Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-08-09
%e&eNsye&e~eWeveve
{ Bill Blake and the Bear ,
? Also Two Girls Who Seemed TO Need
No Protection. a


A QUARTER of a century ago. when
IA the valleys and bottom-lands of
Pennsylvania were decked in the album
dant growth of timber which was ma
lures heritage, any sel~f-respecting log
jobber, if his attention had been d.
rected TO the desoIate Kettle Creek
region, would have turned up his nose
disdainfully and passed on TO greener
fields, says a Williamsport pa cor
respondent of the n. \. Sun. But the
days when a contractor could choose
his place of residence are practically
past, and so it was that Hank Bell
man was reduced to the extremity
last fall of erecting his shanty and
starting operations in the heart of the
jsngle-hke forest overlooking Kettle
Greek. The camp is fitted into a lit
tie patch of clearing ground far over
the mountain top. A narrow turnpike
winds up TO il from the highway hun
dreds of feet below, and beyond it, ex-
tending into the wilderness, great
wastes of fallen trees, stumps and
piles of hemlock bark show what the
woodsman's AK has been doing all win
ter. Directly surrounding the shanty
the trees have not all been removed,
and on the frosty winter nights, when
the snow hangs in great layers upon
the heavy branches and the air is so
crisp and keen that sound travels
through il with as much precision as
though shot from a megaphone, the
pauthers and catamounts climb up
into the tall timber and wake the
s~lumbering echoes Of the forest, as
well as the boys in the camp, with
their wild and dismal howlings.
One of those nights came about a
month ago, The panthers and wild
eats yelled more f]uriously, it seemed,
than they had done before during the
winter, and added TO their woeful wall
ings was the voice of the north wind
as IL tossed the snow against the
weather-beaten sides of the shanty,
Por that night the shantv was good
enough for the boys. When supper
was over and the storm showed no
signs Of abating they all gathered to-
gether in the big lobby" which is
home, club. society and Sunday school
to them, and prepared TO make the
best of a night indoors. Now these
woodsmen are not the sort of men who
can spend an evening over a book or
enjoy themselves at any tame diver
sion. and on this night even jack
poker had no charm for them. The
fact is that they were just in the mood
to listen TO one Of Bill Blake's stories.
say. Bill" said one Of the woods
men. what tarnal cUssedness ever
possessed you TO leave the good job
YOU had in the Slate Run camp last
fall and come up &c this pesky hole?'
Bill Blake pulled contemplatively at
his pipe for a moment, AFTER which he
said:
"Well. mebby I had a purity good
reason. If l wanted 10 tell
Then he laughed quietly. Nobody
smoke. and when Bill had finally gone
over the details in his own mind he
continued: e-s
oyou e I'd never have gone 70 the
Slate Run Job in the first place, u
for one thing. Down at the city,
where 7 had a lovely suit as coach
man for a rich lady, I got knocked out
In a love affair. You needn't grin
shorty. 1 kept myself purity spick-
an-snan on that job, an, If do say
n thew want many han'somer rib
.bon singers drivin' down the pike.
wall who the gal was don't matter
an, n bain't no ones business who
,be dude was at cut me out. only
mention the incident for the sake OF
evnIainin' why IL was at ever went
hack 10 the lumber business at all.
ayou see. everything went sort o
contrary with me In town after that.
!. I got sick of the whole business an
!. an the time while I was dri'in them
snanEfn' bosses through the streets
NV mind would keep a-runnin' back
~ the old camp life, where moved
.hev want like to be no dudes nor
No Gals 10 plav hide-an-seek with a
%sol1er,s heart. So back I goes TO the
I'D slate Run job. where was well
Jnoyrn an only had to whistle to get
work.
oWau the very first night / spent
IN the camp I made up my mind It
,,o,n,t no use for me 10 try 10 Ret
,rr,y from the gals. Right tn mat
- ,bev was two as purity gals as
,a,,.5 care 10 see-nieces OF the o'ss
s,r;te 7 guess. a-yisitin' thar. they ,oLo
!. for their health. ! found out aioFe
"'9 little too healthy for that place
; We q was. an you'll see purity soon
i, "rbat made me think so.
The damseIs started right III oy
si-tir with me. an they was SO ".-T
t1To ,,t 7 forgot all about the city ga.
--rbt awav. I met EN- half way III
ny sfrtir' game an it seemed 10 me
v,s in clover. The other i''.-
w az al rettin' Jealous Of The way ,,
vas al. vas shinin' round me- out
vac exactly my fault il they
IN If. so I didn't bother ao,l-
~. wan. things went on 'oyt'S
ma mat. a week. an one night the E-.,
: ~ -, me. they says: let &c "'