Oct. 12, 1901.] 
fORks't Akb STREAM. 
2§3 
j3S on the trunks, which some make account of for a 
guide. With the traveling continually growing more 
lieavy, I wandered blindly on, with the horrible sense 
that I was lost more and more oppressing me, and was 
made quite certain of it when I came upon my own tracks 
'not yet filled. How often had I sought the solitude of 
the woods for comfort and consolation; now how it ter- 
rified me with the vastness of its loneliness that offered 
me nothing but a miserable death! Night came on and 
I could go no further, nor yet make a camp, for I had no 
means of lighting a fire, nor even a blanket to wrap my- 
self in, for I had left that behind, thinking there would 
be no n^ed of it. I ate the last of my rations and set to 
walking around the body of a great tree to keep myself 
awake and from freezing. To this round I held the life- 
long night, casting off my snowshoes for greater ease 
after a path was beaten, and now and then leaning 
against the tree out of sheer weariness, often falling into 
a doze, to awake with a startled sense of peril and then 
resume my lonely beat. 
It was nigh morning when I fell into a longer spell of 
napping, from which I was awakened by a sound like 
dull thunder, and came out of a dream, of which it was 
a part, in time to realize that it was the booming of a 
great gun and to get the direction whence it came. I 
was certain it came from some fort, but not so sure 
whether from our Fort Edward or the Frenchmen's 
Ticonderoga. But deeming it better to be captured by 
Christian, though of a poor sort, than to die of cold and 
hunger, I made sure of my course, and preserving it by 
taking range by trees, daylight having come and the 
snow having slackened to a sprinkle, I pushed forward 
with all the speed I could muster. An hour or so later 
the light of an opening shone through the trees, and pres- 
ently I came out on a broad clearing, in the midst of 
which was a fortified place. I knew it was not Ticon- 
deroga, for the land was level around it, and the English 
flag was flying over it, a goodly sight to my eyes; but 
it was strange and new to me. I approached it and 
walked around on the rear till I came to the gate, where 
I was hailed by my only acquaintance among the regu- 
lars, the surly Tom Watkins, and lo! the place at once 
put off its mask of strangeness and took on the familiar 
guise of Fort Edward. 
Before the end of winter another letter came from 
Mercy that among all its endearments had one passage 
which gave me a pang of jealousy: "Your cousin, Lot, 
pursues me with such importunate wooing that I am 
greatly annoyed. My father is continually urging me to 
marry him. so that I may be left in safe hands while he 
goes to labor in a new vineyard up in the border of the 
wilderness, whither he imagines the voice of the Lord 
calls him loudly. So, between them, they keep me sorely 
perplexed, and I almost wish I had gone off into the 
woods with you, as you desired. Alas! that cannot be 
now, for a Ranger may not have his wife with him. I 
wonder that I have heard nothing from you these two 
months, but pray no evil has befallen you." 
I could not believe anything would break her troth, 
but how could I know how long she might have strength 
to hold out against the siege of such strong-willed men 
as her father and my cousin Lot, with not a word from 
me to support her. I wrote to her at once, getting 
some comfort out of the hope that my letter would com- 
fort her, but yet continued in a troubled state of mind. 
There soon was such a stir as took my thoughts in good 
measure from my own affairs. 
v.— Lord Hovie 
The great Qeneral Abercrombie was come with a 
grand army of regular troops to take the French forts on 
■the lake, and then advance on Canada, the conquest of 
■which was now considered certain. There was a con- 
stinual bustle of arriving troops, boats and munitions of 
■war. Now with fifes and drums playing the brave, 
flnartial airs of old England, battalion after battalion of 
^he British line came pouring like a red flood down the 
^channelled forest road into the open ground; now the 
soberer color and looser columns of Colonial levies, now 
aumbering, rumbling trains, with their burden of boats, 
'tents, baggage and provisions, and stepping so pi;oudly 
tto the strange, wild music of the bagpipe that their feet 
.-seemingly disdained this lowland soil, came a regiment of 
tall Highlanders, gay with fluttering plaids and plumed 
1>onnets, a stranger sight than a tribe of painted Indians 
to us Yankee iolks. So the troops came streaming in 
till the fort and all its neighborhood were overflowing 
■with them, and some made outlet toward William Henry, 
■now roused out of its deathly sleep to new life by all this 
•stir of warlike preparation. There the boats were hauled, 
■where they were .to find their employment. 
