The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-18
THE LAUGH IN THE DARK.
BY Charles G. D. Roberts, Author fndred Of the Wild
1.-THE Forge n
Copyright, 1903, by Robert Howard Russell.)

1.-THE Forge Forest"
Copyright 1903, by Robert Howard Russell)
great darkness was impenerabe yet
giving impression transparency which invited
eyes to strain and if vision might be expected to
mist but the utter
and it filed with Illuminating
scents To the keen nostrils of the silently
mounting the trail it these wild
enabled him to veritably which lowered all
era species he passedhe hemloc particular and the
birch the black poplar and the aromatic balsam fir But
ing whatever a darling CLEAN which
might come from wet leaf, the of watching
his BRAIN
The his way up lake. by
deer trail long familiar to his feet to make for
the night shanty quarter
OF mile back from the water Over dimly glimmerng
way in his canoe to the old landing Turning the
his supplies for protection rain for
the lumber shanty with a couple
hard tack His rifle he nderenty left in the but in
his right hand he carried steady
help him feel his way thru the
Once the Of the shore had faded behind
him, the found himself walking steahily, like the
steahies of the wild kindred themselves
well tho long deserted by his feet kept with
out difficulty but he held the paddle before him lest he
the fact that the trail
had been long deserted and with little of the
skin, which not in fear but rather
acknowledgement realized
human feet which keeping lonely
kind were they he wonderedhe great noseess pads of
the BEAR lynx, panther,
DEER the airy swift foot of and mink AS
OF the wild pervaded him, his
as z across the sayors Of the trees and
the requenters of the trail red fox who had just
by.
he had imagined himself be, now obeyed one
of the impulses the voolfolk stepped
the trail feeling his and leaned his back against
orcn ereez ragged ancient sweet smelling bark felt
familiar and friendly his touch shifting
the still air with Discrimination testing with initiated
forest breathing
stir of growth and readjustment vaguely
audible to his fine sense making rhythmic background
against which the slightest squeak
Of wood mouse the falling Of
have fairly startled the dark Once he heard twig
far in the depths OF the other side of the tra he knew
that of the wild kindred
on the trail nothing went by
so small a glimmer of light to
enable his eyes to play their part in this forest the
man could have watched for hour moveless
trees which he leaned But in strange,
the strain ntolerable The certainly
to be amusing after uneventfu fifteen minutes had
He just about up step
and resume his journey to the cabin, when caught
strange sound which made him stifen back at into
rightly.
The sound great breath it's suddenness and
its vagueness the listener unable distinguish
it came from dozen yards down the trail of
dozen inches from his elbow nose however
that he had not the latter alternative
his right hand upon the knife in his belt He could hear his
heart beating
several minutes nothing was heard Then thru
the high LEAKAGE overhead splashed few big
with the hushng of shower heavy enough to
break thru The next moment flash of white lightning
the forest aises, in saw huge
black bear standing in the trail not ten feet distant
moment the and the beast other
the blckness fell light peal
thunder rolled over the tops.
When all silence again the uncomfortable,
and regretted the rife which
That the bear would attack him,
improbable. but he also enough know
that it is never well to confidently
will do The he waited and listened, the
that the bear also waiting listening in an
certainty not much unlike his decided was
for him to take the initiative Capping hands snarty
he threw back his head burst
The loud incongruous silence It al
most Mortified the man himself unexpected
inexplicable did it When
ceased he knew that it had accomplished purpose
heard rusting and swapping noises swiftly
the distance, and knew that the
panic. At this laughed again. loudly but to himself
stepped into
But the effects of his loud
challenge to the soemnities dark Hardly had he
taken three steps along the little in front of
him-perhaps, he guessed, PAGES
there slashing crashing Of struggle
Branches cracked and rusted snapped heavy feet
pounded EARTH gasping grrnts sug