The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-05-17
Lost In the wilderness.

leather and booted carriage iop siroiled
over the sand plans and through she
scattering siumps and scrub pincs
wher. water was scarce and hyerns
iar apart. The poor horses we're sorc,
lame and discouraged and the driver
sick, lonesome and wishing ogacnsbnrg
would loom up ahead, one night n
chilly Fog and drizsling rain set ia and
the town intended 10 be reached did
NOT appear and the man was lost on
tho great sand plain. This was not
m itself strange as there were no
fences or cultivated fields and no regn.
lar roads, each man went whichever
way ho liked. A few sticks or
| branches stuck ia the banks OF water
courses showed where there were
bridges or fords which could be easily
missed in the night or fogay weather.
The rig had stopped in a small scrub
thicket. the horses were nnhitehed and
taken TO the lee OF the wagon, large
square canvas was hitched TO the hand
rail along the side and stretched over
them and fastened 30 the trees behind
the horses. making good cover.
There were plenty of oats IN the
feed baskets for their supper while
WOODEN blankets kept them warm, for
this was not the first night out. Chip
ped beef, cookies, together with a
Jug of water made the mans supper
and the pail under a sag IN the can
vas soon caught water for the horses
and the driver curled up on the wide
seat and was soon asleep dreaming OF
home and happy days of long ago,
About midnight the horses squealed
and reared and plunged bringing hlm
back TO old Franklin county desert,
rain and fog. Some animal was crash
ing through the dry pine limbs and
coming nearer. The lantern had gone
out and il was ms dark as ink. but
something must be done and that
ouick or the horses would break away.
Climbing down on the outside OF the
cart with n big navy revolver he crepi
toward the noise, not without some
fear, and when about fifty feet from
the horses hearing an animal grow
he fred. All was still and return
ing TO the wagon he lit the lantern he
carried under the back end and taking
il looked over the ground. There was
blood on the leaves and sand and no,
far off lay a large black Newfoundland
] dog shot through the neck but moi
badly hurt. He Tapped the strangers
hand and whincd and curled arount
his feet. The man went to the ear
and got strap, fastened 1t to The
dogs neck and led him under the can
vas and dressed his wound, which wa
only a skin deep affair. aud all wa'
} still again. About 3 O'Clock the horses
: again squealed and pulled, and agair
> the revolver cracked and all was still
Daylight soon came and an examina
ton of the ground showed the track
of horse and where it had been hitch
|, ed. also the tracks of "A mans boots II
q the sand and pine needles which cam
, close up to the horses. II appeare'
| that the man had crawled away OF
Q his hands and knees as there was som
. blood which was traced to where th
: horse had been hitched. A blood
! hand had been grasped around tn
! small tree and the horse had walke'
:. away. Two days after that the drive
n met at a tavern in small town, ma
e with his arm in a sling, who san
I he accidently shot himself with arevol
q yer. The man was especially interest
ed in the horses and when he went IN
= TO the barn under the pretence q
|, wanting TO trade. The big black do
!, who had remained tied under the car
. Jumped up and was. very glad to Sc
n him, and although he said he did Nc
n know whose dog il was he gave th
e peddler FIVE dollars for him. III
p dog evidently knew he was his master
l. but in two days time the dog cam
. back as he evidently didn't like hors
= thieves. The dog stayed with th
medicine wagon for about a montl
Ogdensburg having been left behlnf
the man, with other similar outfit
u was beating back towards Lake Chan
plain through the extreme norther
re part of New York state Stray partl'
70 of summer visitors 10 the north WOO
\, we're encountered daily and nothln
a. was thought Of meeting teams or banc
n OF horses az many horses were smuI
a. gled over the line and through the
es north woods, and the wise travel
at kept his own counsel and spake no
ne One stormy night all hands turned o.
ht 10 see what the shooting meant IN Il
log cabin frontier town but only ella
=, ter OF hoofs could be heard far dow
- the road. Soon two constables can
H. back leading four horses behind the
re own and said they we're chasing hor
w thieves and thought they BIZ one as
ee had let the four horses 20. Wh'
I'd morning came the peddler hitched
te and drove down the road where abo
=. mile out, be came 10 vide, shf
w low brook ut ford where there we
=. many tracks of horses and few ro
=. further along man lay dead by u
he road side. The Newfoundland dog RI
10 up 10 him. smelled him alloyer, lapp'
I've his face and hands, then seemed 10 u
derstand that the man was dead. J
go whined the same pitiful whine he h
70 uttered the night he was shot in y
~ ~ neck, crawlsd back 10 the peddlei
-, =. wagon and climbed into the seat whe
"a he lay down and would not mo'
100 That dead man was his former mast
, a and for days be would not bark
lns play, and be seemed ashamed Of
,ic. so,,ney eonnapy The thief was Vi