Wiile our forces were gathering at Lake George, the 
'Rangers were kept in active service, some scouting as 
'far as Ticonderoga and bringing back reports that the 
•enemy was strengthening its position there; but we were 
:all ^certain that ihe would not be able to withstand the 
.overvvhelmingifotce that was moving against him. 
!I well remember one. day when we were practicing with 
• our rifles a handsome young English officer of high rank 
■came and .looked on, observing our shooting with great 
'interest. He was very noticeable among his fine com- 
Tades for having his hair cut short and for having so 
iserved the -skirts of his gold-laced coat that they might 
■not hinder his movements in the woods. If this curtail- 
ment of 'his adornments made him an odd figure among 
■the gaily attired throng it also showed his good sense 
in putting off holiday finery when he was going into the 
bush. Seeing that I made as good a target as any one, 
he said to me, "You shoot remarkably well, my friend. 
Is it d-ue to the gun or to your skill?" 
"Mostly to the rifle, sir," said I, "for it is a very good 
one, and I am well used to it since I was big enough to 
aim it." ■ , ... 
"Let me try a shot with it, if you do not mind, said he 
very politely; and I loaded the rifle with uncommon care 
for him. He took careful aim, hitting quite close to the 
bullseye. 
"Faith!" he cried, "I believe it is in the gun! Here, 
Somers," turning to a haughty young officer who lounged 
near by, looking on with affected indifference, "try your 
hand at it." And he, languidly consenting, I took as 
much pains for him; but he made a very poor shot, and 
was laughed at by some of his companions. 
"I am better used to gentlemen's weapons than com- 
mon soldiers' tools," said he, very haughtily. "I wonder 
you don't don the dress of these Rangers, my Lord 
Howe," looking very contemptuously at the gentleman's 
shorn skirts. 
"Right gladly I would if by doing it I could gain their 
skill in bush fighting," said the other, without noticing 
the young gentleman's insulting manner, and went away, 
after thanking me with a kindly courtesy. 
Another day this young nobleman sought me out when 
I was off duty and began speaking to me in that pleasant, 
agreeable manner that endeared him to every one he 
came in contact with. 
"My friend," said he, "I notice you are well skilled in 
woodcraft, and I wish you would impart some of its 
secrets to me." 
"Anything I can give your lordship is quite at your 
service," I answered, not a little Mattered by his attention. 
"Well,, then, to begin with, how do you keep your 
course in these woods, which are all of a sameness to me, 
•SO that after a little I know not which way I am going?" 
"That is something more born to a man than learned," 
I said. "I have not the gift, but depend much on the 
compass. Yet something may be got from the lay of 
the land and the course of the streams. Here all the 
ridges run north and south; the brooks run to the rivers; 
the rivers to the lakes; or, south of us, to the great North 
River. East of the Champlain the steeper side of the 
hills and mountains is on the west, as you shall see when 
we have taken the French fort." 
"As I doubt not we shall within a week,'' he said, 
smiling very brightly and hopefully, yet with a half sigh 
and a sudden sobering of his countenance, as I re- 
marked at the time, and afterward wondered if he had a 
premonition of what was to befall him. A few days later 
his untimely death was mourned by all the army. 
Often have I had forebodings of some dire calamity, 
but it never yet came to me, and it may be mere chance 
that fits the one to the other. 
Seeing that his lordship was waiting for me to say 
more, I went on: "Something may be gathered from the 
moss growing most on the north side of trees, and the 
branches growing longest on the south side; but they 
arc blind guides to me, and of no help in a great snow- 
storm.'' 
"These things are worth remembering." he said, writ- 
ing in his memorandum book, and then saying, "A little 
while ago some one went this way. Can you tell by his 
trail what he was? I have heard that you Rangers can 
read such signs marvelously well." 
I e.xamined the ground where there was soft mould 
to help me, and presently answered, "I think, my lord, 
he was an Indian, lame in the right heel, that he carries 
a rifle, and is our Stockbridge Indian, John Mohican." 
