Year: 1870




before him the deep, dark current was
rushing by. swift as an arrow. All at
once the truth flashed upon him-thc
place was not ford at all. but ferry.
If no went forward he should inevitably
be drowned. If he tried to turn on this
shelving bottom, the horse might loose
his footing and fall, and then the butter
would be damaged, even if no worse
consequences happened.


While he was hesitating, he was
startled by the sound of mans voice
calling him from the shore.


"Hallo, youngster; what is it you are
trying to doP"


"Is this Wilson'S Ford? ?" called out
Slas in his turn.


Ford l should think not" replied the
man. WILSON'S ford don't cross the
Kennebcc river


The kcnncbec river and he was nearly
up to his horses neck in it already He
made 4 cautious movement To bring his
horses head round. and succeeded with
out the creatures losing his footing. The
horse was rs eager as himself to be out
Of the scrape, andvcry plainly manifested
his pleasure in reaching the shore. The
man soon understood the mistake which
the boy had been led into. and gave
| him a clear direction by which he could
easily find his way. He told Slas that
the channel where he had tried 10 cross
was very deep, and that few steps
more would have carried him TO where
the swirl current would have swept him
away.


With n heart full of thankfulness for
his escape, Silas set out again, riding
rather faster to make up for lost time,
and about sunset found himself in Halo
we'll Here for the first time he stopped
at n regular tavern, and felt that now in
decd, he was out in the great world.


The next day he started early, and
about noon reached Wiscasset. at that
time the most important seaport in Maine.
Maine was not oven State then, but Il
province OF Massachusetts,, and the many
towns along her coast, which now show
such busy harbors, had no existence. II
1 is true there was Portland, then called
| Falmouth, with some coastwisc and West
! India trade, but Falmouth was so far
away as to bc almost foreign parts" TO
dwellcrs on the Kcnncbec East fthcro
Wiscas set was the most important business
place along the coast. Yet now the life
! OF the latter has all died out oft, and its
trade driited away into other channels,
Bath on the one side. and Rockland on
the other have swallowed it mp. But on
that September day, when Silas saw it
for the first time. it was n stirring place.
It's ship yards were ringing with the
sounds OF labor, and round It's wooden
wharyes there WAS hustle and life.


Silas had IN uncle, ship carpenter,
living in the town, and by making in
quiricS he soon found the way 10 his
house. The uncle could hardly believe
his ears when Sla, told him who he was.
and what he had come for; il seemed
such an undertaking for n boy of his age.
But he told Silas he was inst in time. for
butter was very scarce in the town, and
he was sure of good price for his.


The bnlt cr was examined and found
10 be in fine condition, there were seventy
five pounds of it in all, fresh, firm and
sweet Uncle Amos took the young
merchant down to the wharf, where two
vessels were loading tor Liverpool, The
captain of one bought the larger part of
the butter for his own table; and a gentle
man who WAS going passenger in the
other vessel took the rest. They paid
him twenty-five cents pound for it-a
large price in those DAYS, when money
was scarce, ani the value OF things 50
: much less. \ prouder boy than Silas
was when the eighteen silver dollars and
three quarters were counted into his hand,
YOU never saw in your life. And when
the captain, who had heard from Uncle
Amos the account of his long solitary
Journey, added dollar for himself, and
bade him tell his father that he had boy
to be proud OF, SlaS's happiness was
complete. With small part Of the
money he bought some grass seed, which
was needed for the next years crop, and
the rest his aunt carefully sewed in Il
linen bag which fastened round his
waist.


Silas staid with his uncle and aunt over
the Sunday, and on Monday morning
early, with his saddle. e.bag refillcd with
provisions and with many good-byes and
kind messages to his father and mother,
he started on his homeward journey
lie was sure of his road now, and being
relieved of his load OF boxes, could trave
much faster than when he went down the
liver. On the evening of the third day
he reached Skowhegan without any
special adventure by the way, and the
next noon found himself once more NJ
home. He was received with Il joyful
welcome, and had the satisfaction OF
knowing that his father and mother were
greatly pleased with the mannerin which
he had performed his errand. His little
sisters looked up to him with reverence
rs traveller who had seen the world


ii,n i,i,ih rnnst hn told hl