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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times, 1892-10-27, Page 7TI:11 TURN OF illE WHEEL I. ., '''Thet be a relief 1" exclaimed Micah Dag- gle e,s he threw down hie hammer and drew de eleeve across his forehettri. was striking one o'clock, They could jest hear the etearters from the Stant par- islt church, about e third of a mile trom the Itethole. The other workers in Miceh's shop also Mtered exclamations of gladness. It Was& >hieing July day auteide the shed, Inside be shed, where three fires wore going, town by bellows, it was as hot as it well mild be withont. lteang unbearable. These ther workers comprised ties. Depict, Ruth a,ggle'Adam Gray, and a bey. It was al - moot afamily affair, this chain -shop of the Rethole. Adam Grey, though no relatioe, in feet, had won Ruth's heart, and was to. marry her when — Buts tide brings as to the pathos of the lace. Trade was extremely bad. It had teadily worsened for years. The hiebchain. actorica bad swallowed up seores ofthe do- mestic workshops. Not absorbed them, givine compensation, for so doing ; but driv- en theta into extinction by the faeilities bey neturally obtained for underselling hem. What becamemf them afterwards no one knew. The me iT and women left the neighbourhood some wellenigh broken - weed. The Stout district, though spoilt by these factories, is not without attraotion; and after all, home ie home, be it a, palace in a shire, a hovel in btent, or a single room •tn Whitechapel alley. The Daggles bad come down in the world. eticitle's father had been reputed a. even -to. o man, The limiters of Stent had treated "hia with a, certain deference) that meant melt in a poeuniery settee. His bills were lways met, with never it word about ex - tided time. There was then, too, a w- in rude plenty in the old. red house; meat the table every day, and no lack of bones the three white bulldogs which for fully years seemed to occupy almost too much Id Doggie's ewe time. at the old man died one day, with a ,er sort of smile on his factt. ' Mebbo, tie thottle be a rich mau—mebbe thoa i't' ho murmured. lie oracular statemeut did not affect all, mach at the time. But after the I—with abundance of feather, and tent at their doors uttering-exclama- ofratiture—Micah betook himself to Mc In his sleek Sunday clothes, and the manager to please to tell him how ineney he had iunerited. The old man eea in tglitily reserved. Healwa,ys drew .attes himself, and attended to oheques lleenunercial matters. Ilia son was e laid employee of Me—rather more rid than the rest of comets, but little But the banker had merely lifted his owe and said there wes nothing in his to the late Mr.Daggle's oredit. There teen once upon a time, he allowed, a ir of thousands; hut it had all been awn. He rather fancied the chain - had invested it in land, was exceed - surprised at the deceased man's re- ce, and was sorry he could say nothing nore satisfactory kind for Miceli,. Me paired, and affairs steatite they did his particular day of disappointment. ea knew in the least what bed become of Daggle's money, Micah had questioned y lawyer within ten miles of Stela on object, bad, in fact, become liable for Witonishing number a six-end-eight- quwe to no peemose. And as the nnet it appeared he was the heir to ing hi the world but the old workshop, Id red house adjacent, and a, strip of ground behind, some twenty yards by which -sloped towards a certain black between elder -bushes, famous for the and number of its rats. Hence the t of the immediate nolghborhood: Rat- ,' malt had married three or four years re his father's death, and Ruth was . In compliance with local custom, Haggle, when she Was freed frorn the errassmentaattenclant upoulittle Ruth's el, had entered the workshop and ded the hammer with the rest. She a large woman, of the common t type : fond. of bright Paisley shawls drooping feathers to her laminate, h a very red face and great arms „oh made nothing of the ten -pound utters. And she was not slow to pro- zn her opinion that her husband's father behaved very shabbily in doing away h the money aim, in common with others, 'eyed had been saved up for the next erotion. ince then, all sorts of discomforting etts had happened. The first large fac- t had been established—ahuge haunting lding of red brick with a tall chimney. era had followed it; and, now daily you ht see men and lasses in troops entering gates of the various works. Trade had enished, and the price of materials had while the ability of Micah's customers ay enhanced values had gone down. "le by little the old Haggle connection died oft. It was not easy—it seemed tst impossible—to get new patrons. p were secured by the big works. Nor eit easy to get workers to grub and tiler in the pokey little domestic forge, e in the large establishments they got par wages, better and a more extensive w a ttlymi, andnoosrteaasws esldhi eyr ow ia tgltliher i staaisIn ie At adyraeynaireisvo. an. sciRi