"Right!" he cried in great surprise and delight, "and 
now. pray, how did you guess all this if you did not see 
him?" , 
. "I know it was an Indian b'y the turning in of the moc- 
casin tracks, and that he is lame by the favoring of the 
right foot, and the heel more than the toe. As for his 
gun, the print of the heelplate of a rifle is plain to be 
seen where he set it down." 
"That is all very wonderful," said Lord Howe, going to 
examine the ground, when he wondered yet more. 
"Now," said he. aftea a little, "get you behind yonder 
tree — a hemlock, do you call it? — and I behind this, and 
let me see how you would get a shot at me." 
So each betook him to his tree, when I tried to get him 
to expose himself by the old trick of poking my hat from 
cover; but he Avas not to be taken in by this. So I began 
skulking and crawling from tree to tree, and was soon 
on his flank, having a fair view of him, peeping out very 
cautiously. Still I went around him until directly be- 
hind him and quite near him, when I spoke to him. 
"Your lordship would be sorry to be shot in the back." 
He faced me, looking greatly astonished, and. as I 
thought, a good deal chapfallen, but laughed it off. say- 
ing he should make but a poor bush fighter. Would to 
God he had taken as much care to cover himself a few 
days later! It might have changed the whole fortune of 
that wretched, ill-managed campaign, which came to 
naught but slaughter of brave men. 
[to be continued.] 
ALdventures in Tropical America. 
11. — Some Brandy and a Little Human Nattite. 
Once, traveling with some rough men on a mining ex- 
pedition in Central America, the camp went dry — that is, 
all the spirits had been consumed — in fact, the camp went 
dry the next day after our arrival. This wasn't my fault, 
and I was rather well satisfied; but my companions were 
most unhappy, and the superintendent ordered that I 
immediately provide the money for a fresh supply. I had 
all the funds for the expedition, which, in some respects, 
was fortunate, though I hardly think that expedition 
would ever have gone to water; yet, except the money 
had been in my hands, it would never have gone Very' 
far. 
After thinking for a few njoments, I declined to pro- 
vide more drink, and prepared to face a storm, which 
came on in good earnest — a wind of words before which 
I finally weakened. I was still very young then, and 
had frequently read of the necessity of spirits on an ex- 
ploring expedition, especially for snake bites, exhaus- 
tion, etc. 
I decided to go myself to a trading station some miles 
away, and bring to camp six bottles of cheap liquor— a 
mixture of alcohol and other things called brandy, which 
ought to have been more fatal than a snake bite. 
Taking two Indians, I started for a long tramp to the 
trading station. There was little of incident, but much 
that was beautiful, the influence of which was probably 
enhanced by the sense of harmony and the satisfaction 
I had left behind among the members of the expedition. 
Through dense jungles, the trail led on and on, the In- 
dians never hesitating for an instant, till finally we 
reached an open savanna, where we stopped to rest, with 
a beautiful expanse of green before us, containing some 
square miles of grass, dotted with groups of fine 
trees, through which the distant mountains could be seen, 
a bold outline in beautiful prospective. 
Starting on again, we presently came to the traders,' 
camp, where I bought six bottles of brandy, and after 
resting my men and giving them a feed, started back for 
camp, each Indian carrying three bottles of the brandy 
and looking the picture of misery while they trudged 
along in front of me, endeavoring to get away by them- 
selves. Finally they became worked up into such a state 
of excitement that for safety I promised to give them 
each a drink when we got to camp, and after that I could 
not go fast enough for them. 
At sunset we reached camp, and all came crawling 
around eager for brandy. One bottle was given to the 
superintendent, who immediately partook liberally him^: 
self; and then he began treating all hands, and soon 
came back for a fresh supply. But I had placed the five 
remaining bottles in a suitable box, nailed down the lid 
and put my seal, over the cracks, as, one does when ship- 
ping bullion; then I announced that that brandy was 
mine, and threatened all the law and prosecution of the 
courts on any one who dared to break my seal. . Then 
there was a racket, before which I winced and trembled, 
but would not give in; for, though I was afraid all 
through, I was mad also, and that helped me out.- 
It was amusing to see the superintendent look at the 
impression of my crest on the box, and then turn away 
doubtfully and consult with the Spaniards; but ttiey 
seemed to consider that I had the law on my side, and 
it is remarkable what a little thing will hold men in 
check. Finally the camp quieted down, and after a cold 
supper I went to bed. Before I turned in, the cook, a 
rough fellow named Brown, sls»pped me on the back 
and said, "Wal, now, for a kid, that war purty well 
done," and then he went away laughing. I was very 
indignant that any one should call me kid, and went to 
sleep planning how it should be stopped; but that was 
long ago, and I am not so very old even now. 
