The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1904-11-17

& AtR& bANN y ~ tNfk hbu tGfA w F@ANet q
The hates of the ire,s were well-dehns
rrg2 where Il had melted Al the faini hc'
Of the stirrisg sap
4 stream would through the middle {
/ the fn s,n valley, ,iakllns lightly und'r u
eoveflet Of ice. Here sad there siorg !;
coarse we're open places where the vac
showed 10 hlatk. lwellitg bosses.
AT nEe q these, whore the snos tbou
the ,rgtd rim hAd been disturbed. Amo
Rofs paused and stt one 81 the trsps frot
ihe hundle On biz back. Taea be difp'd
wlilos twlg, which he had been chewing
ia bis bottle a "hail'', ard stuck Il 10 th
saow 10 hal Ito odoritefous erd oyefhunI
the psn Of the trap.
he remained momtnt, fqaattira d
his heels and stsring At the oily black ey
OF water, his red, rgugt-knuekled hand
eAsped alphabetically before him. Thei
was something forlorn about him. Hi
face partially covered By stragglIng bear
was gaunt from cold ard hard work. tn
u outh had discouraged droop.
No one knows what Loneliness means uu
III he has passed six months by himsel
10 The heart of the Water woods. VIII
some the fountain Of speech seems TO dr.,
ur. 1t takes weeks after they have gnn,
back TO civilization to get their tongues oil
A L., N hErEaRa RnEa hplnnuHf
TO tbis cIass--stsnd II for a month or SO
aud then drop into the habit OF talking oui
loud to themselves. 1t Ia poor substitute
for human compsnionship, but It breaks The
oppresaIye silence, and to a man at all i'm
pre-, sonable that means great deal.
surely do hope hen take the medicine
the trspper exclaimed I've never rustled
harder or dried fewer pelts any season i
remember.
He rose stiiily and went on up the steam
the steady scuii Of his snow.shoes furnish
log an accompaniment to Its 'mothered
tinkle. Occasionally he stepped ard set
one CT bis traps, but sign was scanty.
Already he was farther from camp than
he had been before, and Judging from what
he had seen, the new line promised bat q
return for The extra labor II would
require TO tend II.
About noon Rots came TO point 10 the
river where ii twisted sharply to the right
and ran between precipitous walls Of rock.
As the ice was too treacherous to sfl)rd
safe going, he ssurg off under the hemlock
branches, intending to make detour and
bit the stream again above the gorge.
His way across the SHOULDER Of the bill
brought him out suddenly on a little clear
ng. In 1t stood log hut, whose gaping
doorway and windows showed 1t to be un-
The structure was a substantial
me, however. and looked as IL 1t had not
ong been deserted.
A little flock OF juncos flew across the
,pening, twittering cheerily, as II to en-.
courage Ross, who had paused. He follow.
ID them slowly and poked his head in at the
imply doorway. The place was uninhabit-
ID, ss be had supposed, but from force Of
IL bi. be knocked his webbed shoes free
rom snow before he entered.
For few seconds be experienced child.
SD pleasure In his discovery. 1t brought
i'm nearer home than anything the woods
lad shown him for Elk months. But BY
nd by he became conscious that the old
ilence was here as well as under the hem
ocks, only 1t was intensified by the sodden
Ishes on the hearth and the broken bunk
Icross the south wall.
] wonder. now, who they were he asked
himself wlstfully. Not lumbermen, rec
ion. Hunters, may be. Yes, that'll be II. |
His gaze went more carefully round the
)are room The corner OF newspaper
from under the bunk caught bis
'ye, ard be pouuced upon 1t greedily. Il.
sas only hslisheet, four months old,
nd dated at Belle City.
lie read IL c0nsclantiously, standing by |
he open widow. Ia the want column an
dyertis, ment for companion struck him
4 supremey humorous. He laughed, clap
ling his thigh with one hand.
"Wsnted, a companion he quoted.
blessed II that don't ring the bull's-eJ Oh
le
But 1t was 10 the next column that be
struck pay ore"
WANTED, live deer fjr park. Good
fices paid"
The idea slowly crystallizsd as be stared
The words. Ttere was MilliceI's lumber
mp twenty miles away. A horse could
AXE the rourd trip easily, ard they would
/ lin have one of their sled rigs. He
,uld load the deer at their siding, and they
ou!d be carried dIrec. to Belle City by
ay 4 the m lin line.
About two miles below his camp spring
d i.s waters Into the river. The boil Of
Was 10 gr,at that Il was rarely frczan
rsr, ard bore the deer came TO drink,
'stirg down deep trail 10 The snow.
Esrly The rext mornirg Ross started for
e fprltg. The sir y as heavy and the sky
lex with low gray clouds,
Locks Ffme IKE rsie, psriner, be observ.
/, geliallE, 10 blue Jay that screamed
1854 his patti. | reckon ycu want spring
oit'n do. l.'s been poor season for
2, bur may be II. catch upy,t.
Ga the slope above the spring ine deer
sil forked like Y. Ross went up the
zhi branch until he came to clump Of
eltgrown bIrches. Here be went to
ok.
lie constructed his trigger from ssplirg
ID across the trail, and supported At eth
end hy notched stake. To this he tied
70 sturdy bitchef, one on each side Of tho J
all, bending them down after great txsr.
1n. Then be attached The wide clip.
,ose 10 such fashion that any creature
mir down to drink would step through
and push The trigger frcm the no,ches
Ith iss fore legs. The released tnes would