Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-11-03

Wire mountAinA The rough board
cafes and cottages and the general para.
phcrnalia Of . camping ground seemed
blemish On the beauty Of the surround.
ing forests and Of the broad, smooth
lake stretching away between the hills
and islands as far as the eye could
reach. But he soon left them behind.
and though the road was hot and dusty
it was a great relief from the jolting Of
the cars and the obnoxious crowd. Alec
was fond Of walking, and he swung
along in an easy stride, perhaps trying
to get away from the depressing sense
Of loneliness which he felt coming over
hin.
He felt much like man who has put
out to sea in a rowboat. He had left the
world behind, and had only So bill
between him and starvation. To be sure
he might send to his father, bat he
thought between his teeth that he would
indeed starve before he would do that.
He thought of getting work on farm,
but he vaguely realized his own inccn-
petence and physical weakness. He was
an athlete in college. but athletic
strength does not seem to help farmer
much. Still if it were work or starve,
no doubt he would manage in some way
to work.
When he had walked abou. five miles
along road now shut in by tall pines
and elms and chestnuts, now open to
the pouring beat Of the sun. and with
only occasional refreshing glimpses of
the lake whose western border he was
skirting, Alec suddenly came with de-
light upon a cool looking little spring
beside the road, thar came Cut in
small cold pool at the foet Of big pine
tree, and then fell about IS inches i'm 4
miniature cascade over projecting
stone, and ran of down the side of the
road to a little brock beyond. He threw
himself on the soft, tllicl, bed of pine
needles. thoroughly tired cut, and held
his cup under tho cascade till it was
filled with water, which lie drank at o
single draft. Ii was cool and svee.
and SO refreshing. After waiting a few
minutes to rest he took out his remain
ing biscuit and cold meat and ate them,
and winding his blanket about him Icy
down for nap On the pine needles.
Pretty coon a robin came down and
stood By the spring as if it were con-
templating the possibility of taking a
| drink. Ii stood solemnly upright for n
few moments, as if listening profound
~ for any possible danger. and seemed
to eye Alec with Z c'!estioning look.
Then he tool. Z quick little sip of tho
water just where it fell over tho edge OF
| the stone, and suddenly hoped quite
into the pool and splashed himself ali
over with the water. shaking his feath-
ers and fiuttering his wings, and rolled
around in the little earthly basin till it
was all muddy. Then the bird hoped
out and shook himself and stood fer
some time pluming his feathers.
A striped squirrel came out On a
branch directly above his head, and. sit
| ting upright Oh its swaying seat so that
| Alec could barely see its breast and foro
| feet and nose, it began to crack a nut
| and drop down pieces of the shell. It
was butternut from last year, and was
rather a tough nut to crack apparently,
| and finally the squirrel lost it's grip and
the nut came tumbling down almost
| on to Alec's face.
He did not know how tired he was
until he had stopped thinking about Lis
difficulties and had lost himself in the
baby p]ayings of the things in the
woods. But now be discovered that his
back ached, his feet were sore, and his
brain too weary even to try to think
any more.
The sun was going down and he did
not know where he would sleep tina:
night or where he could get anything
more to eat. He was hungry, for bis
cult and cold meat are not altogether
satisfying to one who has lived under
SO good cook as Mr.. Howe employed.
Alec hastily folded up his blanket and
put it in his bag. and after taking lit.
tie drink of water from the spring Sc,
out hurriedly along the road
In the course of mile he passed sew.
e-al houses, but they all seemed ex.
tremely desolate to his eyes. They were
very low and without any caves to speak
of, all on the plain, square model. with
long shed reaching out behind to 9
barn that was usually bigger and more
modern and indeed less desolate look
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