University of Virginia Library

2. CHAPTER II.
THE WELCOME MESSENGER.

The young man no sooner saw the wolf
fall headlong upon the ice, which he deluged
with his purple blood, than with that habitual
precaution, which marks the woodman,
he proceeded to re-charge his rifle.

This act he performed in less than a minute's
time, driving down the well wrapped
ball with skill and strength. He then severed
one of the ears of the monster from his
head as a trophy, and was about to proceed
forward on the level ice, when the sharp report
of a rifle at a distance, far up on the opposite
shore of the river startled his ear.

With an exclamation of surprise, he looked
keenly in the direction, and discovered curling
above the forest trees, a wreath of blue
smoke.

`It is the camp. I am nearer them than I
believed,' he said with animation. `If I am
expeditious I shall reach them ere it is quite
dark. This wolf, by drawing the fire of my
rifle, has done me good service, should this
ensuing shot prove to proceed from my
friends!'

Thus speaking he bounded forward along
the level field of ice, which stretched full a
quarter of a mile beyond him, and lightly his
`flyer' flew after him, its weight scarcely
felt by him, so smoothly did it glide over the
polished surface.

In a few moments he reached the upper
verge of the float, and checked his speed,
that he might advance with caution to the
edge. He found it solid to the line of the
deep water, and launching his boat once
more upon the tide, he resumed his seat in
the bows, and plied his paddle vigorously.
As far as the eye could reach, the river was
open, save here and there a cake of small dimensions
floating along at great distances
apart.

Upon getting once more into his boat, he
found himself but little farther up the stream,
after all his rapid progress across the icy intervale,
for his delay with the wolf and at the
barrier, had been sufficient to neutralize his
previous advance, and as the ice had borne
him constantly southward, he found himself
on embarking again, after crossing its field
of half mile in extent, but about three hundred
yards above the spot where he had
landed upon it.

Night was fast gathering upon the valley
and forest, though the top of Mount Keplin
still looked redly bright in the glow of the
western sky, which the sun had left. The
river save where it caught the reflected glow
of the sky was dark, and its western shore
was wrapped in the gloom of deep twilight.
The young man plied his paddle vigorously,

and caused his light boat literally to fly, like
a bird skimming the surface, proving how
truly it deserved its appellation.

But the current was strong, and there
were isolated cakes of ice which he had to
turn aside for, so that his direct progress
was slow; and even the top of the mountain
grew grey in the shadows of evening, before
he came up opposite the place where he believed
the report of the rifle he had heard
had come. He then struck for the eastern
bank in order to land at the spot. The
shores were, however, so dark that he could
distinguish no object upon them, scarcely
being able to discern the line of the junction
of water and land. No signs of any fire, for
which he looked, were visible. Suddenly he
placed his hand to his mouth, and shouted
aloud,

`Hillihoh! ho! Hilloh!'

He listened, and in a moment was gladdened
by hearing a reply from the opposite
side of a projecting point, a reply not of one
or two voices, but of at least half a score in
every rude key of hilarious shouting.

`They are there!' he cried, and this projecting
wooded rock has hid them and their
fire from me, for I can now discern the flickering
glare of a light upon the profile of those
trees ahead of me! Hoh, ho! Hillihoh! he
responded in a clear cheery tone, and after
a couple of minutes rapid paddling he shot
round the intervening rock, and a scene that
wildly and strongly contrasted the solitude
and gloom he had left a moment before, burst
upon him.

In a sort of amphitheatre made by a cove
in the bank of the river, and upon a sloping
green sward dotted with majestic trees,
monarchs of the forest, there was discovered
about a score of men variously grouped
about two large fires, that sent their red
blaze high into the air, amid the leafless
trees that nearly met above their heads.
This cove was nearly enclosed by a cliff of
rock which overhung it, and by an eminence
that rose far above it, topped with a dark
fringe of larches. In the rear of the nook
where they were seen was a vista that led
deep into the forest, from whose gloomy
depths the white glare of scathed trees caught
the eye.

A projecting rock above the cove turned
off the strength of the current towards the
middle of the river, and left a basin about
fifty yards across, and twenty rods wide,
wherein the water was perfectly still, and
now reflected the fine light like a crimson
died mirror.

The young man paused a moment, as this
cove and its fires and groups opened upon
him, to contemplate it. At one of the fires,
about four or five men in red, blue and
striped shirts, were busy at work cooking,
one cutting up a deer, a second filling a huge
kettle hung on forked sticks, with water, a
third frying bacon, and a fourth pealing potatoes,
which he cast into a huge pot that
stood upon bricks in the fire. Four more
men seated a few feet off upon a bear's skin,
were playing cards by the fire-light; and
two were drinking together beneath a tree.
One man was walking near them with his
arms folded, and apparently thinking of other
scenes, perhaps of his own cabin and its treasures.
Here and there among them lay huge
dogs, watching either the card-players with
curious eyes, or with more wistful looks,
scrutinizing every movement made by the
men who were engaged in the culinary department.

About twelve yards from the lower fire
was the other one, made like it, of huge
glowing logs, sending its light and heat in
a wide circle around it. About it was also
gathered a group of men; but these seemed
to have a more diligent cooking club, or
they had commenced their operations earlier;
for they were all engaged in partaking
of their supper, cooks as well as the rest;
for there was perfect equality among these
men, each in turn performing his duty as
cook, and when through with his work joining
his fellows in their meal. This party

consisted of eleven men, who were seated
about the fire in a circle, upon skins or pieces
of wood—a wooden kit and tin dipper
being placed between every two men. They
were eating like persons who had earned an
appetite by hard toil, and seemed to enjoy
with great zest every mouthful they voraciously
devoured.