attitiof at, lin a: eus, from eight paid hammerers, the *hop had fallen t* one—young Adam et. The odd lad who took charge of one m braggart, self-assertive ways of the "f• elmiumakers ; nor did he care two ebesides, stron 0 in the arm and phenom- I was an anomaly in Stant. He had none )um so fearful lest he, like his pre- ors,onoe "such a fool as he looked." ;i't had fine pair of brown eyes. He think much ot him ; but she forebore to . and a reflective look. Mrs. Daggle did Daggle playfully expressed it more ,..at hard chain -work. She was a deli- te bellows was of small account. Adam t, almost a moping sort of lad, with long , e t better cared fen , :ay pursuits of the districts. He was a e tment that grew hp naturally between about pigeon-flying,horsemacing, °ours- Daggle that his assistant was not, as or poaching, which were the favorite embed as he exhibited that convinced &Haggle had entered the workshOp pr tenth year. That was before state ',the firet resented seeing her little arms . tion made it penal to employ young I to such work as she had.to do. The 'y industrious. ttttle slip of maidenhood, and Adam q in Adam's face and in such „ nerd for the lad. There was some- shOuld straightway give notice. on the other hand, had a ear- a:,l) a,hrado'nisgtimectalllykipLe.ttrryhine tawofrwagoinlet awboauyt, tog item much to the amusement of Stella Mr, agglo did not appreciate suet' a court - slit But Micah said : " Let 'a be --the Iad'm good tin, and the wench loves him. 117 ,' ne cornin' between urn." . Tt. was now matters steed in the Daggle houttehold wheu alicell flung away hie ham- mer and breathed with satiafaetiou. He adopted the conventional division . of the day that Adam might have the leas cause for clieeoutent with the lower rate of wages Ile redebeed, aud, for Ratids sake received willingly. All four left the workshop as if xt, tvero it Pergetory, asin truth it was that cloy. Put on thy coat, weuch," sad Miceli when he saw Ruth bare-armed to the shoulder, and with her dress open at the throat, inhaling the scent July breeze with avidity. Iler little face was sadly pale, and. her bine eyes seemed pretematturally hinge. But ere Micah had finished epeaking Adam bad anticipated him. "1 (henna want it, Adam," murmured the girl as she fidgeted under the cloak. " You'd catch a cold, else; you are such a one for colds, Rath." A sudden rush of petulance took posses- sion of the girl. It was not wonderful. The poor lam had been worked beyond. her strength. Chain -making is never an agree- able employment, The hot days of sunnier led told upon her. " liko rarely to ketch it cold as should carry Inc right away to the churellyarcl— that I would," she exclaimed. Tears broke from the blue eyes as she said these naughty, though met unpardonable words. Micah looked at his daughter in surprised and his face assumed an expression of griev- ous anxiety. one knew better than be, how little chance., there seemed of excusing Ruth from the work she did in the forge. Tim bellows must be blown. The lad could not attend to two pair at once; nor could he, Micah, afford to pay another hand. Things seemed almost desperate with him. "Conte my wench," he said neverthelese, with it tone of tenderness that in the grimed end wrinkled man was vory.touching "keep up thy heart ; joy °email the morning, the Book sams.—Bring her in, Adam, lad, to her dinner. I woulatit be surprised, not I, if there was to be it bit of perk an the table to -day. Thou wort alters a good little int for pork, Ruth." The girl surrendered herself to Adam, I'm so tired," she whispered, "I did- na meen to bother poor feyther." Adam stooped and Mused the pale rage, where a tear was beginning to run. " Your father's right," be said. Never fear ; it'll be better by -and -bee I bad a blatik dream last night—it goes by contraries, you know, dear, P11 work the extra, this evening, and you shall go at five." The.tear-dimined look that Ruth gave him watt enough reward to Adam for his offer of self-saeritice. Then they went in to dinner, which did in fact include some salt pork with the potatoes. Salt pork, potatoes, aud bread do not make up a great meal; but they dined worse three days in the week. Yet another shock was destined, how. ever, to come upon )(Beall Daggle that afternoon. They had hardly begun to work again when a black -coated young man ap- peared With it paper. "Ir. Branstarte has sent me with this, Mr, Boggle," he said. "I'm sarry to have to bring la" " What Is it, sir ?" asked the chain - maker, looking about for his iron spectacles. " There be no papers de yet awhile" "It's about, the mortgage. Thosepeople want. to bond another factory ; and aniess you can pity, I'm afraid they mean to fore- close, take possession,,,you know, and just pull down your pines, " Pall clown this 'ere house, which was ety graanfeyther's ?" exclaimed Haggle. "Nhj at's ust it, Mr. Haggle. But you must try and find the money: "1 canna, do that, sir. I'd as well hope to find a gold. mine. \Veli -a -day, it, be hard 1—How much time do they girds me?" "A month, Ma. Haggle." "One month—only it month. Well if the Lord dttnuot provide in that time, they shall have their will o' me, sir.