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Stories from the Adirondacks - Albert A. Young · Anting-Anting Stories And Other Strange Tales of the Filipinos by Sargent Kayme

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  Speaker 1: Section one of Stories from the Adirondacks by Albert A.
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  Speaker 2: Young.
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  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
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  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Rogermaline. Stories from the
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  Speaker 1: Adirondacks by Albert A.
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  Speaker 2: Young.
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  Speaker 1: Section one, The Mysterious Lake or the Hermit of Blue Ridge,
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  Speaker 1: Part one, Discovery of the Hermit. Early in life, it
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  Speaker 1: was a great pleasure to the writer to ramble in
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  Speaker 1: the woods among the Adirondack mountains in which I was
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  Speaker 1: born and brought up, in search of game of various kinds, roots, oars,
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  Speaker 1: et cetera. My father was an old woodsman and trapper,
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  Speaker 1: and this taste for hunting was a nat inheritance in me.
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  Speaker 1: Many is the day that I have tramped over Blue Ridge,
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  Speaker 1: with my gun on my shoulder and my faithful dog
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  Speaker 1: nearrow at my heels. And many is the evening that
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  Speaker 1: I have returned home, bringing with me numerous fine trophies
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  Speaker 1: in the shape of animals of the smaller order birds, jinseng, roots,
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  Speaker 1: et cetera. In fact, so much had I traveled the
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  Speaker 1: woods through that I began to think there was not
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  Speaker 1: a square rod of land in the whole Adirondack region
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  Speaker 1: that I did not know the exact location of. But
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  Speaker 1: I was yet to learn that I was mistaken. I
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  Speaker 1: had often heard my father speak of a tradition that
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  Speaker 1: was handed down from the early settlers of the vicinity,
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  Speaker 1: that somewhere on the top of Blue Ridge there was
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  Speaker 1: a lake, the water of which was as clear as
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  Speaker 1: a crystal, and contained, or rather was running over with
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  Speaker 1: out of a fabulous size. Many efforts had been made
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  Speaker 1: to discover this lake, but all in vain, as the
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  Speaker 1: outlet ran underground and so could not be traced by
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  Speaker 1: this source. So thoroughly had I explored the vicinity of
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  Speaker 1: where this lake was supposed to be, that I was
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  Speaker 1: convinced that there was no such body of water. Set
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  Speaker 1: the matter down as some old settler's yarn, and if
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  Speaker 1: it ever came up as a topic of conversation in
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  Speaker 1: my presence, laughed it to scorn. Years passed by, I
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  Speaker 1: gave up my old pursuits of hunting and went to
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  Speaker 1: New York City, where I secured a situation in the
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  Speaker 1: mercantile business and in the new scenes and experiences through
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  Speaker 1: which I passed. I forgot many of my boyhood's happy days,
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  Speaker 1: and also about the tradition of the lost lake on
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  Speaker 1: Blue Ridge in the land I left behind me. It
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  Speaker 1: was only a few years ago that I returned from
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  Speaker 1: the city to my old home, nestling among the evergreen mountains.
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  Speaker 1: Harry Armstrong, who was employed with me in New York
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  Speaker 1: and who had become a fast friend of mine, came
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  Speaker 1: home with me as my guest. I had not been
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  Speaker 1: back many days when the old desire came over me,
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  Speaker 1: and I longed to take a tramp in the woods
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  Speaker 1: over the ground that my feet had so often trod
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  Speaker 1: in former days. I mentioned this desire to Harry one
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  Speaker 1: morning and asked him to go with me for a
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  Speaker 1: day's gunning in the woods on top of Old Blue Ridge,
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  Speaker 1: which was about a five miles walk from my home.
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  Speaker 1: Harry readily consented, as he was struck with the novelty
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  Speaker 1: of a tramp in the forest, and so we made
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  Speaker 1: some hasty preparations and with our shot guns, started out.
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  Speaker 1: Before going, Harry took care to put in a quart
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  Speaker 1: bottle of Mum's extra dry with our lunch. Harry, I
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  Speaker 1: may add, was rather too fond of this beverage. We
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  Speaker 1: passed through pastures in which gentle cows were peacefully feeding,
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  Speaker 1: through fields in which the golden grain was waving, and
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  Speaker 1: in about an hour's time came to the edge of
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  Speaker 1: the woods at the foot of the ridge. Pausing in
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  Speaker 1: our walk for a few minutes, we took first a
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  Speaker 1: good pull at Harry's bottle, and then a look behind
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  Speaker 1: us at my home in the distance, and resuming our tramp,
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  Speaker 1: we were soon climbing the rugged sides of the mountain,
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  Speaker 1: looking around us on all sides for birds or game
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  Speaker 1: of any kind. As we traveled on, I recognized many
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  Speaker 1: familiar landmarks and places which I used to visit in
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  Speaker 1: my former trips through the region. Frightened from their hiding places,
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  Speaker 1: various kinds of small game banged away at some with
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  Speaker 1: more or less success in bringing them down, And when
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  Speaker 1: noon came, we halted to rest and eat our lunch
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  Speaker 1: by the side of a little spring which bubbled up
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  Speaker 1: out of the earth. After eating, we lighted our pipes, and,
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  Speaker 1: reclining under some sturdy maples, settled down for a few
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  Speaker 1: minutes of comfort. It was a day in early September.
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  Speaker 1: The sun shone bright and warm, flies were buzzing in
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  Speaker 1: the air, and birds sang sweet songs in the branches
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  Speaker 1: over our heads. As we smoked away, we began to
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  Speaker 1: get drowsy. Soon our eyelids felt heavy, our pipes fell
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  Speaker 1: from our mouths, and we were fast asleep. One, two, three,
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  Speaker 1: four hours passed slowly away, and still we slept. A
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  Speaker 1: fifth had almost passed when I awoke with a start,
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  Speaker 1: jumped up and looked around me. Harry was still sleeping.
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  Speaker 1: I looked at the sun and saw that it was
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  Speaker 1: hanging over the horizon, lacking but a short time of setting.
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  Speaker 1: I looked at my watch and saw that it was
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  Speaker 1: getting late. Walking over to where my companion was lying,
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  Speaker 1: I grabbed hold of him, gave him a shake and
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  Speaker 1: a twitch, which had the double effect of awakening him
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  Speaker 1: and bringing him on to his feet. Come, I said,
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  Speaker 1: hurry up, and let's get started for home. What fools
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  Speaker 1: we have made of ourselves sleeping like that when we
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  Speaker 1: are here in the wilderness, among bears, catamounts, and who
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  Speaker 1: knows what else, many miles from home, and the sun
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  Speaker 1: almost set.
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  Speaker 2: I can't help.
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  Speaker 1: It, drawled, he rubbing his eyes. Where's the bottle? I
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  Speaker 1: assured him that it was safe, and I picked up
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  Speaker 1: our duffel and started off in the direction of home,
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  Speaker 1: casting as I went many anxious glances toward the rapidly
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  Speaker 1: setting sun. Harry followed me. We had proceeded but a
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  Speaker 1: short distance when from out of a thicket to our
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  Speaker 1: immediate right, there burst forth a large black bear. Accustomed
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  Speaker 1: as I was in my youthful days to seeing such sights,
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  Speaker 1: I was not much startled, but Harry saw it, and,
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  Speaker 1: giving a yell of terror, he darted past me and
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  Speaker 1: started off through the wood at the top of his speed.
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  Speaker 1: I shouted to him to stop, but he heeded, not
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  Speaker 1: fearing he would get out of my sight and lost.
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  Speaker 1: I ran after him and tried to catch up with him,
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  Speaker 1: to restrain him by means of my strength, if not
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  Speaker 1: of my voice. But on he flew, and in spite
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  Speaker 1: of my best efforts I could not overtake him, but
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  Speaker 1: managed to keep him in sight. On on we ran,
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  Speaker 1: the pursuit and the pursuer, dodging among the trees, jumping
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  Speaker 1: over old logs, rocks, and other obstacles in our way,
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  Speaker 1: until finally Harry disappeared from my sight behind a clump
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  Speaker 1: of alders and small brush. I rushed onward, reached the
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  Speaker 1: place where I saw him disappear, parted the brush, leaped through,
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  Speaker 1: and came to a sudden stop. At my side stood Harry,
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  Speaker 1: trembling with fear and exhaustion. And right before us, stretched
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  Speaker 1: out I should say, two miles long, and fully half
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  Speaker 1: of that distance wide. Hemmed on all sides by the
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  Speaker 1: unbroken wilderness, was as beauty full a sheet of water
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  Speaker 1: as I ever saw in my life. Out on its surface,
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  Speaker 1: about fifty rods from shore was a rough scow boat,
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  Speaker 1: and seated in it was an old man with long
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  Speaker 1: gray hair hanging down his back, which was turned toward us,
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  Speaker 1: and he was intently engaged in fishing. I stood gazing
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  Speaker 1: in amazement at this scene, which had so suddenly presented
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  Speaker 1: itself to my view. Where was I? Surely I must
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  Speaker 1: be on Blue Ridge, but that body of water. Then
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  Speaker 1: it suddenly flashed upon my mind that I had accidentally
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  Speaker 1: stumbled upon the lost lake of the tradition of my forefathers.
