The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-06-20
BY CLARENCE A. LYMAN.


and we went 10 bed, the Dipper wat
lying along the tops Of the mountains
brlmming full. Ii is easier 10 watch
this great hand in the Astronomical
clock than to light unwilling matches
from time TO time in the night and ex
anime q watch; and knew that when
the constellation had nearly reversed
itself. II would be time to start NOV
ing.
A man in camp sleeps sweetly, yet
lightly. A dozen times through the
dark hours the distant sharp bark Of q
fox. the rustic OF leaf. the deep sigh
of satiated and sleepy horse Oh n
picket rope, the cracking of coal in
the embers Of the campfire, the call
OF night bird, or the snap OF twig
under the tread Of some Of the animals
OF our cavalcade called me with a
gentle thoroughness from slumbcr.
Each time II seemed as though the
position Of the encircling attendants $
OF the North Star had changed by only
instantly again into the perfumed rest
that comes from a bed Of balsam
boughs after "a hard days work.
The husL that comes over all nature
just before the dawn was near being
my undoing, after all. The Dipper
seemed to have made "A great sudden
sweep and was dangerously far over
when my eyes opened again. The
canvas was throbblng with the pulse
OF the morning breeze. but the eastern
was darker than the western sky
where hovered faint glow. IT took
an effort OF will 10 get out into the
cold air, but necessity compelled haste
and / scrambled as gently as / could
over the dewy coverlet, hurrledly put
Oh the few clothes / had taken off the
night before--dressing and undressing
are mutually short operations in a
hastily made camp-fOund my damp
and clammy shoes, raked together the
Goals In the ashes. famed flame.
boiled coffee and munched a hasty
breakfast of bread and some cold trout.
My partner, chum, helpmate never
stirred. II is wonderful how trustful
woman will sleep In the wilderness,
safe In the superstition that he who
sleeps beside her is competent to meet
danger which may arise.
dropped half a dozen cartridges
into my pocket, together with n couple
Of biscuit in case the chase should be
unduly long, shouldered the heavy rife
and strobe out through the high grass,
which was SO beaded with dew that
walking was like wadlng an ice cold
stream. The horses were standing on
widespread legs. heads near the ground,
asleep. while the burros, weary with
the long pull with the heavy packs OF
the day before, were huddled together
lying on the ground.
The morning star was at its bright
est as j started across the valley. but
by the time i had picked a splashng
path across the current OF the little
river and got fairly started up the
trail, II was paling. Little hecks OF
purple cloud began to appear above
the suns approaching glow, as though
they had been newly created. The
range to the west began to lift It's
rugged ascents into view in a purple
radiance. The eastern hills grew from
shapeless masses of gloom into rounded
eminences with dainty fringes of as.
pens and slender minarets OF spruces
against the family glowing sky. /
wished i had started half an hour
earlier, and quickened my pace a
little.
In The growing twilight could see q
furry skunk In his sleek coat of Jet
black and snowy white, treading the
clumps of bunch.grass, picking up the
benumbed insects before the suns
heat might give them the vitality to
escape. In the trail ahead of me fox
trotted. / was conscious of the faint
presence of his scent, but did not place
Il until saw the fash of his fur above
the grass. lie knew | was following,
bet knew too that he was safest down
In that sinuous passage between high
walls of grass and flowers, ON whose
smooth surface he could make far
safer, swifter flight than over the
rough ground to either side.
Il
trail and crossed the stream again,
getting my feet no wetter in wading,
but feeling the icy chill pervade the
water in my shoes which my feet had
warmed In the comparative dryness of
the beaten track. Close TO the rip
pling surface a colder breath moved
and the scrubby willows had a coating
of white frost / brushed n furry
moth from twig in passing. but IL
was too cold for more than one very
feeble flutter 1t fell wide-stretched
on the water and as the current swept
II into a quiet eddy it disappeared so
quietly that one might suppose IL had
sunk Of It's own weight. | marked
the spot where lay a trout, so big that
Its mouth could take In an insect OF
that size without a splash. as good
place TO drop a feathered imitation
when carried my rod that way.
There was no mistake that il was
very light. My eyes had been growing
accustomed to the dimness, meeting
the dawn half way. but the first glow
Of the rising sun was just striking the
tops Of the higher hill. The sky was
The clouds, which had been purple
had faded to lavender, famed with a
tint Of orange, and were now melting
away In yellow feeces. IL would soon
be time when all sensible deer would
be deep in the thickets OF the green
tftral. q l... n1f ls.e ts,,