Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-06-09


"Canse IL don't strain en- SO much,
an leaves no sign"
This chap wasn't fussy about the
signs" interjected tho doctor. land
II It's the beast l saw that night on
the Moosehorn, I've had enough of his
society"
THE tracks are the same beyond ques.
ton" said Martin. land IL looks like
a case of follow. but how he has kept
along with us for ten days without
discoverySis curious" And the thought
OF such'a savage man steaIthily follow
ing one up,Sream. downstream.
across lake and~carry q good 100 miles
OF wilderness. made Martin nervous.
I'm not going 10 back out just yet"
he added, as they retraced their steps
TO find their IRE out and breakfast
ruined But that mattered not; in
fact nothing was thought of or spoken
about all day except those hdeous
tracks and tho likelihood that their
maker miehrbe lurking in the forest
about. No attention was paid to tha
lake. rippled and shining in the sun
light. the birds. piping defiance to all
powers OF darkness, or aught else Of
! beauty. Both canoes made an entire
detour Of the lakes shore at least
three zines. while their occupants,
oblivious even OF the trout leapina
out here and there, scanped the shad-
ows. paused oft TO listen AZ every tn
fling sound. The entrances TO two
long. unused log roads were examined.
! tho Grc,
the lake followed back a mile, and tho
one where the tracks began and ended
explored little way, but no sign or
sound of this wild man found. Like
a thief at night he had come ashore.
stolen up TO their camp, returned, EN-.
barked. and where he was hiding No
man could guess.
When nightfall drew near, the doc,
tor became nervous Il shan't sleep
wink tonight he said plaintyely, az
he wntched Levi building a fire and
as the woods grew shadowy and darker
he kept close 70 the fire. Not for UNI
told wealth would he have walked into
that sombre. silent forest ono half milo
alone-no, not even 30 rods.
Jean also was as scared as the doc
tor. Like many Of the half-breed guides
who lead sportsmen into this wilder
ness, he believed most wild animals TO
be endowed with human cunning and
deviish malice as well; that tffey might
! initiate human actions, and certainly
could hear and understand human con-
verse He was positive bears could
walk upright for miles and panthers
cross lakes on logs. using .ticles for
paddles. He was certain that this wild
man who had followed them was a
com binatiOn Of man and beast, a huge.
hairy ape maybe, or a mixture Of hear
panther. and man. Moreover he be-
lieved in ghosts.
The pirstical paddle handle found by
Martin the moose skull perched on
the ledge. the night cries of looms on
the lakes or wildcats in swamps. were
all evidence OF ghost existence and
meant for death warnings. and when
re heard them, he invariably crossed
himself
Under other circumstances this SUI,
perstition would have been ludicrous
even to the doctor. now it added to tho
mystery.
Even Martin and Levi. both old eX
perienced woOdSmen, caught little Of
this uncanny. eerie contaHon, and
when supper was over. pipes lit, and
there was nothing 10 do but converse
in low tones and listen to the nigh,
sounds, their rugged common sense
grew little shaky. j, became more &
when the moon rose. filling the forest
with rofts of spectral light and throw.
ing CHASTITY shadows over the lake
shore
You might as we'll turn in" said
Levi. when the hour had grown late,
men Jean'll take turns keepin' the fire
goin," and this tacit admission of ths
need of watching was not reassuring td
the doctor az least But Martin had
grown sleepy in spite OF the mystery
surrounding them and led the way
into he tent.
1t might have been midnight OF
later-neither Martin nor the doctor
thought of'time that night-when they
were awakened by Levi. who. without
word. beCkoned them to arise. Then
silently. wrapped in blankets, they fol-
lowed him to the shore.
The moon was high overhead, this
lake a sheet Of FURNISHED silver, the
dark wilderness silent as a tomb, and
as the little group looked up toward
the head Of the lake, there, close 20
shore and slowly moving toward them.
was dark object.
Between them and this object grew
the bed of reeds. and as it advanced,
almost AZ a snail's pace, il enlarged into
the head and shoulders of man. APP
paPntly wading waist deep in tho
water, Nearer and nearer il drew.
while the breathless four watched it
now 10 the edge of the reeds. III en- en-
tering them it almost vanished. 10
emerge and become distinctly of human
shape. and without doubt a man astrids
o log or seated in narrow canoe but
few inches out Of the water. Slowly.
very slowly, he drew nearer, until
where the stream entered the lake. ha
turned into It, and passed out OF sight.
II Is needless to say that there was
no more sleep in the camp that night,
but reclining about the friendly fire. tho
four men watched. listened oft. speak
ins only in whispers. until the moon
sank into sombre wilderness and tie