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  Speaker 1: But who was that old man? I spoke to Harry,
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  Speaker 1: and he in the boat heard me and turned quickly
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  Speaker 1: around toward us, peering sharply in our direction. I stepped
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  Speaker 1: out and plain view of him, and motioned him to
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  Speaker 1: come ashore. He looked intently at me for a moment,
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  Speaker 1: and then gathered up his fishing tackle, took up his oars,
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  Speaker 1: and commenced rowing slowly toward us. When at a distance
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  Speaker 1: of about five rods from shore, he came to a stop, and,
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  Speaker 1: in a voice of stern authority, he asked, who are
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  Speaker 1: you who thus trespass on my domain? We are your friends,
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  Speaker 1: I trust, I replied. We are from the settlement, and
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  Speaker 1: while roaming in these woods, we lost our way and
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  Speaker 1: have accidentally come to this spot. If you can show
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  Speaker 1: us some route that we can take and get back home,
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  Speaker 1: we will be very grateful to you. The old man
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  Speaker 1: did not speak until some moments had passed, but seemed
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  Speaker 1: lost in thought. When he again addressed, as it was
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  Speaker 1: in a gentler tone. You are many miles from any
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  Speaker 1: habitation save my own, he said, and the sun is
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  Speaker 1: already set, darkness will soon fall upon the land. Think
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  Speaker 1: not of going home to night, but accept of my
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  Speaker 1: hospitality until the morrow. Then go your way and forget
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  Speaker 1: that you ever saw me or this place. Come stand
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  Speaker 1: not there, but get into my boat and go with
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  Speaker 1: me to my mansion over there, and he smiled and
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  Speaker 1: pointed across the water. We complied with his request got
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  Speaker 1: into the boat, which while we were talking he had
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  Speaker 1: pulled up to the shore, and were soon gliding over
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  Speaker 1: the water, going in the direction of the east end
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  Speaker 1: of the lake. We soon reached our destination, and the
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  Speaker 1: old man secured his boat and led the way into
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  Speaker 1: the forest. We followed and soon came to a cabin
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  Speaker 1: among the trees.
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  Speaker 2: This we entered.
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  Speaker 1: The old man struck a light, built a fire in
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  Speaker 1: a rude stove, and set to work to prepare some supper.
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  Speaker 1: Harry and myself sat down on a bench built against
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  Speaker 1: the wall and entered into conversation with our strange host.
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  Speaker 1: We saw he was a man of culture and good breeding,
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  Speaker 1: but very reticent about relating anything of his past life
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  Speaker 1: at first. But after supper, which consisted of venison, steak, trout,
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  Speaker 1: corn bread, and coffee made of parched corn, and which
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  Speaker 1: seemed to me the best meal I ever tasted, he
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  Speaker 1: became more communicative and finally told us the romantic and
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  Speaker 1: sad history of his life. Part two, The Old Hermit's Story.
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  Speaker 1: I was born, brought up, and educated in the city
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  Speaker 1: of New York, began the old man. There were the
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  Speaker 1: scenes of many happy days for me in my boyhood,
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  Speaker 1: of some sad ones as I advanced in age. Imagine
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  Speaker 1: a lad happy, full of life and gaiety, having no
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  Speaker 1: apprehensive thought other than of happiness for the future, living
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  Speaker 1: only in the present, having a cheery home, a kind father,
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  Speaker 1: a gentle and ever loving mother, and everything that a
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  Speaker 1: young heart could wish for. Such was I at the
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  Speaker 1: age of ten years. I attended the best school in
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  Speaker 1: the city, was quick to learn, and a favorite with
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  Speaker 1: my teachers and schoolmates. Those were happy days for me. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: that we could realize the vast happiness of our youthful
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  Speaker 1: days before there passed. My father was a merchant down town. Well,
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  Speaker 1: can I remember when but a wee boy of six summers?
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  Speaker 1: My father took me down to his store one afternoon,
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  Speaker 1: and there for one glorious half day I sported in
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  Speaker 1: great glee among piles of dry goods, boxes of shoes, hats,
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  Speaker 1: et cetera. I related my adventures to mother that evening
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  Speaker 1: with great gusto. And when father came home, he took
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  Speaker 1: me on his knee and said, my little Georgie will
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  Speaker 1: some day own the store and all the pretty things
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  Speaker 1: he saw when Papa has gone. Little did I think
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  Speaker 1: that some day would come so soon, But so it proved.
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  Speaker 1: Ten years after my father died, and I found myself,
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  Speaker 1: at the age of sixteen, heir to his vast fortune.
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  Speaker 1: My school days were over, and I went into the
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  Speaker 1: large store left by my father, and with the assistance
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  Speaker 1: of a manager, carried on the business. As I grew up,
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  Speaker 1: accustomed as I was in my youth to being petted
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  Speaker 1: and having my own way, I began to show signs
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  Speaker 1: of waywardness, which greatly displeased my manager and brought new
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  Speaker 1: grief to my mother. At the age of eighteen, I
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  Speaker 1: was more fond of spending money than I was of
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  Speaker 1: earning it. I had, in fact given myself up to
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  Speaker 1: fast living, if not actual dissipation. I was fond of
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  Speaker 1: gay companions, of wine, the club and ballroom. As I
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  Speaker 1: handled plenty of money, I did not hesitate to avail
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  Speaker 1: myself of every luxury my heart desired. Of course, I
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  Speaker 1: had many friends. As I spent money lavishly, and as
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  Speaker 1: I was rather comely in appearance, I was a special
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  Speaker 1: object of adoration among the fair sex manys the time.
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  Speaker 1: At this period of mine, my life, that my mother
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  Speaker 1: would weep over me and implore me to be a
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  Speaker 1: better son, and I would, for an hour be ashamed
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  Speaker 1: and repentant, and promise her I would, But alas my
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  Speaker 1: promise would soon be forgotten.
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  Speaker 2: In another wild, mad.
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  Speaker 1: Rush of gaiety, at a rather questionable resort, I first
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  Speaker 1: met Lulu Wilson. She was, I believe, the prettiest creature
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  Speaker 1: that I ever saw. But little did I then know
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  Speaker 1: of the deceit and wickedness that lay behind those twinkling
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  Speaker 1: blue eyes. She fascinated me with them. I fell madly
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  Speaker 1: in love with her, and was delighted to see that
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  Speaker 1: she appeared fond of me. I took her to balls,
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  Speaker 1: to the theater, I was constantly by her side. I
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  Speaker 1: adored her, and in spite of the whisperings of my
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  Speaker 1: friends that she was a clever adventurers, and against the
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  Speaker 1: wishes of my mother, I married her. When my mother
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  Speaker 1: heard of our engagement, she was very sad and said
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  Speaker 1: to me, dear George, you can never be happy with
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  Speaker 1: that woman. I have taken pains to find out her history,
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  Speaker 1: and it is bad, very bad. I would listen to nothing,
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  Speaker 1: and so the wedding came off, I took my wife
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  Speaker 1: home to live with my mother, and for a time
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  Speaker 1: confined myself more attentively to business, and as everything went well,
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  Speaker 1: I was really happy. I was always ready to gratify
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  Speaker 1: my wife's every whim, and by her advice, made many
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  Speaker 1: investments to induce larger returns in my business, not knowing
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  Speaker 1: that this would surely lead to my destruction. A short
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  Speaker 1: time after I became of age, my dear mother was
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  Speaker 1: taken and violently ill and died before a physician could
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  Speaker 1: reach the house. The doctors said heart failure, but I
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  Speaker 1: am now confident that my wife administered poison or something
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  Speaker 1: which caused her death. By the death of my mother,
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  Speaker 1: I lost the only blood relation that I ever knew,
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  Speaker 1: and found myself the sole possessor of a large amount
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  Speaker 1: of property. I was, by her death, drawn more closely
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  Speaker 1: to my wife if such a thing was possible, and
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  Speaker 1: was willing to abide by her advice, and she took
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  Speaker 1: an active interest in my business. She urged me to speculate,
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  Speaker 1: and I speculated heavily. Things took a turn, and I
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  Speaker 1: saw that my business and property were being fast involved
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  Speaker 1: in debt. My wife urged me to deed everything over
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  Speaker 1: to her, so I would be safe from creditors until
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: the crisis was past and things took a turn for
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  Speaker 1: the better. This I blindly consented to do. A few
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  Speaker 1: days after the transfer, I went home one afternoon to
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  Speaker 1: find the house closed and my wife gone. I inquired
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  Speaker 1: of the neighbors and elicited the information that she had
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  Speaker 1: left the house about an hour before, in company with
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  Speaker 1: a strange man. I was astonished at this, and as
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  Speaker 1: I stood there wondering, two men came up, took possession
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  Speaker 1: of the house and showed me papers to prove that
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  Speaker 1: they had bought it of my wife. I rushed down
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  Speaker 1: the street to the police station and asked the chief
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  Speaker 1: what to do. He told me I had better hunt
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: up my wife and get an explanation of her conduct.
