The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1909-03-05

ost late tie rssA Asaia haasa \ fal
away In the ferest anA ] lallsvel it
for I kAev II vas siAgiag - YssoAe.
Whea came to the path hat leave.
the main road and eaters ths Dveel
Fern Covert below the spianey, ] hes
itated: bot the beauty e ths aishr
lured me o. and The nightthrushe,
called me from every thiekst. In the
starry radiance. shrubs. grasses. Geld
Aowers, stood eut distinctly. ser there
vas NO moon to cast shadows. Needov
aud brook. grove ard stream. vsre II
Illuminated by the pale glow. Like great
lamps lighted the planets huag from
the hign-domed sky and through theil
mysterious rays the Axed stars, calm
serene, stared from the heavens like
eyes.
/ vaded on waist deep through
fields Of dexy soldea-rod. through late
clover and wild oats wastes. through
crimson fruited svestbrier. blveberry
and Wild plum. uatil the Low whisper
Of the WIer Brook warned Ne that the
path had ended.
But I would not stop. for the nigh,
air vas heavy with The perfume OF
water-lilies and far away. across the
low wooded cliffs and the vet meadow
land beyond, there was distant gieam
of silver. and l heard the murmur OF
sleepy waterfowl. ! would 90 to the
lake. The way Was clear except fol
A. h L.
OF the moose-bush.
The nightthrushes had ceased, but
did not want for the company OF
living creatures. Slender. quick-dart
ing forms crossed my path at inter
walls. sleek mink. that Ned like shad
ows at my step, wiry weasels and raj
musk-rats. hurryinG onward to sac
tryst or killing.
never had seen SO many little
woodland creatures on the move a,
night. began to wonder where they
all were going SO fast. why they all
hurried on in the same direction. Now
passed a hare hopping through the
brushwOod. now q rabbit scurryins by
flag hoisted. AS l entered the beech
second-growth two foxes glided by me;
little further on a doe crashed ont oi
the underbrush. and close behind hel
stole a lynx. eyes shining like Goals.
He neither paid attention to the doe
or to me. but loped away toward the
north.
The lynx was in night.
From WHAT" l asked myself. won
dering. There was no forest fire, nc
cyclone. no flood.
II Barris had passed that way could
he have stirred up this sudden EXC
dus? impossible; even . regiment in
the forest could scarcely have put to
rout these frightened creatures.
What on earth" thought I. turning
to watch the headlong flight of a
fisher-cat, what on earth has startled
the beasts out at this time Of night? ?
looked up into the sky. The placid
glow Of the fxed stars comf0rted me
and l stepped ON through the narrow
spruce belt that leads down to the Dor
ders Of the Lake Of the Stars.
Wild cranberry and moose-bush On
twined my feet, dewy branches spat
tered me with moisture. and the thicl
spruce needles scraped my face as
threaded my way over mossy logs ant
deep spongy tussocks down to tht
level gravel Of the lake shore.
Although there was no wind the lit
tie waves were hurrying in from thu
lake and l heard them splashing amoni
the pebbles. In the pale star GLOW
Thousands Of water.lilies lifted thei
halfclosed chalices toward the sky.
threw myself full length upon tn,
shore. and chin ON hand. looked ou
across the lake.
Splash, splash. came the wave'
along the shore, higher, nearer. unit
. nlmaof water. thin and glittering a
\ knife blade, crept up to my elbows
l could not understand 1t: the lake wa
rising. but there had been NO rain
All along the shore the water va
running up; / heard the waves amonl
the sedge grass; the weeds at my sid
were awash in the ripples. The lille
| rocked on the tiny waves, every We
pod rising on the swells, sinking, risinl
again until the whole lake was glim
mering with undulating blossoms. Hov
sweet and deep was the Fragrance
from the lilies. And now the waite
was ebbing. slowly, and the waves re
ceded, shrinking from the shore rin
until the white pebbles appeare'
again, shining like froth on . brim
ming glass.
: (TO BE coNTINUED)