The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-19

seen him WREN mortally wounded stan1,
breast deep in the snow and fight, but
to turn deliberately about and anvanCe
on the hunter-this was new to me. l
had not seen IL, nor heard of 1t.
"As he came nearer he seemed to
lose his look of tierCencss. His short,
mad roars became low, plaintiVe means.
More than once a feeling of pity rushed
into my mind, but | drove 1t back
each time. He was now within 20 yards
IL would not do to let him come nearer.
I raised my rifle, at the same time mo-
tioning Tim to do the same, and the
next instant the stag lunged forward
and sunk silent into the snow"
The loose split on the roof snapped
again in the fierce wind, and another
puff Of smoke came from the stove
Hugh moved a little further back on
the deacon-seat, and went on:
In ten minutes the moose was bled
and in half an hour he was skinned
and dressed Then. and it secuted not
till then, did we realize our position.
We were fifteen miles from the calnp
and it was well on in the short winter
afternoon,
The morning had been bright, but
the sky had darkened with the after
noon; now it looked like snow. A stiff
stepmother's breath blew sharply
across the heath, and chilled us after
our long warm run, almost to the
bone. We cut what we could car
from the hind quarters and in anOt lCr
hour we were roasting some of * III
the woods we had gone through.
But it was now dark and cold
how cold it was! and it began to snow.
This blinded our tracks of the morn
ing; 50 We stOpped-we had to. The
thought of that night chills me now.
1t was lust such one as this. And
there were we, the only objects un-
der heaven on which that storm could
spit its spite. Ali through that long,
slow night we shivered over a few
, blazing pine branches We had gathered
( before dark. Had we not found that
pine ran pike, we would not have met
mcrnin.'
"Rut as it was, we did. Tim, | no.
ti"ed WAS pale--I thought, was his
face frozen? He coughed. too. and
seemed weak. There was a strange
/ look in his eye, and it seemed a pecu-
liar sound to his voice. He seemed
for a time to wish to stay where he
was; then he ncrved himself and we
were soon on our journey again.
No use ON talkin," he said more
than once, 1T was strange bout the
| dog. Pete said it was
by l. o'clock We We're back at the
camp. That night Tim was somewhat
/ unrestful and talked strange. The
dog, though shut in the hovel. whin-
ed most of the night The next sun
/ day Tim died"
! Not man in the camp spoke nor
! showed the least surprise. Had they
| expected this ending? They must
| have.
Hugh. without lifting has eyes. went
on again.
"There was one more experience Of
| that winter he said then I'm
! through. 1t was some time after Tins
| death that there came another storm
| The main and some of the branch
| roads had been ploughed, but the snow
| was dry and the haulin' hard. was
! one of four teams on the road. and
as ! had a slight mishap at the yard
! IN getting on my last load, | was de-
! laycd some quarters of an hour.
| That night on my way to the brow,
! met the other teams coming in the
I u,
! and as we We're all somewhat late,
| when | looked ahead | could see il
Wos already beginning to get dark.
| Usually ! was not more than d mile
! from the camp at this time on my way
| back.
"Once at the landing. was soon
| unlOadcd, but ii was now dark for
| some time. and ] was at the brow end
tt -
| moon, but the sky was clear and the
air stll and cold. The noise of the
last logs from my load, as they thun-
dered down the face of the brow
seemed lar louder than ever before.
and as the last sound died away was
| it an echo | heard come family down
! from the direction i'm which my home
ward road lay? The memory of the
| reports | had listened to from the
crew and the sounds | had heard my
self flashed INTO my mind I hoped
the sound was an echo, but was rather
! persuaded il was something else
81 listened for some time. but heard
nothing further till, just as I stopped
To hook up my guy-chains. that same
| weird voice came again down over
tho quiet woods. Then, | must confess
|
was not by any means unstrmC.
Pun nay axe i'm my leather case. hook
ed my peevy To my hind bunk. gather
| cd up my reins and resolved. as was
| my custom, To walk my team every
step of the way to camp.
Nothing occurred till | had gone
almost IwO miles. when or u sudden
| my nigh horse threw up his head and
bent his ears as if To listen. At once
| stopped, but all was silent. SO silent
that the stiffness almost startled me.
II started quickly on my way again
| but had gone but a few rods when a
| long, weird, wild yell brought me IA
my feet and my team to a sudden
| stand. Had - luudcst clap of thun-
| der | ever he, lurst from those tree
tops that Clear winter night I'm sure
| would not have been more chilled
with fear. 1t froze my blood. For an
| instant / stood without moving y mus.
Gle. Then my knees trembled. But OF
a sudden the blood rushed to my fore
head, and ! was myself again But
what would do" The sound was
above, behind. in front
"a glance at my team showed me
they We're ready for off My mind was
made up. There was no choice of di-
Icctions. | must go on. | gripped my
liles and sat down as before. [ was
! scarce seated when Ear wilder and
more terrible than before, that never
10 he forgotten yell burst again on
my ears There was no mistaking it
now, it came from the trees little
| ahead and to my right.