—I wish you good -day." August opened, very wet in Stant. The black brook of the Rathole surged in its bed with a, riotous music that was never beard except in flood-timee, For it week it rained daily—heavy tempestuous downpours, with big drops. It Was good weather neither for farmers nor chain -makers. Micah Daggle and all in his shop were, however, less concerned about the weather than about the calamity that was impending over them. On the 14th of the mouth, if money was not found, they would have to go elsewhere. "It'll just break my heart, though I win. nit any nowt about it," said Micah b Adam One day, To which young Gray made no reply. What reply conld be have made? There were snatches oftalk between them about America, or joining one of the den upon tbe floor. "We're rich for life—all large factories as pad hands. It would four on me —Anwe'll hey your invention have to be one or the other. There was no put up in Lunnon, Adam, where they're all tine an honest, rye heerd tell. An' you • iii Stent a hasheen like that far years an' yeare an' never the worse or Affair looked dabioaa'and his eyes Weer. erod between Bath and the, tallow candle in the kitchen, which could be seen gattering itt it considerable Daigle on the table. "P11 fetch Jake Carter," he exclaimed as he snatch- ed up his cap; "he'll know if it's sale." Jake Outer soon came, laughed at the idea that there was any real &Alger in a house so slightly tilted, and thee went away, refusing the glase of beer that was offered to him, An hour after tide the house was wrapped in utter darkness. The Haggles and Adam were all abed, and the heavy rain and the noisy brook echoed about it. But ;lake Carter's Newton' on thisoceasion was et fault. Towarde one o'cloek, when the heavens seemed like to be wholly liquid- ated upon the earth, there was another re- sounding crack throughout the house, and in an instant the baek part of the building., on the side which had already yielded, broke iuto the ground. The loss of equilibrium sent the chimney -pots flying; and one of the Muer ...Italie fell with it craeli. The lesser noise of breaking china and sliding furni- ture could oleo be heard, followed by it scream from Ruth, and tlicaida and Mrs. Deggle's voices intermingled. .Adam slept, on the ground -floor, in the room in which Micah's father bad died. It was just here thee the subsidence was most emphatic. He awoke with a sense of celemity upon hint, heard the clamour of the general ruin, and was then sensible that his bead was much lower then his heels. In this uncomfortable position he heardsome- thing else. If it was not the chink of gold pieces in uumbere, then his recollection of the sound as he had heard it in the bank when he had changed*, cheque for Micah was much disordered foe the moment. However, he did not heed this agreeable musio. Ho was much encumbered, and all his wits were necessary to enable him to gee out of bed and grovel upon his hands and knees towards the door. Rath% ones much stimulated him. An hour passed, and then all the four members of the household wore reunited outside in the drenehing night. No one was hurt. Ruth bad been merely frighten- ed. She was quite calm again, now that Adam had her in charge. They went to a neighbour's house, where they were given such aceommode. tion as was possible. Here it was that Adam recalled to mind the noise a gold Pi('`e'rl'ica,h," be said, if there is not money in the house, my hearing is at fault. It was like bagfuls of it breaking against each other. At first the chain -maker made light of the matter, "Thou wort but half uwake, lad, au' it was the &wee berating dime hea.rdst." Later, however, hesuddenly be. came serious. See," he whiepered ; "the daylight is here, an' it doan't ram so much. What dost say—us two'll just step acroes an' look at the old plum." Mrs. Haggle, too, wished to accompany them, mindful of. her Smithey gowns, a favourite kitchen (dock, and certain other articles she wished to secure from possible ruin. But Mieali Vide her lie down again and keep Ruth ecimpany, They had much ado to get into the build- ing, and could move in it only on their hands and knees. But the moment. they were 10 Adam's room tho truth of his tele was evident, At timber had etarted from the wall and knocked out several bricks; andwith the bricks three boxes bail .!otoe out. These Mute lay ut a heap in the sunken cor- ner with a number of sovereigns still in them, As for Gm coins that had got dis- lodged, they were in double handfi als n the corner of the room, There was also anoth- er aimilar box still in the hole whenee the others had tumbled, aud this, too, proved to befell of gold. The two men sat on the floor and looked at eech other. Adam was the first to speak. "1 lcuew that good would come of it, Micah ; thsugh I'll allow I hadn't much hope how it would come," "It's my feyther's savings—there bean't it doubt in the matter," retorted Micah. "Praise the Lord, for sure good her come from this evil." Then they set to work and collected the coius. They replaced them in the boxes, which were just °military workshop boxes for chain -litter, end without lids. And carrying them in their arms, sweetly con- scious of their weightiness, they returned to the house, where Mrs, Daggle and Ruth lay awaiting them. "See whet we've found, my dears," cried old Micah joyfully as be plumped his bur - money for the passage to New lark. The issue, therefore, seemed a foregone conclu- sion. But it was a sad come down for Micah, whose father and gramilfather bad both been independent employers of labor themselves, "If only," began Adam one evening as they sat in tiib. gloaming under a stunted old apple -tree, and listened to the tumult of the stream—' if only I could get some one to taken') this idea, of mine !" Adam bad [he self contained tempera- ment of the inventor. Ile had already. made two or three clever improvements in the domestic machinery, which, from his ignorance of common protective measures, had soon become public property. Of late, however, he had, as he fancied, conceived a plan by which chain -production might be increased in it very simple ma,nner. He was so fearful that this also should get appropri- ated, that he let no one into the secret ex- cept just Micah and Ruth. Money was necessary to test it fairly, and he had nothing like enough money for the purpose. Hardly had he said these words when they both heard a cracking sound. words, afterwards Mrs. Daggle and Ruth came running clown the little puddly,green path. " Th.' house's falling, Micah l' cried Mrs. Daggle. They stood all together by the ancient appletree and watched. A thin smile stole over Mieeli's face, "I knew," he said, "as my gran'feyther ud never let owt but Daggles have to do wi' "Still, it would he each a pity if it was to break down now," added Adam. "It's the danip. There's been orownios' in all over Stent. You know that,pub. by Rachel Row, the Gammon of Bacon. Well, it sank three feet last Sunday night, and none on 'em knew about ie till they got up and found the sitting -parlour windows level with the ground.' Ruth had instinctively ranged herself by Adam, whose arm, also instinctively was around her neck. , " Tales like them bean'b oeer-comfort- in ,g," obeerved Mrs. Haggle snappishly. "11 hid be fine and niee to be wfout, a roof to our heads—in this rain and all." They waited for half an hour • then, no further symptoms of collapse !laving de- clared Wulff, they slowly re-entered the house. , "It's a moesul 0' one side," said Micah with a forced laugh as he larehed against the right.hand wall. " But the t'snothing," he edded hastily. " There's,e useny houses shall hey the wench here whenever she likes to say 'I'll her you.'" Adam laughed, somewhat shyly. Mrs. Daggle was too much (templed with the gold to heed anything else. "I think, Master," said Adam, "I'll be wise to strike while my chance is warm. — Will it be 'Yes,' Rah, if I ask you now this very minute?" He took the girl's hand, she assenting, with -a happy light in her eyes. "I've loved you ever since you were mite—yon know I have," proceeded Adam. "Will yon be my wite fur better or worse, Ruth ? " The "Yes, Adam" of her reply was 1 ully as cordial as the young men could have de- sired it to be. There were' six thousand five hundred sovereigns in the boxes—quite enough, as Micah said, to set up a big chain -factory if he had a mind to build it. But he preferred to live on the interest of it in is snug house outside .Stent. The five hundred pounds that were appropriated to further Adam's invention turned out a remarkably good in• vestment It did not result in a. fortune, but it brought in a very comfortable living for Adam and his wife. The new British coinage will bear the Queen's heed without her crown: A dish -washing machine has been for some time in use in a London hotel, With two persons to attend to it, it washes one thou- sand dishes an hour. The streets of London are cleaned between eight in the evening and nine in the morn • Mg. Many of the carriage -ways are washed daily by means of a hose, aucl the courts and &Heys inhabited by the poorer classes are cleaned once a day. Perhaps the most striking thing about the new Paris fashions is their extreme sim- plicity ; beautiful materials are used, but the cut is in every case innocent of any elaborateness, and the only trimming con- sists of plait', handsome embroideries or gold galoons. A French perfumer has been making tests of California roses, and discovered that they possess 20 per cent. more of the volatile oil than French roses. This means the develop- ment of is new industry for California, The French perfume factories of the town of Grasse alone give employment to 5,000 per- sons. It is said that fifty cents per pound is paid for some