Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-07-11
SMUGGLER'S NOTCH.

surely never was a more glorious sum-
mer sky spread over the little New
Hampshire village, nesting among the
lofty mountains which separate north
ern New Hampshire from the Dominion
of Canada. The sun shone with that
sparkling brilliancy which seems pecul-
lar to those northern ATTITUDES and the
wind blew softly from the south, laden
with the delicious odor of mountain
balsams
81 say, Tom, - exclaimed Alec BunGy
to his companion, Tom Powers, "this
is too fine a day to spend hanging
around the village. We've used up
about all our fireworks except the giant
crackers. and we don't want to be in
hurry about setting them off. Let's take
a tramp in the woods
"All right replied Tom eagerly.
''But where shall we go?'
Let's climb old Baldtop.
Hurrahl-that's the ideal And say,
Alec, let's take the giant firecrackers
along and wake the echoes from the old
peak.
GOOD for your cried Alec. "That's
just what We'll do.
1t was early in the afternoon when
the boys started for Baldtop mountain.
They were soon in the woods at the
mountains base, where the giant frs
seemed to extend their arms in welcome
and the pines to whisper friendly greet
ings. Both boys sang and whistled mer-
rily. 1t was so pleasant to have holt
day in the grand old woods.
Soon the ascent began in earnest.
There was no well defined path up the
mountain, and Tom and Alec had to
pick out their own course, drawing
themselves up in the steepest places by
means of the dropping limbs and pro-
truding roots of the trees. Now and
then they came to an open space and
rested for moment, viewing the beau
tiful scene spread out before them-hills
stretching away ON every side, clothed
to their very SUBMITS with evergreens,
while here and there in the valley a lit
tie lake or pond nestled like silver is
land III an emerald sea.
Finally they came to dim footpath
leading off to the left along narrow
ridge of land Alec turned TO Tom.
Suppose you sit down here for few
minutes and wait for me, - he said. 81
want to see where this path goes to.
Then, if l should get lost, your shouts
will guide me back. T"
Tom was the less sturdy lad of the
two and was glad enough of q chance to
rest while his companion explored the
mysterious path.
Alec had not gone far along the rocky
ridge before the path turned sharply
and plunged down through q dense
clump of frs into a deep ravine. Alec
scrambled down among the rocks.
''This is getting rather interesting, " he
muttered to himself 81 wonder what
can have made this path. I'm going to
follow it a little farther anyway.
Narrower and darker grew the pass
and higher and sleeper its sides as the
boy advanced, until, suddenly rounding
a large projecting rock, he found him
self in the presence of four rough look
ing men seated about campfire In an
instant, but too late for retreat, it fash
ed over him that this was the famous
Smuggler's notch, rocky mountain
pass between northern New Hampshire
and Canada, and that these rough char
acters before him were smugglers en-
gagged in one of their secret expeditions
between Canada and the States. He
would have drawn back quickly out Of
sight, but the men had already seen
him, and with shout they surrounded
him and made him their prisoner
Meanwhile Tom was getting restless
and somewhat anxious at Alec's pro-
longed absence. He began to shout with
all the power of his lungs, but his voice
died away in the silence, bringing no
answer. 81 am afraid something has
happened to Alec, he thought 81
must go and hunt him up
Taking the bunch of giant firecraek-
ers in his hand, he started along the
faint path. Finally he came to the place
where the trail turned sharply into the
ravine, and here his fears increased
fourfold. What if Alec had fallen from
the cliff, or been attacked by some fierce
animal in this deserted glen? Tom, how
ever, pushed ON bravely and rapidly,
hoping every moment to overtake his
friend or discover some sign that he
had passed that way. Awed by the
gloom and silence of the great ravine,
he had almost inyoluntarily ceased to
shout, but his eyes scanned every inch
of the pathway and overhanging rocks.
Suddenly he stopped, his heart beat
ing like a trip hammer. The sound Of
loud, gruff voices came to his ears, and
then another, lighter voice. Could it DO
Alec's? Creeping forward to the great
rock which jutted across the path Tom
slowly and carefully climbed up its
sloping side and peeped over. Sure
enough, there stood Alec in the midst
of group of fierce looking men who
were talking and gesticulating wildly.
Tom took in the situation instantly.
These men were smugglers whose hid
ing place Alec had unwittingly STUN
bled upon And now they were debat-
ing what to do with him.
| Tom grew weak and sick with dread
as he reflected that perhaps the unscru-
pulous smugglers would kill his COM
Danion. on the ground that dead mon