Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-19
CHAPTER VIII.
'he Firing of Heller's Cabin.

b. the night of the 9th of April there
3trled over the Seven mountains WIG
Iisk OF snow that plastered the landscape
with whitewash, Five inches deep 1t lay
Ia hung and stuck. Every fake chung
here 1t fell. and In the morning the world
As a stuGy In white-a fun OF cloud above.
. a fleece over the hills held up by the
ses. and a smudge of snow beneath. that
II -eaIed every color and outline. 1t was
q a world in a dream Every twig was
main branch, every thread a cable, every
Srco rail a saw log. Saplings and
|sa,hes bowed to the earth beneath fes-
Drs more gorgeous than those OF Christ
h. For day and a night the Seven
Iuutl!ns were realm beyond the dreams
| Sairyland. Then the sun came out.
iT0u Farthing saw the beauty or the
I,rrIrz and thought of bears. for Tom
L. hunter and the morning was one
| a thousand. II the clouds did not break.
&tluE out the sun, he felt sure of a bear
Ioyi8ed one had moved during the night
teref1re Tom was up in the Gap before
| making for the Wild meadows AT y
was on the summit of Raccoon ridge
hiking toward the north, where the mead
l. IaV smooth and white among the weller
tie hills like an oil spot at sea
Eager IS he was, he paused and swept his
les about the horizon. For moment the
Ii I'm the man dominated the hunter. 1t
ks like a frost picture on mighty win
Lv At his feet In the direction from
fhch he had come, lay the F-like trough
Plum run, then Hellers ridge with its
Sdden gap, then the dead level or Heli
RttOm with every trace of man smootheo
kt then the fog On every side wild.
kaotlc world without color or sharp angle,
lntasticaliy beruffied with the snow.
Ee paused but moment, then he plung-
\ oTer the ridge crest down toward the
Ieadows, stumbling into pitfalls, tripping
Aer stones and brush. and drenchlng him
In through and through with the snow
Som the low shrubbery. AT Z he entered
b. fnododendron slough known as the
Una meadows.
IThe details of Toms day do not concern
lis tale He killed no bears though he
|amped far, but late In the afternoon he
kund himself ravenously hungry. wet to
j. skin tired as young fellow OF twenty
Re- gets. down on Roaring run, just where
IS Joined by the Plum run stream. From
H. point there are two ways of reaching
IeUers Gap: one up through the rough
ttt0m between Raccoon and Roaring
Idges-a rocky hole with a brush snari
b a barbed-wire tangle. and the OTTER
|r.Ush the jaws of Roaring run and out
] the Hell bottom pike
|With the smear of greasy snow over
hush and rocks. Plum run was out OF the
iestlon. and the longer route through the
kp was wellnigh SO.
Even in summer. when the green slime Is
y on the rocks and when the waters thai
b snaring down the gut are low and harm
IS ii is hard climb to follow the BLIND
+au along the face Of the precipice. Fol
he space of several rods one must Gins
h. balance and choose his footing Will
sre. and q misstep when the run In spring
a xnd torrent is not pleasant to think OF
But Tom did not hesitate. He buckleS
lis rifle tightly to his back, pulled his cal
[w over his ears. and five minutes late
| food hot and painting, among the rocks o
|oppy Millers farm. He kicked the snow
Iom projection and sat down.
Suddenly. behind the rock masses alont
he brook. he heard splash. then another
MIA the spirit OF the days hunt strons
pOn him, he sprang TO his feet and. VIII
Ein at fun cock, crept noiselessly through