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: I went on the search for her and found that
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: she had, in company with a tall, dark looking man,
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  Speaker 1: boarded a northbound train. Having bought tickets for Albany. I
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: also bought a ticket for the same place, and taking
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: the next train, was soon speeding northward. I arrived in
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  Speaker 1: Albany that evening about nine o'clock and anxiously inquired of
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  Speaker 1: the depot authorities there whether they had seen a couple.
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: Answering to the description I gave, they had not, and
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  Speaker 1: intimated that if I was tracing anybody, I had better
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  Speaker 1: secure the services of a professional detective.
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  Speaker 2: Tired and distracted.
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: In body and mind, I sought a hotel and tried
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: vainly to get some rest. Early next morning, I went
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: to police headquarters and engaged the services of a detective,
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: and he and I took up the search for my
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: runaway wife. We found that she and her companion had
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: stayed at a hotel in the city and had been
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: driven to the depot early in the morning, where they
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: took a train for Saratoga. The detective and myself followed after.
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: On reaching Saratoga, we found that the couple had alighted
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  Speaker 1: from a train there and were somewhere in that city.
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: In conversing with the Saratoga Chief of Police, I made
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  Speaker 1: the discovery that my wife was a former resident of
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  Speaker 1: that place, where she had a very bad record previous
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: to her going to New York, and that her marrying
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  Speaker 1: me was probably a bold scheme of hers to get
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  Speaker 1: hold of my property. Acting upon this advice, I swore
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  Speaker 1: out a warrant for her arrest and officers were sent
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: scouring the city in search of her. I went to
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  Speaker 1: a hotel, leaving word that when she was found to
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  Speaker 1: be notified so I could appear and prefer charges against her.
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: In the afternoon, a message came to me that my
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: wife had evaded the officers, and, still in company with
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: her male companion, had taken a train going north, evidently
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: bound for Canada. I determined that I would follow her
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  Speaker 1: even to the end of the earth, and when I
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: found her, would shoot her down in her tracks. With
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: this rash impulse, I stopped at a store, bought a revolver,
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  Speaker 1: and rushed down to the depot. A train was just
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  Speaker 1: about to go. I asked the agent what train it was,
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  Speaker 1: and he said northbound. I hurriedly jumped aboard without buying
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  Speaker 1: a ticket, and off we went. The conductor came around
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  Speaker 1: calling for tickets. I told him I had none, and
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: inquired the fare in camp to Montreal, to which place
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: I presumed my wife had gone to Montreal. He exclaimed,
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: you are on the wrong road. You should have taken
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: a train on the Champlain Division. This goes up into
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: the Adirondack Mountains. You will have to get off at
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: the next station and wait for a train back to Saratoga.
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: About ten miles farther on, the train came to a
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: halt at a small station, and I alighted and strolled
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: about the place, awaiting a return train to Saratoga. The
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: depot agent came out of his office after a short time,
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: glancing sharply at me as he went past and down
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: the walk which led to the little village near by.
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: He soon returned in company with a large man who
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: came up to me and asked me if my name
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: was George So and So. I replied that it was,
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: wondering who the man was and what he wanted. Then
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: he said, laying his hand on my shoulder, I arrest
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: you on a telegram just received from New York, where
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: you are wanted on a charge of fraudulently transferring or
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: disposing of your property with intent to beat your creditors
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: and leave the country. Come with me. Not expecting anything
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: of this kind, I was for a moment dazed by
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: this development and made no reply, but mechanically followed the
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: officer as he went back toward the village. But quickly
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: there came to my senses a realization of the bad
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: fix I was in. Disgrace and imprisonment were before me
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: and sure to be my lot, and all because I
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: loved and gratified the requests of one I trusted implicitly,
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: but who had turned to be falser than Satan himself.
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: A great fear came over me, and a longing to
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: be free, to flee far away. I knew not, nor
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: cared not where, only somewhere to get away from these
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: tormenting thoughts that possessed my mind. I could not endure
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: the thought of being a prisoner in the hands of
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: the law for a crime of which I considered myself innocent.
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: Acting on the impulses of the moment, I quickly put
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: my hand in my pocket, drew out my revolver, and
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: shot at the constable before he had time to prevent me.
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: He threw up his hands and with a cry of pain,
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: fell over backward. Then with a bound I left him
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: and ran like a wild deer into the forest nearby.
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: I will not weary you with all the details of
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: the terrible days and nights which fall load pursued. Broken
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: hearted and forlorn, I wandered, going for days without food
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: except wild berries and such game as I could shoot
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: with my small revolver, exposing myself to great dangers from
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: wild beasts, et cetera, until one day I accidentally stumbled
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: upon this spot, found this cabin, these utensils, and this gun,
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: just as you see them. Who they belonged to I
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: know not. No person has come to claim them, nor
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: has mortal foot except my own, trod this ground for
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: the many years I have lived here until you came.
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: But here I have lived all alone, musing on the past,
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: an outcast from the society of man, a fugitive from justice,
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: I perhaps a murderer, and all on account of the
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: woman I once loved.
• 27:04
  Speaker 2: God knows how well.
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: But I am here, and here I must stay until
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: death shall some day find me, and my spirit shall
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: go free to experience in its future dwelling place. What
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: as for you, I will conduct you out tomorrow, but
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: in a manner that will completely blind you as to
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: the route, And I have no fears that you or
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: any other persons will ever find the way to this place.
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: Part three. Farewell, dear hermit. It was near the hour
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: of midnight when the old man finished his strange tale,
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: and at its conclusion he arose and went to the
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: farther corner of the cabin, where he stretched himself out
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: on a pile of furs which were thrown on the floor,
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: and was soon sleeping soundly, his hand resting on his gun,
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: which lay at his side. But Harry and myself were
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: too excited with the events of the day to think
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: of sleep, so we sat and pondered on what our
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: aged host had told us long before dawn. He was
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: astir and prepared some breakfast. After partaking of it, the
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: hermit took up his gun and started out, beckoning us
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: to follow. It was so dark that we could scarcely
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: discern our hands before our faces, But our guide did
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: not seem to mind this, but led the way off
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: through the forest, and we, by the aid of his voice,
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: managed to follow him. We went up hill and down hill,
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: and downhill and up hill, until we thought we had
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: traveled far enough to go half way to Europe, as
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: Harry expressed it, When just as day was breaking, we
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: found ourselves out in the clearing, about five miles from
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: the settlement. Here the old man left us, and, without
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: waiting to receive our thanks, beat a hasty retreat.
• 29:12
  Speaker 2: In the direction.
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: Whence we came, We resumed our journey and were soon
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: at home relating our adventures to our friends, who would
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: not believe a word we told them, but said, the
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: next time you two go hunting, you had better take
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: a smaller sized bottle, and then perhaps you will not
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: have to draw on your imagination for an excuse for
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: staying out all night. The incidents of which I write
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: occurred some years ago. Since then, myself, as well as
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: many others, have made repeated attempts to again discover the
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: lost Lake and old Hermit, but without avail, and the
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: whole matter is swallowed up in deep mystery, seemingly never
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: to be revealed. End of section one, Section two of
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: Stories from the Adirondacks by Albert A.
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: Young.
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Section two
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: Adventures of camp Life. There were five of us in
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: the party, and we were camped on the shores of
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: a beautiful pond away back among the Adirondack Mountains, and
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: were enjoying a week's fishing. In the vicinity. There were
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: Richard Longworth and Thomas Statton, two young drygoods merchants from
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: New York, who were on their first visit to the mountains.
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: Old Saul Hallway and Dave Bryan, two Adirondack guides, and
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: the fifth person was the humble writer of this book.
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: Longworth and Staton were stopping at a popular summer resort,
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: and I, being in the vicinity a considerable portion of
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: my time, became acquainted with them in some way. Being
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: desirous of spending some part of their vacation and fishing.
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: They asked me one day what the prospects were for
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: getting some trout. I proposed to them that we procure
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: a guide, camp out, and do some night fishing in
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: one of the ponds in the vicinity. After talking the
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: matter over, we decided that we would ask both Old
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: Saul and Brian to accompany us. We hired a tent
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: and camping utensils, also two boats and a team to
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: convey us and our duffel to a pond where our
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: guide said we were apt to have good success. We
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: staked our camp there and were soon doing a flourishing business,
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: catching fish, fighting mosquitoes, and having more fun than you
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: could shake a stick at. As Old Saul expressed it,
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: this worthy personage was a whole circus in himself, and
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: his greatest pride was in living up to his reputation
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: that of being the biggest liar in the Adirondacks, as
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: he was a good talker and an adept at bringing
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: out many strong points. I delighted in listening to his
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: stories of wonderful adventures and hair breath escapes, which he
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: would relate to us of an evening as we sat
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: in our tent or in a boat out on the
• 32:43
  Speaker 1: pond engaged in fishing. Of course, I knew that they
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: were the biggest kind of yarns, but the unsophisticated city
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: youths believed that they.
• 32:54
  Speaker 2: Were the solemn truth.
