Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-07-02
SMUGGLER'S NOTCH.

1t was the GLORIOUS Fourth, " and
surely never was 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 latitudes and the
wind blew softly from the south, laden
with the delicious odor Of mountain
balsams
II say, Tom, " exclaimed Alec Bundy
to his companion, Tom Powers, "this
Is too fine 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 a
hurry about setting them off. Let's take
a tramp in the woods. y
"All right, T" 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 you!'' cried Alec. "That's
Just what we'D 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 i'll welcome
and the pines to whisper friendly greet
ings. Both boys sang and whistled mer-
rily. 1t was so pleasant to have a holi-
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 i'll the valley lit
tie lake or pond nestled like a silver is
land in an emerald sea.
Finally they came to a dim footpath
leading off to the left along a narrow
ridge Of land. Alec turned to Tom.
Suppose you sit down here for few
minutes and wait for me, 2 he said. Il
want to see where this path goes to.
Then, if l should get lost, your shouts
will guide me back ("
Tom was the less sturdy lad Of the
two and was glad enough of 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 a dense
clump Of frs into deep ravine. Alec
scrambled down among the rocks.
''This is getting rather interesting, I" he
muttered to himself. II wonder what
can have made this path. I'm going to
follow it little farther anyway.
Narrower and darker grew the pass
and higher and sleeper its sides as the
boy advanced, until suddenly rounding
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 flash
ed over him that this was the famous
Smuggler's notch, a rocky mountain
pass between northern New Hampshire
and Canada, and that these rough char
acters before him were smugglers en-
gagged in ono of their secret expeditions
between Canada and the States He
would nave drawn back quickly out Of
sight, but the men bad already seen
him, and with a shout they surrounded
him and made him their prisoner.
Meanwhile Tom was getting restless
and somewhat anxious at Alec's pro
'onged absence He began to shout with
Ill the power Of his lungs, but his voice
died away in the silence, bringing no
answer II am afraid something has
happened to Alec he thought Il
must go and hunt him up.
Taking the bunch of giant firecrack-
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
fouIfold What if Alec had fallen from