flowers. YOUNG IPOLICS. A ETRANGE RETRIBUTION. ov moment counts. There are still in Canada and endue vain stretches et primeval terteft, 10 many _parte of winee tee dotted co the Minute:wares tote hue never been heard, Wolves liu,ve disap- peared ainiuse entirely from teem region, out, beam prowl thiough went every witere. The Witmer:nem end the traveler., nowerer, are not, errant of beats, tor it is only in spring, when Brute 0011103 011t Ot has deu, lean und lumpy, aue cannot iind insects, mice, buds and terries, that he will attack cattle or liniztau beings. But there is it beast found over a wide streteh of territory whieh will sometimes, when not needing food, atomic. a mart rola tear Mtn to pieeete He is an abitium terror (pail woodemen, aud the choppers tool eve:11- stem huddle cruee around the cemp-lire ou winter 2140 s, ixs mire comrade relates a story about the vieroue bettet, Tills north- ern terror is known to every mau who mice hate the woods ree the indium Devil. The Indium Devil is a creature that sleeps awl rests in the Inarentes of tail pine, spruce tir, and other trees enact* have turek leaves, He is really the tree panther, though eh:et:op- tions of Min in Emmett: quarterare very meagre, lie is a greet, juniper, and eau go tor Miles along the top or the toreet by springiug ;rein tree to oat:. There are great buuchee ot museles on his thighs aud shout- ders ; he has long, sharp foams and cruel, rending clawe, wide!' he een draw in mush as a cat, does. Has iavorite method at aeiz- ing Me prey is to lie 111'1,01,1y hidden in the branches ot it tree mut spriug epou the head of his maim. Ile gives ILO weaning, but lalLe like death out of the top of a tree as you pares. The bean is so malignant and so fierce tlio.t the Indions believed he was as teal devil. ktoiiee nie name. In the region lying aloug the upper waters of the Northwest dlimunicei, ia the province of New Itrenswick, wen the but of an old trapper who lived all the winter in the woods. Ile ievited two lads, George min James Nelson, to come, aud spend a fort- night lia his shindy, promising them plenty of shooting. Olie day the boys set out alone from the hut 00 a moose huut, and the old man went to examine his traps. The snow was deep. but they could travel swiftly an their snow- shoes. The tracks of ethoose were soon discover- ed, mid the brothers, with wild enthusiasm, set out to run the tenurial down,. I may say that the way to capture a moose when the snow is deep iu the womia is to "run him down" on suottethoea, for the mutual sinks to the hips and &emblem in the deep anow. I consider the killing of wild game taken at such disadvantage as this, hardly sports. manlike, but at is their way in these wood& So the boys riddled the tine animal with their bullets, skinned him, took each a par. than of a hintleptarter, and set out for the trapper's shanty. When the sun was getting pretty low,and they weee still three miles Morn camp, they came up it beaten road ...there logging tea= had been Fleeing ell day. They had not gone far, when they. saw two men coming after them, each litnouga pair of snow -shoes eprm his back, and oue of them it disabled fax trap. Vile boys waited when the stmngers shout. ea to them, but they wore sorry that they bad .done so, for they felt an instinctive dread of the men on seenningthem closely. i They were what is known n Canada as metti— that is, part Indian and part, French. They had dark, oily faces, hair as black as the feathers of a. crow, and sulleu brown eyes. The older one, and the more evil -looking of the two, said, on coming, up ; " Live abont here much? ' George was spokesman, and replied: "No; wo are stayiug a few days in Billy Rogers' shanty." " You don't want only ono of these gleaners of meat,"sain the older man, walk- ing, up to James. "Better let as have this one," laying his hand on the VenSion. George at once turned. to the impudent filitawf. 'Iyou had asked properly, we should have given you tome ; now you can't have any." The fellow walked back a few paces and glowered on the brothers ; then the two intruders spoke it few words in patois in low tones. The leaders, stepping up to the boys, then said: " We are vara poor men—vara, poor. Perhaps tho young m'sieurs would give us a guar er apiece to buy tabac at the store." George, who was very generous and could not resist= appeal like this, took out his pocket -book, opened, it and probed around till he found four twenty-five cent piece; which he handed to the mem, But he saw that he had made a mistake in letting the Incas see the contents of his pocket -book, which cmitained a roll at five - dollar bills aud five or six sovereigns. The eyes of the swarthy stranger gleam- ed when he saw the money, then, in an in- different way, he asked: "Going to stay to -night with old Bill Rogers?" "Yes ; we shall be with him for several days." Jingling the quarters in his hand, the man turned away, and, bowing, said: neszettr, rten mooch oblige ; we go across troo