The Irish standard., 1905-11-04
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| The Hermit
M A Story of the Wilderness II
- By CHARLES CLARK MUM u
Author Of Pocket Island" Uncle Terry"
and Rockhaven.'
CHAPTER Iv.-CoNr1NuEp.
Copyright, 1905, by Lee aud shepard,

Levi, IN nOthin else. Bears stand
up once in while, but run on four
legs. The only other critter that don't
is an ape, n no ape was ever known
in these woods"
When once more the two canoes were
under way, and had assembled the
Moosehorn a few miles, the stream
seemed to lose itself in dismal swamp
filed with dead fir trees. They stood
out above the green underground like
bleaching skeletons, with here and
there lane of black waters between
a forest Golgotha of whitened cones,
gaunt, spectral and ghostly. A crow.
perched upon one. cawed ominously.
and, as if to add an uncanny touch to
this forest graveyard, the horizon, now
opening wide, had grown hazy, and the
lowering sun red as blood. None but
a woodsman like Levi could thread
that haze Of lagoons twisting and turn
ing into one another, and when they
were crossed, and the canoes once more
entered the now lessened Moosehorn,
the overhanging spruce and fir seemed
doubly welcome. A mile up, the banks
l
frowning cliff, moss covered, over
which the spruce roots crept down.
wards, twisting and turning like arms
of gnomes. Here a scattered process
sion of foam-flecks was met, and soon
the murmur of running waters broke
the forest stiffness. Low and sweet 1t
tinkled like tiny bells just ahead, and
ever elusive, for dozen turns in the
winding stream were rounded ere an
opening in the banks showed where the
brook entered. Its mouth was broad
and rippled, and out of idle curiosity,
Martin, who was also padding, turned
the Prov of his canoe into it and up
a little way. Only couple of rods,
for 1t soon narrowed, and here scarce
ly noticeable, and only to the trained
eye Of woodsman, were the faint signs
OF path leading up the bank. Not
one we'll trod, but rather divided
path where some one had pushed the
thick growth aside, or had broken
branches to reach the brook.
Curious still, Martin nodded to Levi,
and as the canoe was pushed ashore,
both stepped out and began an ex-
animation.
What ere you looking for?" Ques-
TONED the doctor, who had come up
Bear tracks," answered Martin,
reaching for his rifle, and following
Levi up the stream, at which tine doc
tor scrambled hastily ashore and fol-
lowed them.
The faint signs soon conNerged in
to distinct path. keeping close to the
stream for perhaps 200 rods, then turn
ing ito the right, it skirted the base of
a low ledge until it reached and led
through a narrow pass Like two
hounds OH the scent, Levi and Martin
lad followed this, ever stopping and
watching for footprints, with the doc.
tor close behind, until defile was
reached, when he suddenly exclaimcd:
| For Gods sake, Martin, look up!"
And well he might. for, perched upon
a projecting shelf of rock above theEi,
white and CHASTITY in the forest gloom.
was the bleAched skull of an enormous
moose
Such a relic of some hunters Prov
'ess is not uncommon in the wilder
1
comment, but here and now it seemed
to Martin a grcwsome warning, and.
In some mysterious way, connected
with the creature he had seen the
night before.
For full minute he was spcllbound
by that object, placed where it was
with evident and sinister intent, then
he turned to Levi. Not word was
uttered, yet in that long meeting Of
eyes, one and the same question was
asked, and for it there was no an
swer
Soon Martin. gaining courage moved
on up the ridge. followed by the rest
And now stepping slow and oft halt
ing to listen, he soon saw an opening
Just ahead, and, looking down through
the thick growth. they saw a tangled
confusion of fallen trees, perhaps 30
rods i'll breadth, and, beyond and close
beside a wall-lke cliff, small log
cabin. 1t was dim and shadowy down
In this narrow vale. for the twilight
had come, and as Martin pushed
through the thicket closing the path,
he moved aside small sapling
barring the way, and at that moment,
up from THIS lone and lonely cabin,
faint and yet distinct, came the tinkle
Of bell!
In an instant he stepped back, and
as this traplike trigger swung into
place, he saw it was bound to smaN
1 sapling with thong of deer-skln,
While around its bu,t was wound
fine wire. From this, and barely vsi-
BILE, the wire led away down the ledge
toward the cabin. Curious now, as
well as startled ny this queer human
contrivance, Martin once more moved
| the swinging stick forward to hear
| again the answering tinkIe. Twice,
thrice, he repeated this, his eyes on
the cabin below; and then he saw the
one little and closed window-slde in
1t open halfway for an instant and
then close quickly. 1t was too dark to
see more than the motion of this slide,
but 1t was unmistakable. The cabin
held an occupant.
Ordinarily Martin, like any other
pleasure-seeker in the wilderness,
would have descended to this cabin,
and made. a friendly call; but the
time, place and mystery, as we'll as
evident threat OF this warning signal,
were enough. Without a word he
stepped quickly back, and so potent is
the weakening of any leader, that the
doctor. inst in the rear turned nm tho