The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-03-16

rapid gait. and after the first hall
mile was obliged to slow down a bit.
After about an hour and a half or
pretty brisk walking he reached the
place on the bank OF Wolf Creek
where he had crossed on the foot-log
enroute 70 the river.
But upon descending the bank 10
the spot Of OF crossing he stopped in
utter alarm. Where was the foot
log? Surely IT could not have been
carried away by the rising water,
But so must have been the case. for
no foot-log remained there now, and
the water was tearing at the banks
many inches above where the ends
of the foot-log rested.
Ralph was in dilemma. On the
one side of him was Wolf Creek,
across which he could not pass, for
swimming through that turbulent wa
ter so filled with dangerous drift
wood was out OF the question. On
the other side of him was the river,
a veritable inland sea, covering vast
portion Of the valley that stretched
along its banks. And there was no
possible way OF crossin gthe river,
either. Between these swollen sterams
he wps caught like mouse in a trap
and there wasn't single habitation
In the 15-mile angle which stretched
between the creek and the river.
About Is miles up steram was, or
used to be--a cattleman's shack OF
logs and sod roof But Ralph hadn't
been there for two years, and the
owner Of the place might have moved
away. Well, what was he to do any
way? The nights were cold and he
didn't relish the idea of passing the
the long dark hours under the sky
without SO much as a blanket to wrap
himself in. And he had no food
save light lunch which would suE-
fee to stay his hunger only for a few
hours. All. he had been a fool to
cross that foot-log. He had been
taught a. good lesson, too, and he
hoped he would never be such an
idiot as to forget IT. But the lesson,
while 1t was good one. did not
teach him the way out of his dIlema.
He might go up Wolf Creek for the
distance of 10 miles before he should
find place where he might cross 1t.
We'll, I feel like kicking myself
clean across Wolf Creek and all the
way home for having been such a
long earend jackass,' declared Ralph.
IF ever smart Alec lived, am that
Alec"
Then poor Ralph went back up the
bank and began to scan the country
lying before him and the river. He
half hoped to find some other trap
ped persont to keep him company.
To his joy he beheld cur of blue
smoke rising over one of the abb
rupt bluffs about a quarter of mile
up steram. He hurried toward the
spot the smoke rose from. There
must be some fire where there is
smoke" he soliloqulzed. "And where
there is fire there must be human be-
ings-or human being"
AS he rounded the point of rocky
blum he became to well protected
stretch of level land-perhaps half an
acre-that nestled at the very foot
Of the cliff. And there he san COM
Portable wall tent, a wagon, two
horses tethered out to grass and a
campfire with a steamlng kettle
placed over 1T. And from the tents
opening came tall grizzled man,
smoking a pipe. When he saw Ralph
he nodded without sign of surprise,
removed the pipe from his lips and
said. Hello, stranger-whar'd you
come from? The freshet fetch your"
The freshet's got me all right, all
right" laughed Ralph. And 1 was
never so tickled to death in all my
life as am to see that kettle boiling
and that tent for shelter. Gee. but
thought was in for a night Of Il,
when 10, and behold, there came a
curl of blue smoke, and like the
star in the East. 1t led me to the
place was looking for-namely grub
and a covered bunk"
TIA. hal" laughed the old man.
who proved to be trapper. Il like
to hear a young Teller talk up in
metin.' be-gosh! Come right up and
get your part OF all that's dom here.
Me pal is gone to town, an blast me,
If hen git back agin, fur wuz list
down TO see about that old foot-iog,
an kill me fur badger II 1t warn't
Rone-swent away',
And the departure OF that foot
log has played the deuce with me"
confessed Ralph.
But at this minute they heard a
loud haIloa coming from the. oppo-
site bank, and going hurriedly down
to the creek where they could LOOK
across the creek they beheld the old
mans pal waving franticaly and ex-
planning in his own emphatic way
that the foot log was gone and he was
cut of from headquarters.
"Ah. III settle the problem said
Ralph to his friendly host lie your
lNaa