The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-08-01
By CLARENCE A. LYMAN.
j. slept that night as we
ever do in the hills with
the front OF the tent wide

open, so that from my pill
low, the side of a saddle. / could watch
the Great Dipper do It's slow somer-
sault around the North Star When
the campfire died the night before,
and we went to bed, the Dipper was
lying along the tops Of the mountains
trimming full. 1t Is easier TO watch
this great hand In the Astronomical
clock than to light unwilling matches
from time to time in the night and eX-
anime n watch; and / knew that when |
the constellation had nearly reversed |
itself, 1t 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 a
fox, the rustic of a leaf, the deep sigh
of a satlated and sleepy horse on a
picket rope the cracking of a coal in
the embers Of the campfire. the call
of a night bird or the snap ola twig
under the tread of some Of the animals
OF our cavalcade, called me with a
gentle thoroughness from slumber.
Each time 1t seemed as though the
position of the encircling attendants
of the North Star had changed by only
a slight angle; and each time l sank
instantly again into the perfumed rest
that comes from a bed of balsam
boughs after a hard days work.
The hush 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 throbbing with the pulse
of the morning breeze, but the eastern
was darker than the western sky,
where lowered a faint glow 1t took
an effort OF viii to get out into the
cold air, but necessity compelled haste
and l scrambled as gently as l could
over the dewy coyerlet, hurriedly put
on 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 a flame
boiled coffee and munched a hasty
breakfast of bread and some cold trout
My partner, chum, helpmate never
stirred. 1t is wonderful how a trustfu
woman will sleep in the wilderness
safe in the superstition that he who
sleeps beside her is competent to NEE
danger which may ARISE.
l dropped half a dozen cartridge.
into my pocket, together with a couple
of biscuit in case the chase should bt
unduly long, shouldered the heavy riff,
and strobe out through the high grass
which was so beaded with dew tina
walking was like wading an ice-colC
stream. The horses were standing OF
widespread legs, heads near the ground
asleep, while the burros, weary wit
the long pull with the heavy packs 0
the day before, were huddled together
lying on the ground
The morning star was at its bright
est as 1 started across the valley, bu
by the time l had picked a splashn
path across the current of the littl
river and got fairly started up til
trail, it was paling. Little flecks {
purple cloud began to appear aboy
the suns approaching glow, as thong
they had been newly created. III
range to the west began to lift i
rugged ascents into view in a purp
radiance. The eastern hills grew fro
shapeless masses of gloom into roundt
eminences with dainty fringes Of a
pens and slender minarets Of spruc
against the family glowing sky.
wished / had started half an hol
earlier, and quickened my pace
little.
In The growing twilight | could see
furry skunk in his sleek coat Of
black and snowy white, treading t
clumps of bunchgrass, picking up t
benumbed insects before the SUI
heat might give them the vitality
escape. In the trail ahead of me f
trotted. I was conscious OF the fai
presence Of his scent, but did not pla
it until 1 saw the flash Of his fur abo
the grass. He knew I was followil
but knew too that he was safest do7
in that sinuous passage between hi
walls of grass and flowers, on who
smooth surface he could make a
safer, swifter flight than over
rough ground to either side.
A mile or so above camp left
trail and crossed the stream aga
getting my feet no wetter in wadi
but feeling the icy chill pervade
water in my shoes which my feet
warmed in the comparative dryness
the beaten track. Close to the ]
ping surface a colder breath mo
end the scrubbY Willows had coat