The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1905-01-12
~ EALLY Clifford was not at all

SS have made the same mistake.
Ginord was short and fat and new to
the big woods. He had been in camp
a week and had spent most of the
time lying in n hammock and reading
a novel while the other men tramped
the trails and rowed eight or ten miles
through Eagle Creek to Virgin or Lake
Julia Everybody said that Clifford
was too fat and lazy ever to make a
woodsman.
But that was before Miss Shurtleff
and her mother came to the camp.
They had log cabin next to the big
cook shack, and it was announced that
Mr.. Shurtleff would come up to join
them later. The young woman was
tall and athletic looking. full of life
and eager to see and to do all there
was to be seen or done within twenty
miles of Big Lake.
Perhaps it was intentiOnal-at any
rate Clifford got mixed up on the in
Productions. But that was nothing
against him. Anybody might easily
/ have made the same mistake.
Clifford fell desperately in love with
the younger of the two women at first
sight. And his new love transformed
him. He became all at once the most
enthusiastic carsman and wood-tramp-
er in the party. 1t made a hero OF
him. What would have terrified him
before he now gladly undertook.
One evening when everybody in
camp was sitting under the birch trees
watching the sunset, curious animal
as large as a small dog ran shambling
down in front of the shack and tried
to hide under a pile of logs. Clifford
(, and Gifford's Irish terrier. both entire
ly new to the woods, were up and af-
ter it in q minute.
''Oh. what in the world is it?'' cried
Miss Shurtleff. do you suppose it is
dangerous?"
Clifford would show her he knew not
the meaning of fear. He ran directly
towards the beast, which, badly fright
ened rs it was. made but poor progress
over the sand.
Giffords dog was even before him.
1t attacked the animal with open
mouth. But it made but one bite and
then began to roll over and over, yelp-
ing with agony. Look out" called
one of the guides Its a pOrky hog.
Better not touch it,
But with Miss Shurtieff looking on
Clifford would have tackled a raging
lion. He raised club he had picked
up from the ground in his right hAnd,
and with the other grasped the beast
by the back. But. like the dog. he did
not keep his hold. His hand felt as
if it were full of red hot needles, and
from his heroic lips came grcan of
pain.
But even that was worth while, for
his sufferings called such expressions
of tender sympathy from the red lips
of his divinity that Clifford would glad
ly have embraced another porcupine.
Tommy. the guide. pulled barbed quils
out of Clifford. who bore the pain like
a Spartan, and then performed SINH
lar operation on the dog, which for the
remainder of it's stay in the woods alb
solutely refused TO go within reaching
distance OF anything mat had life.
Doubtless Clifford would have dis
covered his mistake earlier if the two
women had not insisted in always re-
manning together. Doubtless also there
was a conspiracy to keep him in ig-
norance of his mistake, though no one
believes that either Miss or Mrs.
Shurtleff was party to it. And the
fact that the two women called each
other by their first names-Anne and
Julia-prevented his making the dis
covery in that way.
With his left hand done up in
bandage to soothe the pain of the por
cupine quills, Clifford became more
than ever the slave Of the young wom-
an. She. on her part, was kind enough
to him. though she seemed anxious
that he should pay attention to the
older lady rather than to her. And
Clifford obeyed her commands and
waited on the ancient person assidu-
ously. Once the old lady announced
that she would like to drink some
milk, fresh and warm from the milk
Ing, and Clifford, at look from Miss
Shurtleff, volunteered to get up every
morning at four o'clock. when Tommy
milked. and get the milk for her. That
was heroic, for Clifford liked better
| than most men to lie abed late in the
morning.
Every day, when he could persuade
them to go, Clifford took the two
women out rowing or fishing or explor-
ing. Before they came to camp he
had been too lazy to go out on the
water unless Tommy pushed the boat.
but now he was always ready to row
a boat containing both Miss Shurtleff
and her mother any number of weary
miles, while Tommy, with a smile hid
den under his brown mustache, came
skimming along behind, with nothing
but the lunch basket in his skiff.
| When you consider that Gifford's s
arms were short and thick, that his
and that he had never done any row.
| ing before that summer, you may be-
| gin to realize the power Of love. Big
blood blisters came on the palms of
Gifford's pudgy hands, and he suffered
| almost continually from pains in his
back and legs, but not for moment
] did he ever think of giving up the bat
| tie. Miss Shurtleff expressed an ad-
| miration for water lilies; Clifford wad-
| ed out in ten inches Of water and two
feet of mud to get them, greatly to
the damage Of his footgear and trou-
sers Miss Shurtleff casually remarked
that the great hairy woodpecker must
be curious looking bird: Clifford, fat
| and round. climbed a forty-foot pine
stump, and took a young bird out of
its nest to show her. incidentally the
stump broke as lie was coming down
and Clifford fell into the creek. For