The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1902-03-27
srRAscE sxpGaisscE IN THs
MAINE WOODS.

Uefkshls tiofy ttsi tss ever osus wv ~
the Msirs tabtins .oods -snd ] hros
eonsiasr.bls sboa, The stories of tes
Msiss seo.s Iin.se oct seuessd ior
20 .niesp,ly l sooid cot ssl u. ~
would BE- too uuch Tor sdnlity snd
soslsnt be sorth tie isiiirg ! bslis's
n. fot huos tbe nsn vho tell Il 10 me.
even though they cannot eIpisin It TIE,
bsIi.vs IL and DO not Wy TO ssplsin u,
for they feel they c,uno. Bere II is "
the tbips seems too much TO hslisv',
then dout bslirve II. Bal TIE isc,s ere
iast the ssme
On the north eide OF Bosntooe moun
tsin, 10 the toun OF Ellioisville. 10 Piscs
tspqus county. Maine. lives Tros,rum u.
Bsoup, sho csils hir,sif' The Mediator '
lie sntertsips the bsrmIess vsssry that be
10 tie mediator between msn end God.
For sous Is years since bis sstissment 10
the sildessess Of nosthsrn Maine be h's
bsso writing uhs, 10 calls . nsv Bible,
End be hss . msss Of manuscript piled .
FOO, hish. By the wsy, have examined
the IN sdis,or'." manuscript cop'iders
bly, spd II 10 Ter from being bsiderdssb.
Mach OF bis sritioe indic,tss reel thought
snd coosidersble ability. The "Msdis,or'
10 10 no sense OF the word . crazy man, de
spite bi. hsilucinstion on the sohi 'ct Of
religion.
Brown has bi, of . farm sud rsises po
,stoes aud vegetables enough 10 last Tim
,hroush the uintsr. he traps . little sod
uu,s bit sud never goes hungry.
Early 10 Dsos mber. iost sf,er the Irss
snow OF the season. be discovered one
morning the iresh tracks OF nooss oesr
bis bouse. b. the manner 10 which The
creatures srs., feet bad splsyed into the
snov. Browo saw thst the m 'oss vas
big one. /, bis capacity OF Asdissor
be sssetts that there ere 10000 spirits
sbout him oil the ,ime. rs alleges that
be ssked ous Of these spirts to tell him
how tia the moose vas snd thst the spiIit
skipped along sbesd sud then came bsck
and rendered him the information that the
n oose was none other than the mbsIsius
Giant thst bad defed the rih.s OF hunters
Tor years The spirit iurther declsred. 90
Brown AYERS. that the moose didn't have
much Of a start.
So the ,,'Medistor" lied on bis spoW
shoes, grabbed bis rih, and Bit q .
snack, and started swsy on the lope into
the forest. Tn,s vas early in the morn
log. Well. the Mediator scufied along
till noon without coming mp With The
moose. Bot the tracks still Continued
fresh and bis spirit guide. 30 be says, kept
brsAthine into his esr lhst the animal vAs
slmost in rssch. He ste his lupoh oi
cold venison ss be walked, for 10 9 stern
oh ase OF moose no lime 10 10 be Vssted.
HE keen wood mans eye noted that the
clouds hung low spd we're messing darker
snd darker snd darker. Had be not been
90 confident that the moose vas just
shssd OF him and would yard" st tbs
coming Of nigh,iall. be would have sbsn
doned the chase.
A,l o'clock 1t vas duck, and still the
splsy trscks we're stretching on shesd OF
him, Then be could see them no longer,
snd rssretiully be brought TO 10 . rsvine
sud abandoned the chase for the night
Hs had not reckoned on the long pur
suit and therefore be had not provided
himrsli 10 the nsusl cautious manner.
Above oil, be had rot brought bis woods
axe.
Only . man accustomed TO the woods
realizes hov serious 90 omission 10 10.
The Mediator" vas able 10 collect soms
dry kye OF limb. that had dropped from
the trees snd be bewed of some Low
branches With bis bunting knife. he kin
died . bit OF drs 1t the foot Of tree.
he did not dare 10 60 to sleep for the
cold was raw and piercing. Bo be stood
and turned himself before the drc like 90
animated spif. moving constantly to keep
ssske.
10 the morning there was nothing lett Of
his provender eIcspt ooe A,t.chested bis
cult. Had be not been unduly hted with
zeal TO catch that moose hs would have re
lracei his steps. But be felt that probs
bly, the stimsl he'd ysrded . little way
ahead and so on be vent He did come
across the tram pied plsce where the moose
had speut the night. end with iss grest
teeth he'd ripped of the twigs and bark.
By Tbs mighty reach the 'Medistor" saw
that the animal wss monster, snd on be
drove eagerly in . scnrsy OF snov from bis
broad shoes. Still those monster blotcbss
| 10 tbs spov kept trailing ssay shesd Of
him.
| Then some unkind westher spriie jog
sled the clouds ovefhssd. The snov oom
mepo oed to come 10 the nne, driving hskss
Ithat indicate . pro,rscted storm. Then,
snd not until then, did the reckless hunt
er turn sbous. Bot before % honr bad
passed the snow, dfisios fsstef snd lest
or, coverd his tracks. Night came or
sssin. 0lcs more BE- lighted bic 6re. snd.
d'zzy for usut OF sleep. staggered about II,
sruseIioe to keep svsks. The "Msdis
tor" 10 nearly 70 years old, bnt bis Iishs
little Z IN 10 10 nred 10 hsrdsbip by many
yesrs Of woods life. A lees tIpsrisnetd
nsa or one With lees vitstity N ost have SOC
cun bed.
The snov came dosl damp and heavy,
snd the ssssips bosshs sbovs kept droE
piae ciumps cato bis shoulders aud into
bic neck.
A, tue das. lishtenins thsi showed
,ha nornins su sppfoscbins. b.
ale the lat crnnbs ofti. bnscoit sod stsrl