Francis C. Nicholas. 
Gen J Sherman and the Monkeys. 
During the term of President Hayes, the directors of 
the annual Industrial Exhibition of Cincinnati invited him 
to preside at the opening ceremonies, and the Zoo Board 
asked him to spend an afternoon at the garden during his 
stay in the city. Of course I was expected to surpass all 
my previous displays in the usual parade given on the 
open day of the exposition. Discarding the usual exhibi- 
tion of elephants and camels, the zoo was represented by a 
female leopard and young one. The mother sat alongside 
her keeper on the back seat of one of the little phaetons 
used for conveying visitors around the garden, while the 
youngster lolled in front of them. It required divers night 
rehearsals before matters worked smoothly, but we finally 
.succeeded in getting the leopards accustomed to their new 
surroundings ,and the ponies trained to hauling such fear- 
ful passengers. In order to prevent an escape of the 
felines, they were fastened by collars arrd chains, covered 
with leopard skins, so as to conceal the manner of secur- 
ing them. Dick, the mulatto boy who drove the phaeton, 
was the most uneasy party of the lot, but continual repeti- 
tions finally cured him of his want of confidence. As I 
hoped, the zoo's turn-out proved to be the leading feature 
of the great display, and Dick returned to the garden in a 
highly elated condition. 
The day after the formal opening of the exposition the 
garden was crowded with, visitors, and I was constantly on 
the move, from one portion of the grounds to another, in 
r.rder to see that everything went on smoothly and satis- 
factorily with the throng. Late in the afternoon, while 
passing the restaurant, I recognized, from newspaper 
portraits. Generals Sherman and Sheridan, with a party 
of friends, seated at a table in the corner of the portico en- 
joying their liquid refreshments. Instantly divining that 
they had not been recognized by the crowd, and judging 
that they wished to preserve their incognito, I passed on 
to another portion of the grounds, and did not mention 
the fact, until after the closing of the gates, when I en- 
lightened the keeper of the restaurant as to the rank of a 
portion of his customers during the afternoon. He imme- 
diately took me to task for not informing him of the fact, 
when I retorted by saying that he would have instantly 
made known their identity to all his acquaintances, who 
would have crowded around and forced, the party to beat 
a retreat. . - 
The next day was the one appointed for the visit of 
the President and his family. Of course I made the en- 
trance my headquarters until after his arrival, when he 
was escorted by several of the directors to the restaurant, 
where a room had been especially fitted up for his particu- 
lar accommodation. Remaining at the gate a short time 
after their departure, in order to assist in handling the 
crowd, which had followed the Presidential party. I was 
surprised to see General Sherman alight from a street 
car, and start for the office to purchase a ticket. Divining 
his intention, I intercepted him, introduced myself and 
passed him through the gate so quietly that the throng did 
not recognize him. After getting inside, he informed 
me that, having been detained by some friends until it was 
too late to meet the President at starting, he had jumped 
on to the car in hopes of overtaking' the party before their 
arrival at the garden. I piloted him up to the restaurant, 
where we found the President and family just starting on 
a tour of the grounds, under the guidance of the directors. 
The General joined them, but in a short time they had all 
clustered around Mr. Hayes, and left the General to fol- 
low in their wake. I immediately stepped up to him with 
the remark: 
"General, if you will deign to accept my pilotage, I 
flatter myself that you will learn more natural history 
than by accompanying the President and his guides." 
"I accept your kind offer -with great pleasure, but have 
a request to make, and that is to make your calculations 
to spend a greater portion of our time with the monkeys, 
as from my earliest recoflectio.n they have always been an 
irresistible attraction to me." _ 
Acting as he wished, we paid flying visits to a greater 