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: As Brian, who was about Sauls equal in yarning, was
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: in the habit of corroborating everything that Saul said, and
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: in their opinion, Saul was a greater man than General
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: Grant ever was tell you what Old Saul said. Aside
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: to Dave, Bryan and myself, you can make them their
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: city chaps believe that the moon's made of green cheese.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: But they'll get initiated one of these days, and many
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: degrees were conferred on them by the old guide. For instance,
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: he would tell them some blood curdling story of panthers
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: and then, pretending to have heard one scream, He and
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: Dave would rush out of the tent to listen, leaving
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: the New Yorkers trembling with fear inside, and myself convulsed
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: with laughter. It was the third night of our stay
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: in camp, and we were out in the pond, engaged
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: in fishing. Old Soul and the two Yorkers were in
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: one boat, and Dave, Bryan and myself occupied the other.
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: But we were not far apart, but lay anchored side
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: by side. It was the middle of June. The sky
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: was cloudy and the night of Stygian darkness. Away off
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: in the southwest. We could hear the low rumbling of thunder,
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: and occasionally flashes of lightning.
• 34:29
  Speaker 2: Would dart across the sky.
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: Off across the pond, an owl was breaking the stillness
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: by his continued and lonesome to who to who, and
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: the frogs croaked incessantly along the shores. It was just
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: such a scene as Old Soul delighted in, and he
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: took the occasion to tell one of his wild stories.
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: Dave said he after we had fished in silence for
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: some minutes, Dave, do you believe in ghosts? Well, drawled
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: Dave can't say that I do, though I've seen some
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: strange things in my lifetime. So have I, so have
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: I said Saul. And this night makes me think of
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: a strange experience I had once in these air parts.
• 35:24
  Speaker 2: Did I ever tell you about a Dave guess? Not?
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: Well, twas about ten years ago, and when I first
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: commenced guiding in these woods, there used to be an
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: old lumber camp crossed the pond yonder and near the
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: edge of a big swamp. Well, there used to be
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: a story that on a time when a man by
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: the name of whatever, well it's queer, I can't think
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: of his name, but never mind, had a job there,
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: and one day he got mad at his wife for
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: something or other, and he up and killed her, so
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: they say, and buried her body in the swamp. Of
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: course I never believed the story. Well, one day I
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: was guiding a party in the woods, and as I
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: said afore, being new at the biz and not acquainted
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: with the country, I lost my way and we wandered
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: around till it was nearly night. When we happened to
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: run across the old lumber camp. I proposed to my
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: companions that we roosed there for the night, and they
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: gladly consented, being about tuckered out.
• 36:42
  Speaker 2: By their long tramp.
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: I gathered some pine bows and made a kind of
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: bed in a corner of the old shanty, and my
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: companions throwed themselves down on it and were soon snoring.
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: But somehow or other I was not sleepy, and after
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: laying there a while, I got up and went outdoors
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: and sat down on a log in front of the shanty.
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: It was just about this time of the year, and
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: a night a good deal like this. It was thundering
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: away in the west, and I knew it was going
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: to rain, and I wondered if the old shanty would
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: leak and we would get wet. Then, as my thoughts
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: turned to the shanty, I wondered whose shanty it was,
• 37:31
  Speaker 1: And somehow or other my mind turned to the story
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: of the shanty man who murdered his wife and buried
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: her in a swamp, and I begun to speculate as
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: to what foundation the story had on facts. As I
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: sat there, musing away an owl, maybe the same darned
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: critter we can hear tonight, only younger was hooting away
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: back in the woods, and the night was lonely enough.
• 37:59
  Speaker 2: I can tell you you.
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: The rain drops begun to patter on the roof of
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: the shanty, and I got up and started to go inside,
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: when I was startled to hear a little ways off
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: to the right a low moan, as if some human
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: being in distress. I stopped short and held my breath
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: while I listened for.
• 38:22
  Speaker 2: A repetition of the noise.
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: But after waiting for quite a spell without hearing anything
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: but that old owl, I started on again.
• 38:33
  Speaker 2: Moan, moan.
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: There was no mistaking at this time, for I heard
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: it as plain as day. But I didn't get scared.
• 38:42
  Speaker 2: Oh no.
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: I reached in my pocket kind of unconcerned like, took
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: out a plug a tobacco and took a shaw. Then
• 38:51
  Speaker 1: I reached for my gun, which stood again the side
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: of the shanty, and started in the direction from whence
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: came the noise. I conjectured that the noise was made
• 39:02
  Speaker 1: by some animal what was prowling round our camp, and
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: meant to settle his hash. In a hurry, I stumbled
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: through the brush which grew round the shanty, the groans,
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: all the while growing louder and louder, And after going
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: a few rods as I live, I saw looming up
• 39:24
  Speaker 1: just before me. Ah, what this wonderful thing was that
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: Old Soul saw looming up before him, we never found out,
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: for just at this point his narrative was interrupted by
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: a series of the most ear piercing, terrifying screams that
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: mortal man ever listened to, ringing out in the night air.
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: At the first cry, I could see, by the light
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: of our lantern, the faces of Old Soul and Dave
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: turned pale, and their hair actually rise up. The two
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: city youths sank down in a heap in the bottom
• 40:03
  Speaker 1: of the boat, and I myself was as frightened as
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: the rest. To add to the consternation, a gust of wind,
• 40:12
  Speaker 1: sent ahead by the approaching shower, blew out our light
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: and left us in total darkness. The lightning flashed, the
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: thunder rolled, and down came the storm and smote a
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: mane the vessel in its strength, while above all arose
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: those heart rendering cries, and a loud splashing was heard
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: down the pond, as if some mighty animal had jumped
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: into the water and was swimming rapidly toward us.
• 40:45
  Speaker 2: Part two.
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: I think I was the first to come to my
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: senses and to a realization of our apparent danger, and
• 40:54
  Speaker 1: calling to old Saul to pull up the anchor of
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: his boat and follow me, I took up the oars
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: of my mine, my own boat, and pulled rapidly up
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: the pond in the direction of our camp. I wanted
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: to get ashore and obtain a gun, as we had
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: none in the boats. Then if the animal, whatever it was,
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: should follow and attack us, we would have something to
• 41:18
  Speaker 1: defend ourselves with. It was too dark to see what
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: the occupants of the other boat were doing, but I
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: could hear the dip of Saul's oars and him puffing
• 41:29
  Speaker 1: and blowing as if he were rowing for all his might.
• 41:34
  Speaker 1: After a while, he seemed to have stopped. I called
• 41:38
  Speaker 1: out to him to come on, but received no response.
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: All was as still as the grave, as the cries
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: of the animal had also suddenly ceased. I asked Dave
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: if we had not better go back and ascertain if
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: Saul's party had been capsized or anything had happened to them,
• 41:59
  Speaker 1: But he said said no, for God's sake, let's tend
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: to our own bacon and let them go to thunder.
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: Thinking myself that self preservation was the first love of nature,
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: I pulled away, and in the course of five minutes
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: reached the shore. The rain by this time was pouring
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: down in torrents and we were wet to the skin.
• 42:26
  Speaker 1: As we were pulling our boat out of the water,
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: we thought we heard out in the pond a cry,
• 42:32
  Speaker 1: as from somebody in distress, But after listening closely and
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: hearing no more, we concluded that we must have been mistaken.
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: We supposed we had landed near our camp and went
• 42:46
  Speaker 1: hunting around in search of it, but it did not
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: take us long to discover that we had gone amiss
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: and were we knew not where. We searched and searched
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: as well as we could in the darkness, but found
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: no familiar spot or object. Consulting as to what it
• 43:08
  Speaker 1: was best for us to do, we agreed that we
• 43:10
  Speaker 1: could do nothing until it was daylight, and, finding a
• 43:14
  Speaker 1: huge rock, we climbed to the top and perched there,
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: impatiently awaited the coming of the dawn, speculating us to
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: the possible fate of our friends. At last, after seemingly
• 43:29
  Speaker 1: weeks of waiting, the morning dawned, the beautiful sun came up,
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: dried our clothes, and showed us where we were from
• 43:40
  Speaker 1: our perch on the rock, we could see that we
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: had not landed anywhere near our camp, but were fully
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: a mile from it. Climbing down from our night's resting place,
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: we went down to our boat and were soon at
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: home in our tent. We waited there until noon in
• 43:59
  Speaker 1: hopes that Saul and his party would put in their appearance,
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: but as they did not, we decided to go out
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: to the settlement and organize a searching party to go
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: out after them. Accordingly, we started and had almost reached
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: the clearing when we were rejoiced to meet a party
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: of men and at their head Old Saul, who were
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: coming in to hunt us up. Old Saul ran forward,
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: embraced and hugged us while the tears streamed down his cheeks.
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: By golly, boys, he said, I thought you were goners.
• 44:37
  Speaker 1: Never so tickled in my life to think we're all safe.
• 44:42
  Speaker 1: It seems that the experience of Saul and the two
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: with him was similar to that of Dave and myself,
• 44:50
  Speaker 1: only instead of going to the camp in the morning,
• 44:53
  Speaker 1: they made a bee line for town, where the two
• 44:56
  Speaker 1: New York men were glad to take to their beds,
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: while Saul got several of the natives together to go
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: in search of us. We returned to the town tired
• 45:08
  Speaker 1: but glad that we were alive, and that evening we
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: planned that on the next day we would all turn
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: out and go in search of the panthers we had
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: heard at the pond. For panther we supposed it to
• 45:21
  Speaker 1: be Part three. Out from that peaceful settlement there rose
• 45:28
  Speaker 1: a noisy, happy company of us that pleasant summer morn.
