Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-03-16
y ARLY one September day I
II left the river steamer ON the
V head waters of the Ottawa,

and struck off into a wilder
ness broken by settlements only near
the navigable reaches of the river.
looking for farm.
My uncle, who had been in the mil
itia during the "Fenian raids" uneX-
pectedly found himself entitled to a
quarter-section of what was known
as veterans lands" in northern On
tario, and as he was unable to leave
his business, had volunteered to Sc
lect desirable claim. This would at
the same time give me an opportunity
for my customary annual camping
expedition.
By way of companion took with me
small but abnormally restless fox
terrier who had been in the woods with
me before. No one can possibly be
lonely in the company of fox-terrier,
and l had educated Jack to take
more scientific interest in partridges
and rabbits than is natural to his
breed. Having such small game and
the occasional backwoods settlers to
depend upon, | expected to have no
difficulty about provisions, and carried
merely a few pounds of concentrated
supplies in my knapsack. The rest of
my load consisted simply of n gun and
liberal stock of ammunition. At the
end of the corduroy road, with geo.
logical survey map as a guide, l took
q half-obliterated trail into the forest.
1 found settlers less frequent, the
land less promising, and the woods
much less penetrable than / had been
led to expect. For three days and
half Jack and 1 threaded the tangled
undergrowth, became involved in
swamps, and RATED ourselves across
rivers. During all this time the
weather had been perfect, but the
:0urth day rose cold and cloudy At
;.bout noon a heavy rain began, that
presently settled into dismal, all-day
drizzle which saturated everything
above ground, and produced an indie
scribably dreary effect of autumn and
desolation.
1t depressed even Jacks abundant
spirits, and he trotted soherly behind
me, manifesting only Il slight interest
in the rabbit and woodchuck burrows
We passed. AS for myself, did not
much mind getting drenched but l
greatly disliked the idea Of q wet
camp.
No shelter presented itself, but short
ly before sunset l came unexpectedly
upon an unmistakable wood-road,
cholIed with "second growth" yet in
dicating the neighborhood of human
beings. l turned up it at once. with
the pleasurable anticipation Of finding
a clearing and a hospitable settler at
the end of it; but as the road continued
to show every indication of long dis
use, these hopes gradually weakened.
Still, there was certain to be building
of some sort, even if deserted, and, in
deed, a quarter Of mile farther the
road curved little, and saw before
me the expected clearing, with the
empty log shanty, black -windowed and
deserted, staring drearily through the
twilight rain.
y. 1t was z most melancholy looking
place and under ordinary crcum.
stances I should vastly have preferred
this weather welcomed it and pushed
through the dripping jungle of shrub
berry, weeds and berry bushes that had
grown over and choked a rather ex-
tensive clearing.
The door had blown from its leather
hinges and lay beside the threshold;
leaves had drifted into the interior,
and there We're many birds nests in
the inner corners of the walls. The
internal aspect OF the place suggested
that it had been abandoned for two
or three years at least, but the roof
did not appear to leak-not more, that
is, than was naturally to be expected.
The shanty contained two rooms, and
In the larger and outer one was the
great rock fireplace still showing
traces of blackened brands. A couple
of small windows appeared never to
have been glazed, and there was not
a stick of furniture about the place.
A doorway with no door led to the in
ner apartment, and the presence of
these two rooms, l thought, indicated
that the house had been occupied by a
real family; bachelor establishment
in the woods usually finds a house of
one room most convenient.
This second chamber was fitted with
n log shelf above the doorway, and on
the opposite wall another shelf seemed
to have served as sort of table.
Evidently other travellers had been har,
bored here before me, for the floor was
heaped with twigs of hemlock and
spruce, now dry and rusty red.
L carried an armful OF this material
back to the fireplace for tinder. and
split out one of the window frames fol
kindling. Jacks spirits had bright
ened upon getting under shelter, and
he was manifesting enthusiasm ovei
hole which he had discovered in {
remote corner of the floor. From its
small size l concluded that it was :
woodchuck's burrow, and from tho
dogs conduct [ imagined that tht
owner was at home, for he hecame 81
nOicu thot 7 Ir-oe fp,Il,,