de wood." Whereupon the evil -looking pair put on their snow -shoes and turned abruptly into a dense forest of spruce. It was now growing dark, bet the road gleamed white through the dusk and it was easy to follow. "1 felt in dread of those men, " George said to his brother, as they resumed their tramp. "1 think they would not hesitate to steal or even commit tnurder. " "you should not have let them see your money, George. The other one, who said nothing, actually took hold of his sheath - knife -when he saw the gold; but as soon as he knew I was watching him he removed his hand. I am afraid we shall hear from them before the night is over." "All right, If they attack us it will be the worse for them, They have no guns now, and they muet go to their shanty first before they can harm vs. Billy says that they are a couple of thieves who live here e.nd rob lumber camps when the men are away; but their shanty is two miles 'off, on Black Gully. 1 don't think they would dare to attack us in Billy's lean-to. But hurry up, and let us get home, for these fellows can run like deer, and may get their guns and overtake us if we don't mind." So they went on as fast as they could walk with their heavy loads. The road soon be- came almost as dark as the forest, and the cold wind went whistling and aighing ,among the trees. . The boys paused fora .rnoment to get breath and eat a sandwich of otter steak which the trapper had given them, but, be, dere they had tinished their hasey bite, they inbailterob:b.ind them, and resembled the very : ,,I.,te.psitteorilteleddshblyieek, itziegrr0ibf las wcroym. aulths3egemreeadt " oine on ; have no time to lose nevi, ft the ecreaming of ten Indian Devil." loads and run!' If not it will overtake his face grew white, " aud fear theme two men are doing her some harm." it Was repeated again and thug the fiercest with its terrifying echoes. to come from the mad about a quarter of a The .boys shuddered at the sound. Then "Itis not a woman's voice," said George. " It, is it wonutn, George," said James, as " Men, perh,aps we ought to drop our " Hold on, yet, for is little !It is coming eiong the tree -tops, and has scented us, be. tetuse the wind Is blowing straight toward irt But I dou't think it can catch up to "us mfore we reach the Burnt Swamp ; then - he bertet will have to take to the ground, where it cannot he half se dengeroes as when in the trees." " 1 thiuk, George, we ought to throw away one load and cut the other in two. We can hide one load, rig At in the snow, and get it to -morrow." " A good idea! We'll put it here." And in a few seconds, George's load was thrust under the snow, Three or four cuts of the small axe, car- ried for the moose hunt, and the other quarter was divided. Bach brother pushed hisgun-barrel through a. alit in the venison, shouldered his lightened burden and started off at a run. All the while the enemy kepti up his cry- ing, and the sound grew nearer and nearer. The boys could not keep up it miming pace for long, as they bad tramped from sunrise and eaten very little food, but they wore nearing the Burnt Swamp now, where their deadly pursuer would be obliged to run along the ground. I should here inform iny readers that gnus were of little use to the boys, for the night was pitchy black, and it would be impossible to get it "sight" on an animal like that, which assaults hie victim always by epringing upon it, Presently the edge of the wood was near- ed, but the blood -curdling screeches of the terrible pursuer were also near at hand. Half is mile asvey lay the shanty of the trapper, but as it stood 10 the heart of a grove of tall spruces, the greatest danger was threatened there, as the animel would at once taloa to the trees on leaving the burnt land and. drop. The boys hurried more and more, but soon heard a crenchiug sound in the snow, about fifty yerds behind them. "0ff with our loads, Jetties 1 Let tre put them in hero. Now we must defend our- eelves," It was the work of only a moment to thrust the twO I.trge haunches under the snow, so ttat teamstera should, not see them in the daylight, and to get back to the beaten Thero WaS no sound, however,. now ; but the two brothers paused every nunute or so in their mad run to listen. George grasped James' arm. " What is that black thing, just there? See, it moves !" "Mat's he! Look 3 He lum gone under the brush. Be careful; hem sure to Spring on us. We must keep looking. I doubt if we'll get a chance to lire, but 1 may be able to settle imm With the axe." The guns were muzzle-loadere, and to strike the brnte with the etock would likely explode the eap, and for this reason George depended on the axe. "01 course," George added, "we may have a chance to shoot." Both ran again, not speaking a word, and. still hearing no sound, they began to believe their pursuer had abandoned the these, when a dark object shot from the tare breeches of a haelunatack, with a. horrible shriek, striking George ma the heed in his fell, but failing to