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: Nearly all of the natives who could shoot a gun,
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: and some who could not, volunteered their services, and even
• 45:41
  Speaker 1: the small boys were anxious to join in the hunt.
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: And as we rode away, the children stood watching us
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: out of the town. And we went forth with shining
• 45:52
  Speaker 1: sword and poised lance, to slay that animal if we
• 45:56
  Speaker 1: get a chance. As Old Saul expressed it, it was
• 46:00
  Speaker 1: a pleasure to me to witness the gay spirits of
• 46:03
  Speaker 1: my companions, who sang and shouted until the mountains rang
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: with the echo. I was not long, however, in discovering
• 46:13
  Speaker 1: that their joyfulness was not wholly caused by the brightness
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: of the morn or anticipations of the day's chase. For
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: we had not gotten fairly out of sight of the
• 46:24
  Speaker 1: houses of the little village, when old Saul reached in
• 46:28
  Speaker 1: under the wagon seat and drew out a big jug,
• 46:32
  Speaker 1: which he raised in his hands high above his head,
• 46:36
  Speaker 1: and in a loud stage voice, exclaimed, here is some shining,
• 46:42
  Speaker 1: sparkling juice, for which there's many and many a use
• 46:47
  Speaker 1: twill break up a cold and cure a chill. So
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: come up, all you duffers, come up, drink your fill.
• 46:56
  Speaker 1: Whoa there, driver, Let's oil up a little and oil
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: up they did in first class shape, and on we
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: went again. The party numbered eight men besides myself, all armed,
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: while several dogs of various breeds ran barking and snarling
• 47:16
  Speaker 1: behind us. It was our intention to ride as far
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: as the rough road would admit, for which purpose we
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: had charted an old team of horses and a rickety wagon.
• 47:29
  Speaker 1: Then we were to proceed on foot into the woods
• 47:32
  Speaker 1: which surrounded the pond, the scene of our recent adventure.
• 47:37
  Speaker 1: There we were going to separate, and each man was
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: to take up a station on the watch. One of
• 47:44
  Speaker 1: the men was to take the dogs and scout around
• 47:47
  Speaker 1: the pond in hopes of having the canine sent the
• 47:51
  Speaker 1: animal and drive it around where some of us could
• 47:54
  Speaker 1: get a shot at it. Everything went according to arrangement.
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: After going as far as we thought advisable with the team,
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: we unharnessed the horses and tied them to the wheels
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: of the wagon, leaving a bundle of hay for them
• 48:11
  Speaker 1: to eat. We then proceeded a distance on foot, and
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: after a short consultation, we separated. Before we did so,
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: the contents of the jug were emptied into pint bottles,
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: and every man except myself took one. Old Soul strongly
• 48:31
  Speaker 1: urged me to do so, saying' twon't hurts, you and
• 48:36
  Speaker 1: you'll need it to breast you up when you see
• 48:38
  Speaker 1: that there pant are coming toward. You but thinking if
• 48:43
  Speaker 1: such a result as having that panter coming toward me was,
• 48:47
  Speaker 1: LIKELY i would be better prepared to face it with
• 48:50
  Speaker 1: my sober sense as in a clear, BRAIN i declined with.
• 48:54
  Speaker 1: Thanks as we, went crashing off through the brush to
• 48:59
  Speaker 1: take up our, pozzis we could hear the voice of
• 49:02
  Speaker 1: Old soul calling after us to look careful, now, boys
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: and don't let the pesky crit escape, you et, cetera
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: until we were far. Apart that the reader may better
• 49:16
  Speaker 1: understand our. POSITIONS a little explanation is. Necessary we were
• 49:22
  Speaker 1: in the woods which surrounded the, pond on the opposite
• 49:25
  Speaker 1: side from where the camp we had occupied. Stood we
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: were distant about twenty rods from the, water and were
• 49:34
  Speaker 1: to be arranged at about an equal distance from each
• 49:37
  Speaker 1: other in a semicircle around the, pond as many of
• 49:41
  Speaker 1: the men believed that the animal was hiding in the immediate.
• 49:45
  Speaker 1: Vicinity arranged as, indicated we took up our, STAND i
• 49:51
  Speaker 1: being the last one in the semicircle near the head
• 49:54
  Speaker 1: of the. Pond it was past the noon hour when
• 49:58
  Speaker 1: we got settled each in our. Place after waiting about
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: a half, HOUR i heard the dogs set up a
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: furious barking in the direction that the man had gone
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: to start, them and concluded that they had struck the
• 50:13
  Speaker 1: track of the animal and was on the alert to
• 50:16
  Speaker 1: shoot it if it came my. WAY i soon, perceived,
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: however that the dogs were heading off in an opposite
• 50:24
  Speaker 1: direction and going farther and farther. Away very soon they
• 50:30
  Speaker 1: were out of. Hearing another hour passed, away and still
• 50:35
  Speaker 1: no more was heard of the dogs or animals of
• 50:39
  Speaker 1: which they were supposed to be in. PURSUIT i began
• 50:43
  Speaker 1: to get a little lonesome and impatient for something to.
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: Transpire after waiting a few minutes, LONGER i THOUGHT i
• 50:52
  Speaker 1: would go over to where my nearest neighbor was on
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: the watch and have a little conversation with them to
• 50:58
  Speaker 1: pass away the. TIME i accordingly walked off to the
• 51:02
  Speaker 1: left about thirty, rods to the place WHERE i supposed
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: him to be. Stationed but he was not, there AND
• 51:10
  Speaker 1: i walked on still. Farther still nobody COULD i. SEE
• 51:16
  Speaker 1: i shouted out several, times but received no answer except
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: the echo of my own. Voice thinking that the man
• 51:25
  Speaker 1: had gone down nearer the, POND i went in that.
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: Direction hearing voices ahead of, ME i hastened along and
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: soon came in sight of an old lumber. Shanty the
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: voices came from inside of, this and going, FORWARD i
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: pushed aside the rude door and entered. There inside were Old,
• 51:49
  Speaker 1: Saul Dave, bryan and the other six men of the,
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: party all engaged in having a jolly, time to say the,
• 51:57
  Speaker 1: least their bottles now nearly, empty they were brandishing in
• 52:03
  Speaker 1: the air while they performed a wild can can around the.
• 52:07
  Speaker 1: Room they grabbed hold of me WHEN i, entered and
• 52:11
  Speaker 1: urged me to drink and join in their. Carousals BUT
• 52:15
  Speaker 1: i refused and began to beseech of them to go.
• 52:18
  Speaker 1: Home as night was coming. On they would listen to,
• 52:22
  Speaker 1: nothing but again broke into a wild whirl of. Gayety
• 52:28
  Speaker 1: realizing the uselessness of pleading with, them and not wishing
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: myself to spend the night in an old, SHANTY i
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: left them in disgust and started for the. Settlement AS
• 52:41
  Speaker 1: i went walking rapidly away from the, SHANTY i could
• 52:45
  Speaker 1: hear the mellow voice Of Old soul, Singing, oh it's
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: up the river and down the, creek and it won't
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: be day for an. Hour YET i would rather hunt
• 52:57
  Speaker 1: than to plow or, sow AND i don't don't care WHETHER.
• 53:01
  Speaker 2: I go home or.
• 53:02
  Speaker 1: NO i hastened, on and just as night was, FALLING
• 53:08
  Speaker 1: i reached the little village whence we had started in the.
• 53:11
  Speaker 1: Morning that was the LAST i ever saw Of Old
• 53:16
  Speaker 1: saul or any of the, men AS i was called
• 53:19
  Speaker 1: from the place early the following, morning and never knew
• 53:23
  Speaker 1: at what Time Old saul's party got out of the,
• 53:26
  Speaker 1: woods or what became of the animal of which he
• 53:29
  Speaker 1: went in. SEARCH i read in The Adirondack news of
• 53:34
  Speaker 1: the following. Week this interesting piece of, news which sounded
• 53:39
  Speaker 1: as if it had its origin with old. SOUL a
• 53:44
  Speaker 1: strange animal whose size was nearly that of A newfoundland,
• 53:48
  Speaker 1: dog and whose cries were similar to those of a,
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: panther only louder and more, varied was seen a few
• 53:57
  Speaker 1: nights ago in the vicinity Of Fisher's pond by a
• 54:01
  Speaker 1: guide Named hallway and a party with. HIM a party
• 54:05
  Speaker 1: was organized next day to hunt for the. Animal it
• 54:10
  Speaker 1: was seen By, hallway who shot several times at it
• 54:14
  Speaker 1: when it retreated into the, woods crying. Furiously hallway deserves
• 54:20
  Speaker 1: much credit for his bravery in the. Matter he says
• 54:24
  Speaker 1: he will yet have the animals. Pelt end of section
• 54:30
  Speaker 1: Two section three Of stories from The adirondacks By ALBERT. A.
