The National tribune., 1902-10-23

bends o'er like tower O strength, and
watch as we may this war O the elements,
with the trees for its soldiers and the vain
glory O. things that are sightless and
tOngueless for its prize"
While speaking the Forester had led
the way to shelving rock, under whose
lee side they found partial protection
from the Oncoming tempest, while they
were SO favored in their position as to be
able to watch, out Of harms way, one of
the grandest sights ever witnessed by man,
storm in the mountains. Eden Har-
wood scarcely needed the suggestive phi
losophy of the close student of nature, his
companion, to reveal to him the majesty
and sublimity of the struggle going on be-
tween the warning legions Of the earth
and sky. The entire b:.uadside of the
mountain was alive with the vivid spirit
of a mighty fight against nature herself.
Wind-driven, the forest Ci pines clothing
the lower half of this inclined battlefield,
stood shoulder to shoulder in readiness for
a grand charge up the steep declivity to
storm and carry the summit. So faithful
ly was this pictured that it required no
grievous strain of the imagination to see
arrayed in regular rank and file the at
tacking army, while here and there some
giant tree stood out with conspicuous bold
ness, defiant in its mien, like some un-
daunted leader urging on his followers to
victory or the tomb. The reality OF this
attack was rendered more vivid by the
shattered stems of thousands of dead trees
in the very van Of the assailing legion,
grim specters Of some former futile fight.
Lower down the scene myriads Of pines,
in their fresher appearance speaking less
Of the toll and scars Of battle, seemed to
be marshalling their reserve forces, i'm
patiently waiting for the order to sweep
into the path of the veterans in the front
ranks.
Above these doughty soldiers of natures
warlike factions rose the mighty breast
works they had tried so long in vain to
scale-a stupendous bulwark of rock Il
sheer hundred feet in hight, scanned, scar
red, and ribbed, but invulnerable still
Over this lowered bare crags and splin-
tered peaks, piercing the very clouds with
their hydra heads, While groups of naked
riven trees stood as vivid relics of .bygone
battles. Slightly apart from the main
body of these the bleached stems of two
colossal pines rose like specter sentinels
over the maddening strife that shook to
the roots their huge trunks, and twisted
into fantastic swords their withered
branches.
To complete this picture of warning fac
tions which cannot be reproduced by
tongue or brush, the roar of the wind be-
came the StentOrian voices of unseen cap
tains yainly urging on their soldiery, the
scintillating flashes Of lightning the fire
from guns manned by no Eiortal hands,
and the crash of thunder the cannonade of
artillery borne on the chariOts of the hcav-
ems. Nothing was lacking to make the
scene perfect in all its outlines, and the
two men stood in silence until the brunt
OF the strife had been spent in strug
gle against its own fury.
Eden HarwOod, if not his companion,
was pleased to see the storm clear away
"a N ly had Il.
of an hour he and the Forester were again
moving on their way, their course being
now descending for several miles. After
that 1t was up the valley of the river fol-
lowed by the red men in their usual Jour-
neys to and fro across the debatable coun-
try lying between the French on the North
and the English on the South.
little before sunset the following day
they came upon the encampment of lone
Indian, who the Forester greeted with his
customary frankness. though Mt first Eden
Harwood drew back with manifest fear.
This be bit o goodish news" declar-
ed Taconica, "and the sight O you does
my OF eyes good. 1t be the chief, lad.
who for some reason o. his own has wait
ed here for us instead o going ahead to
the lake o many islands. How reads the
sign, chiefy'
''The Ameriscoggins, led by the bear
whose foot never tires, are following the
North Star. Part of the warriors have
gone down the long river"
THAT means mischief among the homes
o, Pocumtuck," declared the Forester.
so Swift Bear is on the Northern trail.
Hast read anght else in the book o. natur',
Chief?
There be two white women among
Swift Bears. braves. One. young, has
light step: the other, older; foot fiat.
Philip find this on bush," holding I'D to
their gaze as he finished speaking a small
piece Of cloth that had been torn from n
woman's dress in her hurried passage
through some tangled underground.
"A piece of Mary's Dress" said Eden
HarwOOd, quickly recognizing the object.
"Then she is living. but in such hands!' !''
"Aught else, Chief?" asked the For
ester, showing chiIdlike faith in what the
chief might say.
"Ameriscoggins go by canoe; much
faster than so-long walk. Phiiip has
made canoe while he waited for Tacon-
ica," parting the bushes on the bank of
the stream as he spoke and thus disclosing
to the white scouts q newly-made Indian