seize him. The blow, however, knoelted the boydown and steamed him for a few seconds., the at- tacker meanwhile bielleg somewhere near on the path -side. James knew that his brother was not ser- iously hurt, so he stood, with his gun cock- ed, watching for the animal. Something moved out from the deep shad- ow. It had two phosphoresceitt globes of fire, and the younger brother fired at it. Another piercing er,y, and the terrible beast disappeared. It went so swiftly that it heti evidently not been hurt, but only frightened. George got to his feet, just as his brother fired, and he had am ugly wound in his neck, made by ono of the panther's claws. They ran again, and in a mime e saw a light shin- ing from the one window in the shanty. As they approached they noticed two men run hastily away from the door, but they were in too much terror of the wood pan- ther to follow and see what ittneant. Billy Rogers heard, their story about the Indian. Devil with the unconcern of an old trapper; but when they told him about the main and the two figures they SalV hurry- ing away he became more grente, and put a heavy load of buckabot itt his 'gun. He telso drew the charges front the boys' guns and loaded them again with buckshot. "We'll keep them in our bunks to -night, boys," the old man said, in an indifferent way ; "but if these thieves come into this little place we mustn't spare 'em. Fire straight; there'll be a light here all night." All then ate a supper of otter steak, wil- low grouse and shanty -made bread. They then turned in. I have said that the lean-to, whicn was built, of heavy logs, stood in a thick grove of apruce and the branches of a large treo spread over it. It was twelve feet high at the back, and. eight in the front, the rafters running at an angle of sixty-three degrees. . In the top of the lean-to was a large open- ing which served as a chitnney, and it was large enough to enable a man to pass through it. Near to this extended a pine branch from which any one could easily reach' the slant roof. The trapper, before going to bed, barri- caded the door, pat oil in the lamp, plated the guns in the bunks, after vvhieh all retired and it was not long before the trapper and the two tired boys were snoring soundly. A little after midnight the wary woods- man was roused by a ery which even in his sleep he knew; then he heard the voice of a human being in deadly distress. He touched the two boys, whispering: 4(tTp ! Take your guns; something strange happening on the roof." The brothers rubbed their eyes and jump- ed out of bed; then the trapper turned out the light and took the barricades from the door. It was inky dark outside, but flue three stepped out with their guns cooked. They cotild not make out the objects on the roof, but there were hansan cries and ,the frightful serearnieg of the tree panther. " Blaze away there, boys !" shouted the old man ; " then run in. The three guns were raised, three shots rang out, and there were more yells, human and brutish. "Now we'll stay awake in the dark till daylight," said the °In man, sententiously. " Setae one has been hurt, but let prowlers like that take the consequencee." Some one, indeed, was hurt, for there were iltfal meanings ell night around the shanty, and the dawn revealed .tnie of the znetis, with a load of latokshot in ale legs, writhing in, the snow and unable to, get away. The other evil -looking compel:doe had fled, leaving his friend to his fete, Close by the shanty au Indian Devil, nearly six feet long, lay dead. upon the enove. The beast had followed the boys to the shanty and gone into a tree °toes by to be ready to spring wheu °ilea them eame out, The me -Us had also followed them, and were about descending throng.4 the smokehole when the pauther dropped upon one of the villains, Thia was the cause ot the violent yell, but it probably saved the lives of the inmates of the earnp. SOME VMkT EZ ELL A SUPERTITIU. Women, It is Relieved, Ming Death to a Snake -bitten Person, Has any one ever heerd of the snake meo of the Alto Orinoco? In Venezula there are all manner of snakes, from the deadly twelve-inohcoral snake, whose bite is death, to the tiger-etriped hunting snake and the boa constrictor. Most persons know the habite of the boa constrictor, but know noth- ing of the tiger hunter, which is quite as remarkable hilts way. Nothing will better illustrate the point thou the story of an act- ual occurreni ce n this modern age of science and civilization, While the English railroad from Tueacas to 13arquisimeto wits under construution an Englishman holding an, important position in the work evs.s bitten by a rattlesnake (here knowo ae the culebra). The man was forthwith taken to the English geartere and nut to bed. While the Englieh riveter Was being summonel the wives of the English- men at, work on the road beetled about a,nd tried to do what they multi to help the suf- ferer. In the midst of the confusion a ne- tive carne running in with the kind-hearted