by actually clapping his hand
upon the sunny face OF the rock on which
we lay. and plucking it off again with an
cath.
II tell you it's 'ot,'' says he: and | was
amazed at the clipping tones and the odd
sing-song in which he spoke, and no less
at that strange trick of dropping out the
letter h. To be sure, | had heard Ran
some; but he had taken his ways from
ali sorts of people, and spoke so imper-
fectly at the best that [ set down the
most Of it to childiShneSS. My surprise
was all the greater to hear that manner
of speaking in the mouth of a grown
man; and indeed [ have never grown
used with it; nor yet altogether with
the English grammar, as perhaps a very
critical eye might here and there spy
out even in these memoirs.
The tediousness and pain of these
hours upon the rocks grew only the
greater as the day went on; the rock get
ting still the hotter and the sun fiercer.
There were giddiness, and sickness and
sharp pangs like rheumatism to be sup
ported. | minded then, and have often
minded since, on the lines in our Scotch
psalm:
The moon by night thee shall not smite,
Nor yet the sun by day;
and indeed it was only by Gods bless
ing that we were neither of us sun-smit-
ten
At last, about 2, it was beyond mems
bearing, and there was now temptation
to resist, as well as pain to thole. For
the sun being now got little into the
west, there came patch of shade on the
east side of our rock, which was the
side sheltered from the soldiers.
i. Il. ~.
Alan, and slipped over the edge and
dropped on the ground on the shadowy
side.
l followed him at once, and instantly
fell all my length, so weak was | and
so glddy with that long exposure. Here
then, we lay for an hour or two, aching
from head to foot. as weak as water
and lying quite naked to the eye of any
soldier who should have strolled that
way. None came, however, all passing
by on the other side so that our rock
continued to be our shield even in this
new position.
Presently we began again to get lit
tie strength; and as the soldiers were
now lying closer along the riverside,
Alan proposed that we should try
start. | was by this time afraid of
but one thing in the world; and
that was to be set back upon the rock;
me; SO we got ourselves at once in
marching order, and began to slip from
rock to rock one after the other, now
crawling fiat on our bellies in the shade,
now making a run for it. heart in mouth.
The soldiers, having searched this side
of the valley after a fashion, and being
perhaps somewhat sleepy with the sui
by much of their vigilance, and stood
doing at their posts, or only kept Il
lookout along the banks of the river;
so that in this way, keeping down the
valley and at the same time toward the
mountains, we drew steadily away from
their ,neighborhood: But the business
was the most wearing l had ever taken
part in. A man had need of hundred
eyes in every part of him, to keep con-
cealed IN that uneven country and within
cry of so many and scattered semtrleS. !
When we must pass an open place, |
quickness was not all, but 81 swift judg
ment not only of the lay of the whole |
country, but of the solidity of every
stone on which we must set foot; for
the afternoon was now fallen SO breath |
less that the rolling of a pebble sounded
abroad like a pistol shot, and WoWLf |
start the echo calling among the hills
and cliffs.
By shutdown we had made some dis
lance, even by our slow rate of progress,
though to be sure the sentry on the rock
was still plainly in our view But now
we came on something that put all fears
out of season; and that was a deeD,, pusfl
ing burn that tore down.. in that paDt,
to join the glen-river. At the sight of
this, we cast ourselves on the grou1ld
and plunged head and shoulders in the
water; and | cannot tell which was the
more pleasant, the great shock as the |
cool stream went over us, OF the greed
with which we drank Of it.
We lay there for the banks hid us).
drank again and again, bathed OUR
chests, let our wrists trail in the running
water till they ached with the chill: and
at last being wonderfully renewed, we.
got out the meal-bag and made dram
mach in the iron pan. This, though it is.
but cold water mingled with oatmeal, yet
makes a good enough dish for a hungry
man; and where there are no means of
making fire, or Gas in our case) good
reason for not making one, it is the chief
standby of those who have taken to-
the heather.
AS soon as the shadow of the night
had fallen, we set forth again, at first
with the same caution but presently