Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1900-04-09
NIGHT IN THEWOODs.
EFFECT OF TIE AWFUL Solitude
WHEN FIRST EXPERIENCED.

i THE Awe Inspiring Stiffness Makes
Sleep an Impo.sibtIity For Many
| and BrfnGs Visions of Terror ts
| Haunt the Tired Senses
| The awe Inspiring stiffness of the
| nrst night In camp. You lie on your
back vainly counting sleep VaiLy, l
| say. because of the very intense still
ness which should WOO IL. but does not,
as you are unused to II Your guide
| lies motioniess. only his heavy breath
| ing denotfng that he is alive 1t is sec
| ond nature to him to sleep in the heart
Of the wilderness. and his tired body
no more than touches the sweet scent
ed pine boughs when he slumbers-
1t Will be so with you when you have
accustomed yourself to the preternat-
ural quiet 30 different from the rumble
Of passing vehicles over paved streets
and which affects you not. But tonight
your eyelids are opened wide, and in
stead Of the blissful forgetfulness
which you anticipated, your every
sense is on the alert to catch and d.
vine the meaning of the strange noises
which fill the woods of northern Maine.
In front Of your rude camp, which
is left open. the smoldering fire smokes
and crackles, each snap of charred en-
bers sounding to your ears like the re
port of artillery. 1t is a strange sensa-
ton, this first night in the woods |
Away up on the mountain side a fox |
barks The weird howl echoes and |
re-echoes down the mountain side un- |
til II seems to reach the lake and float |
over its gIassiike surface until it is
swallowed up in the dark water.
night owl makes bold TO disturb |
your already troubled mind by perch
ing on a big pine not a hundred feet
away and sending forth a screech that
curdles your blood until you realize
what 1t really is. Directly back of you
is the lake shore.
Suddenly comes soft tread over
dried brush. Surely some one is steal
Ing 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 he
cautiously draws near Louder and
louder, you cannot be mistaken this
time; this is no trick Of the imagina-
ton.
Now he must be directly beside you.
with nothing but a wall OF boughs be
tween. You can stand ii no longer.
and. with half suppressed yell of ex7
element. 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 a mad scramble. a cracking
Of twigs. a mad splash, and-the head
~ rorv badly friphtpnpH TnnSLrat /
can Just be seen on the lakes surface
the gloom.
You creep softly back to your boughs
'ather ashamed at yourself and glance
at the guide. who sleeps
through it all. At last ma
ure asserts herself aud gradually you
eel the drowsiness of approaching
lumber steal over you. You slightly
aise your head to take one last look
t the pickering log that splutters
way outside.
Hist. What's that2 Two fiery eyes +
ct In the framework Of impenefEp BIZ
loom beyppG s11ke Goals. they burn
"A the words OF your guide. "Oh, n
.s thar,s plenty Of bar ron yere, .
,me back to you with awful import =
hon Won hear the tread of his cushion \
added feet moving here and there I
ut those awful eyes never once turn |
rom you. They burn you with tneii ,
ypnotic, baleful glare. and with ,
almness you would not have believed $
gu possessed. you softly reach for
our rifle.
A muskrat may be a joke. but hun
.ry bear prowling within 20 feet OF you
$ an unsafe guest You know you are
IS white as q sheet, and your hands
rcmble as you bring the piece to your
boulder and aim directly between
hose awful greenish yellow eyes sup
,ose you miss: but. no. you VIII uo'
/ our finger presses the trigger.
The roar of your rifle sounds IKE
lap Of thunder. aud its rererheratlons
oil and chase each other over the tops
II the pines and spruces and startle =