intention of miring the man. «'rurn till the women out," said he. "What the devil:" said the Euglisinnan's lends. " What fort" "Ther eyes are deeth,"explained the na- ive. "The man will not live if they look upon him." With that the Englishmen turned the na- tive out of the house, and the bitten man himself declared that if the English doctor couM not cure him no superstitious native could. The phyeician eame in hot haste and worked until the perspiration ran demo his face in little streams. The women Lover - ed around and did what they could. In ex- eetly two Matra and a hell tho man Was dead. The kind hearted native heard of it, shrugged his shoulders, end went his way. On the following day a native laborer was very brolly bitten by it rattlegriake near the mum place. He wee not of sutlicient account for the well-paid English doctor to bother with, SO the native laborers Carried, him off to it house and turned all the woman Out and sent for herbs and leaves and such things. They workesi at him for an hour or so in the way that, the itativea and Indians know,and the next iley be was back at work as though nothing bad happened. The Englishmen could not explain this, and they cannot do SO CV(11 to OM day. Here is another story on the same sub- ject A native W0111:111'S ten -year -Old Son was bitten most frightfully by some sort of venomous serpent. Did she melt to him, I clasp Min in her arms, and try to cure him? Not elm. The only thing that she did was to send for her husband, and to hide. herself aud her female servants far rewey front the suffering lacl's presence. Her hush:mil aud a neighbor or two bustled about and looked after the boy, and it seas only on the third day that she looked upon her son. If she had looked upon him while the anake's poison was in his blood the natives had no doubt her eyes would have emsed him to vomit blood and die. Yet thie women loved her boy with all a mother's devotion. When the exposition was held at Caracas in 1883, the year of the Bolivar centennial, two men from some remote inland place had on exhibition a box full of exceedingly venomous reptiles. Merely to look at these poisonous snakes was enough to make one shudder. One day when the place eves crowded tho box was overturned, and five of the ugly things got out and began to run about in it remarkably lively sort of way. A tiger let loose would not have created half the excitement and confusion. People went raving mad in their desire to get away. Tables, chairs, and show carets were overturned by the frantic mob, and for it time it looked as though half the crowd would be bitten to death or trampled under foot before they could get away. The man who told this story pulled aids coat and threw it over one of the snakes, and the two snake exhibitors caught the others in their naked hands. One of the men was bitten several times—so badly bit- ten, in fact, that it seemed to be impassible that he could live twenty minutes. His companion knew just exactly whatto do and did it. In the first place he called for blankets or pieces of cloth or anything that he could get, and with feverish haste he wrapped hp his bitten companion com- pletely out of sight. This was done with a haste that well nigh amonuted to madness. Then the helpless man was carried across the street to his hotel and p51110 bed. His companion worked over him for two hours, and at the end of that time rested, with a sigh of relief. "Why did you wrap hien up in such haste?" asked the man who told this story. To keep him away from the eyes of the women," replied the snake exhibitor. "What was the danger ?" "If women had looked upon, him he would have vomited blood and died before we could have got him half way across the street." This strange superstition is not confined to Venezuela by any means. The same thing is Sound in the Dutch island of Curacoa, in the further West Indies, and also in the republic of Columbia. A Senator of the United States of Columbia, said to an Ameri- can visitor that although the fact was as familiar to him as the commonest detail of every -day life, yet he could oot say why it was so. He added, however, that he believed the danger lay mostly in the case of women with child. As to no sake men of the Alto Orinoco that is another matter. An American who once lived in the house of an adopted. mem- ber of the fraternity or tribe, novice though he be, can render a snake in:conscious for many hours merely by blowing his breath °nits head. A drop of his saliva will kill a snake almost instantly beyond v.11 hope of resurrection. •ntir In arranging ribbon belts, remember that the ends and loops can be tied. in any place save at the back. The ocean is more productive than the land. An acre of good fishing grotind wiil mold more food than an acre on the hest farm. The Boston girl never hollers "hello" at the mouth of a, telephone. She simply says as she puts the receiver te her ear, "I teke the liberty of addressing you, via e mire surcharged with electreatty. '