• 54:41
  Speaker 1: Young this LibriVox recording is in the public. Domain section
• 54:48
  Speaker 1: Three The club Of Mysterious, Characters part, One discovery of
• 54:55
  Speaker 1: The club and its Strange. Haunts in a quiet street
• 55:01
  Speaker 1: in the village Of saranac in The, adirondacks there stands
• 55:05
  Speaker 1: an elegant and imposing looking. Mansion the passerby would regard
• 55:10
  Speaker 1: this large and costly, structure with its many, wings, porticoes
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: and beautiful ornamentations as the residence of a man of.
• 55:19
  Speaker 1: Fortune but if you will stop for a moment and
• 55:23
  Speaker 1: notice there is an air of quietness about the place
• 55:27
  Speaker 1: that cannot fail to impress you that the owner is
• 55:30
  Speaker 1: of a very retiring, nature as no stir of any
• 55:34
  Speaker 1: kind is to be. Observed and as you pass, on
• 55:38
  Speaker 1: you involuntarily wonder what kind of a man the master
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: of this mansion, is and if you ever heard of?
• 55:45
  Speaker 1: Him the truth is there is no, master and the
• 55:49
  Speaker 1: building is unoccupied except for the hours from ten to
• 55:53
  Speaker 1: Twelve monday And friday nights of each. Week then within those,
• 55:58
  Speaker 1: walls which look so majestic and, grand there assemble a
• 56:02
  Speaker 1: company of, men, which for originality and oddity one would
• 56:07
  Speaker 1: scarcely meet in a year's. Travel they style themselves The
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: club Of Mysterious characters Or league of Social. Woodsmen their
• 56:19
  Speaker 1: meetings and doings are as secret as are those of
• 56:22
  Speaker 1: a band of. Counterfeiters and this is HOW i came
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: to find them.
• 56:26
  Speaker 2: Out one DAY i.
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: Received through the post office of my native town a
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: letter addressed to me in a scrawling and nearly indecipherable,
• 56:38
  Speaker 1: hand and running as. Follows Dear, SIR i have long
• 56:44
  Speaker 1: known and watched, you and have formed a deep regard for. You,
• 56:48
  Speaker 1: THEREFORE i ask you to go to the large mansion
• 56:51
  Speaker 1: ON B street In saranac Next monday night at ten thirty.
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: O'clock go to the last door on the, left wrap
• 57:02
  Speaker 1: so many times and say, blank when you will be
• 57:06
  Speaker 1: admitted and learned of something greatly to your, advantage yours.
• 57:11
  Speaker 1: Blank the spaces WHICH i have left blank were not
• 57:17
  Speaker 1: so in the, letter but AS i am now under
• 57:20
  Speaker 1: a solemn oath not to reveal any, SECRETS i omit
• 57:24
  Speaker 1: the words. Here well you may imagine my surprise at
• 57:28
  Speaker 1: receiving this strange. Epistle what it all MEANT i had
• 57:33
  Speaker 1: not the slightest, idea AND i really felt a little,
• 57:36
  Speaker 1: alarmed AS i had read of so many cases where
• 57:40
  Speaker 1: persons were decoyed away and so forth.
• 57:43
  Speaker 2: THAT i did not.
• 57:44
  Speaker 1: Know but what there was a plot being laid to
• 57:47
  Speaker 1: endanger my. Safety my first thought was to consult at
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: once the proper authorities placed the letter in their hands
• 57:55
  Speaker 1: and ask them to ferret out the. Mystery but after
• 57:59
  Speaker 1: some consideration of the, matter curiosity overcame, fear AND i
• 58:05
  Speaker 1: resolved to follow the directions of the letter and ascertain
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: who the writer was and what he meant and, wanted
• 58:12
  Speaker 1: even IF i was murdered for so doing. So monday
• 58:17
  Speaker 1: night found me in the village Of, saranac in a
• 58:20
  Speaker 1: tremor of, excitement to be, sure but withal feeling quite.
• 58:25
  Speaker 1: Secure for two heavily loaded revolvers were in easy reach
• 58:29
  Speaker 1: in my, pockets AND i was anxiously awaiting the hour
• 58:33
  Speaker 1: of ten thirty to. COME i went over the street
• 58:38
  Speaker 1: on which the house which had been described to me,
• 58:40
  Speaker 1: stood and passed near by. IT i peered sharply around
• 58:46
  Speaker 1: to see IF i could detect the presence of any
• 58:48
  Speaker 1: person in the, neighborhood but nobody was in. Sight neither
• 58:53
  Speaker 1: COULD i see any light issuing from the inside of the,
• 58:56
  Speaker 1: house but instead all was dark and still, resolving, however
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: to fulfill the mission in WHICH i was. Bent but
• 59:06
  Speaker 1: fearing IF i loitered around near the house inside of
• 59:09
  Speaker 1: the street THAT i might be taken for a burglar
• 59:12
  Speaker 1: or a suspicious character by some passer, BY i shrank
• 59:16
  Speaker 1: back into a sort of alleyway near by and waited
• 59:20
  Speaker 1: as patiently AS i could for the hour of ten
• 59:23
  Speaker 1: thirty to. Arrive how many TIMES i looked at my
• 59:28
  Speaker 1: watch in the brief time THAT i spent, THERE i
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: will not attempt to Tell every minute seemed an hour to.
• 59:35
  Speaker 1: Me my courage failed every, minute AND i had about
• 59:40
  Speaker 1: concluded to get out of there and make a break for,
• 59:44
  Speaker 1: home when, again looking at my, WATCH i saw that
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: the hands marked the hour of ten thirty on the,
• 59:51
  Speaker 1: dial AND i knew that the time for me to
• 59:54
  Speaker 1: solve the mystery of my strange letter had, come and
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: with it returned some of my cur. Bridge perhaps it
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 1: means a thousand dollars in my, POCKET i, thought and
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: perhaps it means. Death but here goes AND i stepped
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 1: out and walked briskly along by the side of the
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 1: house toward the last door on the. LEFT i had
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 1: located it AS i had passed in the, daytime and
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 1: knew exactly where to. GO i reached the, door, and
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 1: rapping on, it uttered the password which had been named
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 1: in the. Letter in an instant it was, opened and
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 1: a stream of light met my. GAZE i stepped. Inside
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 1: the heavy door closed behind, me AND i looked around
• 1:00:44
  Speaker 1: to see who had admitted me and what kind of
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 1: a PLACE i had stumbled. INTO i found myself in
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 1: a long, hall dimly lighted by one small lamp which
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: hung suspended from the. Ceiling and by my side stood
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 1: a man with WHOM i was as well acquainted as
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 1: with my own. Brother the fears THAT i had entertained
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 1: vanished on the instant at sight of, him but astonishment
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 1: filled their. PLACE i grabbed him eagerly by the arm and,
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 1: inquired what means?
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 2: This what are you?
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 1: Doing and why did you call me? Here for answer
• 1:01:25
  Speaker 1: he gave a low. Laugh come with, me said, he
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 1: AND i will conduct you to the general assembly room
• 1:01:32
  Speaker 1: of The club Of Mysterious. Characters all the members are,
• 1:01:37
  Speaker 1: present and the exercises of the evening will soon. Commence
• 1:01:42
  Speaker 1: the subject tonight is, mysteries and but come along and
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: you will know. All and taking me by the, arm
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 1: he led me forward down the long hall and ushered
• 1:01:54
  Speaker 1: me into a large. Room beyond here a remarkable. Scene
• 1:02:00
  Speaker 1: at my, gaze never was a room more grandly. Furnished
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 1: rich carpets of the most elegant pattern covered the, Floor
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 1: beautiful oriental rugs lay here and, There heavy lace curtains
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 1: covered the, windows and fine paintings adorned the. Walls but all,
• 1:02:20
  Speaker 1: this though complete in detail and manner of arrangement did
• 1:02:25
  Speaker 1: not attract my attention half as much as did the
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 1: COMPANY i found assembled there around a large table under
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 1: the brilliant light of a mammoth. CHANDELIER a dozen men were,
• 1:02:38
  Speaker 1: seated reading or. Smoking, MEN i, say and so they,
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 1: Were but at first sight one would have taken them
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 1: for wild, animals for each wore a mask which exactly
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 1: resembled the head of some beast of the. Forest some were,
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 1: wolves some, bears and others something. Else all were masked
• 1:03:03
  Speaker 1: except my, Guide and YET i knew they were, Men
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 1: but what, men and WHEREFROM i did not. Know as
• 1:03:11
  Speaker 1: we entered the, room none of them looked up or
• 1:03:14
  Speaker 1: seemed to notice our arrival in any. Way none of
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 1: them spoke for some. Time, presently one who sat near
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 1: the head of the, table and who wore the mask
• 1:03:25
  Speaker 1: of a, panther arose from his seat and touched a
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 1: little bell which stood on the table near. Him brethren
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 1: of the, league he, began it is now time to
• 1:03:38
  Speaker 1: open the services of the, evening and as our guest has,
• 1:03:42
  Speaker 1: ARRIVED i see no reason for further. Delay The secretary
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 1: will please call the. Roll each person present answered when
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 1: a list of names were called, off But none of
• 1:03:56
  Speaker 1: the names were familiar to, me AND i felt sure
• 1:03:59
  Speaker 1: they were all assumed. Ones even my guide responded to
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 1: the call of a NAME i had never heard. Before
• 1:04:07
  Speaker 1: when this formality was, completed the man who had spoken
• 1:04:11
  Speaker 1: before again arose and, said turning to and addressing, me
• 1:04:18
  Speaker 1: my dear, FRIEND i bid you. Welcome your invitation here
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 1: was for a. Purpose what that purpose is you will learn.
