The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-04-04
NIGHT IN yHE WOODS.
EFFECT or TIE AWFUL SOLITUDE
WHEN FIRST EXPERIENCED.

EFFECT or TIE AWFUL SOLITUDE
WHiN FIRST EXPERIENCED.
The Ave inspiring Stiffness H"ites
S.eep .a EaspcsaiaiIity For Many
onG. Erin~s Visions OF Terror TO
Hauat The Tired scnscs.
The awe inspiring stiffness CT the
ir&t night in camp. You lie Oh your
back '-a!..:y c3"yl;Gg sleep. Ea.2ly,
say. because OF the very intense still
ness which should WOO it, but does not,
Is you are unused to it. Your guide
lies not;on!ess, only lis heavy breath
.2% de@oting that he is alive. 1t is sec
oGd nature to him to sleep in the heart
Of the wilderness, and his tired body
&c more than touches the sweet scent
ed pine boughS when he slumbers.
It will be so with you when you have
accustomed yourself to the preternat-
ural quiet so different from the rumble
Of passing vehicles over paved streets
and which affects you not. But tonight
vour erciids are opened wide, and in
stead Of tie blissful forgetfulneSs
which you anticipated, your every
sense is ca the alert to catch and di-
vine tie meaning Of the strange noises
which Gil the woods Of northern Maine.
IL front Of your rude camp, which
e left Cran, the smoIGoriIg fire smokes
end crack!es, each snap OF charIea en-
bers sounding 10 your ears like the re-
port Of artillery. It is q strange sensa-
ton, tAis first night in the woods.
Away up on the mountain SIDE q foA
barks. The weird howl echoes ana
re-cchoes down the mountain SIDE un-
ill it seems to reach tie LAKE ana noat
over it's elasslike surface until 1t IS
swallowed up in the dark water.
4 night owl makes bold to disturb
your already troubled mind by perch
inc on a big pine not q hundred feet
away and sending forth screech that
curdles your S7ood until YOU realize
what it really is. Directly back of you
is the lake shore.
Suddenly comes q soft tread over
dried brush. Surely scme one is steal
in@ up to your camp. You rise to SIT
ting position and await the marauders
next move. Then once more you hear
the snap, snap, snap Of his feet as ne
cautiously draws near. Louder and
louder, you cannot be mistaken this
time; thisAs DO trick Of the magma
ton.
Now he must be directly beside you,
with nothing but wall Of Doughs be-
tween. You can stand it 10 longer,
ard, with half suppressed yell OF ex-
citement, you seize your gun, spring to
your feet, dash aside the light canvas
that falls over the front Of the camp
just enough to keep out the smoke
and run out prepared to shoot on sight.
There IS q mad scramble. cracking
OF twigs, mad splash, a1d-the head
Of a very badly frightened muskrat
can just be seen on the lakes surface
as it frantically pushes its way into
the gloom.
You creep softly back to your boughs
rather ashamed at yourself and glance
furtively st the guide, who sleeps
peacefully through it al. At last ma
ture asserts herself and gradually you
feel the drowsiness Of approaching
Slumber steal over you. You slightly
raise your head to take one last look
at the Pickering log that splutters
away outside.
Hist. What's that? Two fiery eyes
set IL tie framework of impenetrable
gloom beyond the fire seem staring di-
rectly at you. Like Goals, they burn
and the words Of your guide, "Oh,
yes, thar's plenty Of bar ron yere,'
come back TO you with awful import.
Then ycu hear the tread of his cushion
padded feet moving here and there,
but those awful eyes never once turn
from you. They burn you with their
hypnotic, baleful glare, and with
calmness you would not have believed
you possessed, you softly reach for
your riile.
y muskrat may be Z joke, but hum
CRY bear prowling within 90 feet of you
is an unsafe guest. You know you are
as white rs q sheet, and your hands
trcmble as you bring the piece to your
shoulder and aim directly between
those awful greenish yellow eyes. Sup
pose you miss; bat. DO, you viii not.
Your finger presses the trigger.
The roar OF your rifle sounds like
clap Of thunder, and its reverGerations
roll and chase each other over the tops
Of the pines and spruceS aud startle
thousand sleeping creatures who rem
der night hideous with their frighten-
ed cries Is they scurry or fly away
from your vicinity. It's a rude way to
awaken q man, and no wonder your
guide jumps up yelling like a Co
.manche Indian and nearly knocks out
the back Of tie camp as he runs
against it.
When he finds you pale and trem-
bling and hears you declare that you
have shot { bear, he mutters incred-
ulously and, lighting q lantern. goes
cut to investigate. You hear d loud
French-Canuck laugh as he returns
carrying by the tail q headiess chip
munk, which he tosses at your feet
you wan good shot. m'sieur You
heet him square tween de eyes. No
shoot better meself. but ah tink you
narve, what you call, onstrin5, you
better take wan good dreehs n go to
Sleep
So are sounds magIifed in the 81
le2ce Of first night in the Maine
wooGs.-Portland (Nc) Express.