Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-27

n ny first three weeks In the
IN woods We're weeks of heav-
en-. ate and drank and slept
A 4 in the dim wood stiffness I'M
disturbed. walked when my guide,
the sun, famed through the forest, and
followed in his lead, resting when he
hung circling in the MONDAY heavens,
following again when he resumed the
sky trail toward the west, seeking my
couch when he lay down below the
worlds blue edge to fold him in the
blanket of the night.
had not met soul on the trail, nor
had found any fresh signs save once,
and that was the print Of a white
mans moccasin on the edge of sandy
strip near the headwaters of the Ohio,
which is called the Allegheny, north
of Fort Pitt.
This footlnark disturbed me, al
though it was three days old and point
ing north. But that. signified nothing,
for the man who made it had come in
a canoe, vet could find no sign that
canoe had been beached there nor,
indeed, any further marks of mecca
sins and made moderate haste to get
under cover, as I am timid about
things l cannot account for.
AS skunk away from that foot
mark in the sand willows found
myself printing my rifle and looking
behind me with all the horror of
Robinson Crusoe, though l had miles
of country to avoid the unknown man
withal.
Early that morning, having crossed,
as nearly as could make out, the
boundary between our province OF New
York aud the province Of Pennsyl-
vania, l had approached somewhat
nearer than | meant to the carrying
place on the Allegheny which lies d.
rectly in the Fort Pitt trail.
Now, at midday, the sun beating
the forest. found my pack very heavy
and my shirt wet with exertion, but
dared not halt until had circled
around that carrying place.
1t was only when at last above the
trees In the east perceived the blue
peak of a mountain that I knew was
safe enough, for the peak in the east
belonged to the Allegheny range, and
/ had steered fine circle without los
ing mile.
However, logged on along a run
way made hard by the hoof of count
less deer herds until came to thread
of water curving through the moss
like sword blade on green velvet
Now, as I sat there sudden instinct
arose in me that had been followed
nay, not so sudden, either, for the
vague idea had been slowly taking
shape since l had seen that sign in the
river bed among the willows.
had absolutely no reason for believ-
Ing this; the footprint was three days
old, and it pointed north. Yet at the
mere thought the skin on my neck
began to roughen and my nose gave lit
tie twitches. Then, moved by no i'm
pulse of my own, I swear, lifted my
pack and passed swiftly along the lit
tie brook toward the main trail Pres
emily, through the willows to the right,
/ caught a glimpse of shallow stream
rushing noiselessly over sand bottom,
and on the other side of the stream
saw notched tree, the Fort Pitt trail!
Now l deliberately made string
Of plain foot tracks along the sandy
stream, pointing toward the shallow
est spot Here forded and made more
tracks in the mud. entering the Fort
Fit trail. | ran down this trail till I
came to brier, and on the thorns of
spray which crossed the broad hard
trail left a few strings from my
fr.nged hunting shirt Then l began
to walk backward till l reached the
spot where had entered the trail from
the sandy stream. l backed down this
bank and forded the shadows; then, in
stead of coming out on the sand, /
Waded upstream to my little thread
OF brook, and up that brook till
found great log choking it, and be-
bind this log | squatted, painting and
astonished at my own performance.
Yet even now l could not find rea-
Son to blush at my timid precautions,
for that feeling of being followed still
haunted me. 1t was neither a towards