• 1:04:27
  Speaker 1: Later for the, present let it. Pass the gentleman so
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 1: strangely attired whom you see gathered here comprise the club
• 1:04:38
  Speaker 1: of mysterious characters of The. ADIRONDACKS i will not tell
• 1:04:42
  Speaker 1: you in what manner our society was, formed or how
• 1:04:46
  Speaker 1: we came to be located. Here suffice it to say
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 1: that we are here and here to, stay and we
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 1: are powerful and wise in our, way although you may
• 1:04:58
  Speaker 1: not think it. Honorable in. Us we know the private
• 1:05:02
  Speaker 1: life of every public, personage my. FRIEND i could tell
• 1:05:06
  Speaker 1: you secrets about persons whom you know that would ASTONISH
• 1:05:11
  Speaker 1: i alarm, you and of incidents in your own life
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 1: which you little think any person but yourself know, Of
• 1:05:20
  Speaker 1: BUT i have no desire to do.
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 2: So.
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 1: Now the reason you were invited here is that you
• 1:05:26
  Speaker 1: might be given an insight into our, doings and if
• 1:05:30
  Speaker 1: afterwards you wish to become as one of, us you
• 1:05:34
  Speaker 1: will be given the. Privilege AS i said, before we know,
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 1: much but yet there are many things that are mysteries to,
• 1:05:42
  Speaker 1: us and of these some of the members will speak
• 1:05:46
  Speaker 1: tonight mysteries of the, forests which we wish were made,
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 1: plain and we will endeavor to make them. So Mister,
• 1:05:56
  Speaker 1: blank your turn is. First and the man who wore
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 1: the mask of a bear arose and commenced Speaking part,
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 1: two mystery Of Sheldon's. Woods the subject upon WHICH i
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 1: wished to dwell, tonight said the man with the mask
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 1: of a bear is the mystery Of Sheldon's. Woods the
• 1:06:20
  Speaker 1: MORE i ponder on, it the more unsolvable does it.
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 1: Seem WHAT i am to relate happened many years ago
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 1: in my native. Town at that TIME i was residing
• 1:06:32
  Speaker 1: in the, country alternately farming and hunting for a, living
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 1: AND i had two boys growing. Up frank was fourteen
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 1: And will. Sixteen they were both good boys and dutiful
• 1:06:47
  Speaker 1: to their, parents AND i could depend on them every.
• 1:06:50
  Speaker 1: Time they, were like their, father fond of, hunting AND
• 1:06:55
  Speaker 1: i had supplied them with guns and when there was
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 1: not much work to be, DONE i would permit them
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 1: to scour the nearby forests in search of, game BUT
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 1: i always cautioned them not to go too far from.
• 1:07:08
  Speaker 1: Home one day in early, autumn when the partridges were
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 1: abundant and, fat they took their guns and started. Forth
• 1:07:19
  Speaker 1: noon came the time for their, return but they came
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 1: not at four, o'clock they being yet. ABSENT i began
• 1:07:28
  Speaker 1: to feel some anxiety concerning, them and started to go
• 1:07:32
  Speaker 1: out in search of. THEM i had not gone far
• 1:07:36
  Speaker 1: WHEN i saw them coming toward. Me they were running
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 1: wildly and were minus their guns and. Hats they came
• 1:07:44
  Speaker 1: up to, me panting, heavily the perspiration pouring off their.
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 1: Faces sank down on the grass at my, feet and
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 1: it was some minutes before they could, speak ALTHOUGH i
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 1: eagerly questioned them to ascertain what was the. Matter when
• 1:08:01
  Speaker 1: they had recovered their breath sufficiently to, talk they told
• 1:08:05
  Speaker 1: me a most strange. STORY i will repeat it as
• 1:08:09
  Speaker 1: nearly as possible in their own. Words the game was
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 1: not very plenty over there in our, woods where we first,
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 1: went and so we kept going farther away until we
• 1:08:21
  Speaker 1: found ourselves away over In Sheldon's. Woods we remarked that
• 1:08:26
  Speaker 1: we were getting a long way from home and had
• 1:08:28
  Speaker 1: better be going. Back feeling, tired we sat down on
• 1:08:33
  Speaker 1: a small knoll to rest a little while before, starting
• 1:08:37
  Speaker 1: and began to look about.
• 1:08:39
  Speaker 2: Us what was.
• 1:08:41
  Speaker 1: Our surprise at seeing lying on the ground a short
• 1:08:45
  Speaker 1: distance from us the dead body of a. Woman we
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 1: jumped up in alarm and were about to run from the,
• 1:08:53
  Speaker 1: spot but calmed our fears the best we could and
• 1:08:57
  Speaker 1: decided to investigate the matter a. Little we went up
• 1:09:02
  Speaker 1: close to the body and stooped down to examine. It
• 1:09:06
  Speaker 1: it was a young woman of beautiful form and, features
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: who looked as if she had been dead several. Days
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 1: as we stood regarding, her lost in astonishment and, horror
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 1: we heard a, voice an awful, voice behind, us and
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 1: as we turned we saw the form of a person
• 1:09:27
  Speaker 1: that was hideous in the. Extreme it was an old
• 1:09:32
  Speaker 1: man with long gray whiskers and glittering black, eyes and
• 1:09:37
  Speaker 1: in his hand he had a long dirk, knife which
• 1:09:40
  Speaker 1: he waved wildly in the air as he advanced toward.
• 1:09:43
  Speaker 1: Us you contemptible young, imps he, shouted do you leave
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 1: this place or? Die and then he swore a horrible,
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 1: oath but we waited to hear no. More off through the.
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 1: Woods we stood at the top of our speed forgetting
• 1:10:02
  Speaker 1: in our haste to take up our, guns and behind
• 1:10:06
  Speaker 1: us came that old, man screaming at the.
• 1:10:09
  Speaker 2: Top of his.
• 1:10:09
  Speaker 1: Voice how we got out of the, woods we do not,
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 1: know but we are, here and we are very glad of.
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 1: It the following day a searching party was, formed and
• 1:10:22
  Speaker 1: the woods for miles around were thoroughly. Explored but no
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 1: trace could be found of any dead, body of the old,
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 1: man or of even the guns Of frank And. Will
• 1:10:36
  Speaker 1: frank's hat was found hanging on a bush in the, woods,
• 1:10:40
  Speaker 1: and strange to, say at a little distance from, it
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 1: a little red and blue. Hood aside from these things
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: we gained nothing and returned home none the. Wiser but
• 1:10:54
  Speaker 1: for all, THAT i do not believe that the boys
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 1: lied about what they. Saw the man in the mask
• 1:11:02
  Speaker 1: of a, bear having concluded his, remarks sat. Down nobody,
• 1:11:08
  Speaker 1: spoke and nobody seemed surprised at his strange. Story the
• 1:11:13
  Speaker 1: man with the mask of a panther quietly took a
• 1:11:16
  Speaker 1: cigar from his, pocket lighted it with a, match and
• 1:11:19
  Speaker 1: commenced smoking his hair tipped back and his feet, elevated
• 1:11:24
  Speaker 1: with his eyes on the, ceiling as if lost in deep.
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 1: Thought after some, moments he arose from his, seat threw
• 1:11:33
  Speaker 1: his cigar into a, receiver and slowly, commenced speaking AS
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: i am number. TWO i suppose it is now my
• 1:11:43
  Speaker 1: turn to relate a. Mystery the tale of my brother
• 1:11:47
  Speaker 1: just concluded brings to my mind one WHICH i will
• 1:11:50
  Speaker 1: tell to you to. NIGHT i first wish to say
• 1:11:54
  Speaker 1: that the world is full of. Mysteries we are kept
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 1: in a perpetual wonder the mysteries of, creation the mysteries of,
• 1:12:04
  Speaker 1: nature the mystery of life and, death and of the
• 1:12:08
  Speaker 1: life beyond the. Grave god works in a mysterious way
• 1:12:13
  Speaker 1: his wonders to. Perform we should therefore have the greatest
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 1: reverence for mysterious. Things what is invisible to us is
• 1:12:24
  Speaker 1: visible to, some and always plain To him who rules
• 1:12:28
  Speaker 1: both the day and the. Night part, Three mystery of
• 1:12:34
  Speaker 1: The Old woman thirty years, Ago he. Continued the house
• 1:12:40
  Speaker 1: in WHICH i resided stood on the now Abandoned Cedar Point.