Armed only with jack-knives, they cut or
tore the meat apart, sometimes using an axe
to crush a bone. They soaked their hard
biscuit in their pots of black coffee, of which
they drank enormous quantities, some of
them furtively increasing its strength with a
dash of whiskey, a jug of which stood temptingly
at hand. The fire-light shining upon
their dark, swarthy faces, over which the
razor had not passed for weeks, gave to their
features a wild and savage aspect, and lent
to the whole group a singularly picturesque
appearance. Yet the countenances were
not those of men whose lives were passed in
crime, and whose hearts were savage; but
of men strong and hardy, laborious and uncultured!
The fierce eye, the guilty brow,
the nervous hand, familiar with the dagger's
grasp, were wanting here, wild and rude as
these people appeared. Nevertheless there
were stern and strong featured men, bold and
daring men, and careless and reckless men
among them.

In the rear of the fires, and protected by
the overhanging height, was a large log-cabin,
capable of containing all the party at
night. Around the door stood at least a
score of axes, the gleam of which as the
bright steel caught the light, had a fine effected
shining, as it did out of the gloom in
which the cabin stood. Farther in the rear
of the cabin was a long shed enclosed by a
rough fence of timber, over the top of which
could be seen by the fine light, the white
curving horns of many oxen. Near this enclosure
were carts and heavily-wheeled cars,
with glittering chains hanging upon them,
shining like silver as the flickering light of
the fires, glowed upon them. The tall col
umns of the dark trees, each receding beyond
the other, till lost in obscurity, and the midnight
gloom of the impenetrable wood, made
up the background of the picture. Overhead
the stars began to appear in the shadowy
sky, and shine tremulously down at times,
completely concealed by the clouds of smoke
that rolled upward from the fires, when fresh
logs were cast upon them by the busy fire-tenders.

All this scene of mingled light and shade,
of wildness and beauty, was embraced with
its details by the eye of the young man in
much less time than we have taken to describe
it.

His boat did not long remain undiscovered,
for both it and its occupant were distinctly
seen in relief, against the red reflection
in the water, and a shout, and then another
followed the discovery, till every eye
was directed towards him.

He then gave a few strokes with his paddle
towards the shore, and running his flyer
between two canoes, that with several other
boats were fastened to the rocks, he sprung
to the land. There were two men who
came forward and met him, one of them
warmly grasping both his hands, while the
other placing his hand on his shoulder said,

`You are welcome, boy We have been
looking for you this two days past!'

`I heard your rifle, Griffitt, and should
have known it was yours among a thousand,'
said the other with a look of pleasure at the
meeting. `What did you fire at?'

`A wolf. There is one of his ears, so
that you see my shot was not thrown away!'
added the young man with a smile.

`A huge and old fellow, boy, and you did
well,' answered gruffly, the old man who
first spoke, `I see you are good for something
yet—though you would be second to
no man in the valley of Wyoming, if you
would give over your folly for picturing.
But come, the news.'

`Aye, aye, the news, old man, you are
right. Let us hear what is going on below,

Griffitt?' cried several of the men leaving
their suppers, or rather bringing them in
their hands, and gathering about the new
comer. `What do you bring for us?'

`No ill news for any one of you, my
friends`' answered Griffitt. `Here is a parcel
of letters for some of you boys, from your
sweet-hearts and wives; and for those who
have no such tokens, I have brought fair
words and kind!'

`Fair words and kind for me,' responded
the young man who had first spoken to Griffitt,
and had seemed so pleased to see him.
`Fair words and kind, warm from the lips,
and fresh from the heart, are better than all
your paper fixins!'

`Derick says that, boys, because he can't
read nosetin, nor write it nuther,' said one
of the men whose face was as black with
hair as a bears.

`A good reason enough, boys,' said another
with a laugh.

`Here are your letters, men, some dozen
or so,' said Griffitt, opening his knapsack,
and taking out a small package which he
untied, and cast upon one of the bear skins,
scattering the letters over it. `Let every
man find his own!'

There were half a score of these rough
men of the woods, instantly tumbling upon
their knees and bellies, about the bear-skin,
each scrambling to get possession of a letter,
which after an amusing rough and scrabble
scene, that lasted for about three minutes,
was successfully achieved. But although
each one obtained a letter, not one among
them all had got his own proper one. Then
came exchanges by the fire-light, those who
held a comrade's epistle, reading out his
name aloud. The distribution was at length
completed, and these rough and rude deni
zens of the forests, fathers, brothers, sons
and lovers, squatted about the fires, forgetful
of their supper, to read over, or spell
over the sheets of affection they had received.
Three months absence in the wilderness,
near the sources of the Susquehannah,
had not rendered them indifferent to or
forgetful of the homes and friends they had
left.

The men who had not received letters by
the young man Griffitt, crowded round him
plying him with questions of their families.
With great patience and kindness he gave
them the several messages he had been entrusted
with; and as he had happily brought
none but good news, his coming diffused joy
and mirth throughout the camp of sturdy
raftsmen. The letters being all decyphered,
and read aloud for the benefit of all, they
again bethought themselves of their suppers;
and inviting, or rather almost dragging Griffitt
along to eat with them, the two messes
assembled around the lower fire, and again
fell to work with fresh appetites, while in
consideration of the arrival of the new-comer,
the whiskey can circulated with great activity,
and was often replenished. `Sweethearts
and wives,' were drank half a score of
times, and Griffitt's health was by no means
forgotten, for though the old man who had
first met him had spoken roughly to him, he
seemed to be a favorite. Songs were sung,
and the woods echoed their voices, as if
joining in the revels of the happy and uproarious
woodsmen. Altogether it was a
scene as striking as it was novel, and was
fully enjoyed by Griffitt, who though in dress
and appearance was of them and one of
them, by his air and bearing seemed far
above them.