• 1:12:45
  Speaker 1: Road that, road now traveled only by hunters and, trappers
• 1:12:51
  Speaker 1: was then the main route Between Lake champlain and The
• 1:12:54
  Speaker 1: adirondack lumber and iron, region and was much traveled by
• 1:12:59
  Speaker 1: teams drawing supplies to the lumbermen and. Miners one day
• 1:13:05
  Speaker 1: in the fall of the, year a strange old woman
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 1: came walking along the road and stopped at my. HOUSE
• 1:13:12
  Speaker 1: i was not at, home but my wife received her
• 1:13:15
  Speaker 1: and invited her. In the strange woman asked my wife
• 1:13:20
  Speaker 1: how far it was To Green.
• 1:13:21
  Speaker 2: BAY i know of.
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 1: No such, place replied my, wife you are evidently on
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 1: the wrong. Road, no she, Said Green bay is where he,
• 1:13:34
  Speaker 1: is AND i am going to. Him he forsook, me
• 1:13:39
  Speaker 1: BUT i will go to, him and on my bended,
• 1:13:41
  Speaker 1: knees beg him to take me, back FOR i love,
• 1:13:45
  Speaker 1: Him love, Him love. Him my wife saw that the
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 1: woman was not in her right, mind and tried to
• 1:13:54
  Speaker 1: persuade her to stay until my, return that she might
• 1:13:57
  Speaker 1: consult with me concerning. Her but the strange creature would not,
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 1: stop but departed after a short time in spite of
• 1:14:06
  Speaker 1: the earnest protests of my. Wife ours was the last
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 1: house between the settlement Near Lake champlain and the mining
• 1:14:15
  Speaker 1: and lumbering region toward the. West twenty miles of, road
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 1: the most of the way running through a dense, wilderness
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 1: lie between us and The lumber. Region it was quite
• 1:14:29
  Speaker 1: late in the afternoon when the woman left our, house
• 1:14:32
  Speaker 1: and it was evident that knight would overtake her in
• 1:14:35
  Speaker 1: the midst of the, woods unless some chance teamster should
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 1: pick her, up which was very, doubtful as all the
• 1:14:42
  Speaker 1: teams passed in the. Morning my wife was greatly excited
• 1:14:47
  Speaker 1: as she thought of the possible fate of the old
• 1:14:50
  Speaker 1: woman should night overtake her in the, wilderness bears and
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 1: other wild animals being. Plenty she resolved to send me
• 1:14:58
  Speaker 1: after her as as soon AS i returned home to
• 1:15:01
  Speaker 1: bring her. Back BUT i did not return until it was,
• 1:15:05
  Speaker 1: night and AS i had no, HORSE i knew that
• 1:15:09
  Speaker 1: the chances for overtaking her by going on foot would be.
• 1:15:12
  Speaker 1: Small THEREFORE i did not. Go we heard no more
• 1:15:18
  Speaker 1: of the strange woman for some. Time one day a
• 1:15:22
  Speaker 1: teamster coming out from The lumber camps picked up a
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 1: hat by the roadside and brought it out to the,
• 1:15:28
  Speaker 1: settlement where it was recognized by my wife as the
• 1:15:32
  Speaker 1: one warned by the woman at the time she stopped
• 1:15:35
  Speaker 1: at our. House the next, day her dead body was
• 1:15:39
  Speaker 1: found lying on the ground a short distance from the.
• 1:15:43
  Speaker 1: Road it was brought out and an inquest was. Held
• 1:15:48
  Speaker 1: the jury brought in the verdict that the, woman to them,
• 1:15:51
  Speaker 1: unknown came to her death by. Exposure she was given
• 1:15:57
  Speaker 1: a decent burial in the cemetery of my. Town every
• 1:16:02
  Speaker 1: effort was made to discover her, identity but all to no.
• 1:16:06
  Speaker 1: Avail authorities were, consulted advertisements, written but no information could
• 1:16:14
  Speaker 1: we get as to where she came from or who she,
• 1:16:17
  Speaker 1: was and it remains a mystery. Still the clock on
• 1:16:23
  Speaker 1: the mantelpiece struck the hour of. Twelve as the man
• 1:16:26
  Speaker 1: with the panther mask ceased his, story several of the
• 1:16:31
  Speaker 1: men were yawning and seemed to take no interest in
• 1:16:34
  Speaker 1: his Remarks part Four joining the. Club he turned to
• 1:16:42
  Speaker 1: me and, said my, friend take this little book and
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 1: read our, objects conditions and. Requirements after so, doing should
• 1:16:52
  Speaker 1: you wish to join, us we will initiate, you and
• 1:16:55
  Speaker 1: so close this evening's. Meeting our next meeting was be
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 1: On friday, night next commencing at the usual, hour AND
• 1:17:04
  Speaker 1: i wish to say to the members that the password
• 1:17:07
  Speaker 1: is number seventeen in The book Of, secrets and the
• 1:17:11
  Speaker 1: exercises of that evening will be stories which unravel. Mysteries
• 1:17:18
  Speaker 1: perhaps they will throw some light on the things we
• 1:17:21
  Speaker 1: have heard. Tonight if our terms are satisfactory and are complied,
• 1:17:26
  Speaker 1: with we shall expect you to be present and take a.
• 1:17:29
  Speaker 1: PART i carefully read the rules and regulations of the
• 1:17:34
  Speaker 1: club in the little book which he handed. ME i
• 1:17:38
  Speaker 1: saw that the requirements were very, exacting and the penalty
• 1:17:42
  Speaker 1: for not fulfilling them.
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 2: Death BUT i was.
• 1:17:46
  Speaker 1: Fascinated with the whole, thing intensely interested in the strange
• 1:17:50
  Speaker 1: STORIES i had, heard AND i wish to hear. More
• 1:17:55
  Speaker 1: SO i took the pentended me by the secretary and
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 1: firmly wrote my name as one who wished to become a.
• 1:18:01
  Speaker 1: Member then a scene of the wildest confusion. Followed all
• 1:18:08
  Speaker 1: of the members jumped from their seats and made a
• 1:18:10
  Speaker 1: rush for. Me they seized, me bound me hand and,
• 1:18:15
  Speaker 1: foot and blindfolded. Me THEN i felt myself being carried
• 1:18:19
  Speaker 1: on on. On somebody whispered in my ear the password is.
• 1:18:27
  Speaker 1: Mysterious THEN i received a severe rap on my head
• 1:18:32
  Speaker 1: AND i became. Unconscious part Five Mysterious disappearance of The.
• 1:18:40
  Speaker 1: Club WHEN i came to my, SENSES i found myself
• 1:18:45
  Speaker 1: lying by the roadside many miles from the mysterious club
• 1:18:50
  Speaker 1: room in WHICH i had lately been and, Alone and
• 1:18:54
  Speaker 1: SO i became a member of The club Of Mysterious,
• 1:18:58
  Speaker 1: characters or.
• 1:19:00
  Speaker 2: Or DID i?
• 1:19:00
  Speaker 1: Not on the night appointed for the next, MEETING i
• 1:19:05
  Speaker 1: went to the mansion as, before rapped on the last
• 1:19:09
  Speaker 1: door on the, left and expected to be. Admitted but
• 1:19:13
  Speaker 1: the door was not, opened AND i tapped, again this time.
• 1:19:18
  Speaker 1: Louder still no answer came to my. Summons THEN i
• 1:19:24
  Speaker 1: applied my ear to the door and eagerly listened to
• 1:19:27
  Speaker 1: catch IF i could any sound from, Within but all was.
• 1:19:31
  Speaker 1: STILL i walked all around the building to see IF
• 1:19:35
  Speaker 1: i could detect a light or the presence of any,
• 1:19:38
  Speaker 1: person but failed to do. So at, last utterly, DISCOURAGED
• 1:19:44
  Speaker 1: i came. Away the next, DAY i sought the man
• 1:19:49
  Speaker 1: who had first admitted me to the presence of the
• 1:19:51
  Speaker 1: club and demanded an. Explanation but the only thing he
• 1:19:55
  Speaker 1: would say in regard to the matter was to ask
• 1:19:58
  Speaker 1: me IF i had not been. Dreaming AND i am
• 1:20:02
  Speaker 1: still lost in wonder at the strange turn of. Affairs
• 1:20:07
  Speaker 1: HAVE i made some? Mistake HAVE i violated any? Rule
• 1:20:10
  Speaker 1: or what is the REASON i was not admitted to
• 1:20:13
  Speaker 1: that mysterious club's. House on the evening of the last
• 1:20:16
  Speaker 1: visit to the same are things which are as mysterious
• 1:20:20
  Speaker 1: to me as ANYTHING i saw or heard on the
• 1:20:23
  Speaker 1: night WHEN i first went. There end of section, Three
• 1:20:35
  Speaker 1: section four Of stories from The adirondacks By ALBERT. A.
• 1:20:39
  Speaker 1: Young this LibriVox recording is in the public. Domain section
• 1:20:45
  Speaker 1: four the hero Of Toppen's. Camp, nucombe a town in The,
• 1:20:52
  Speaker 1: adirondacks is undoubtedly the most important lumber region in The.
• 1:20:57
  Speaker 1: North at certain seasons of the. Year the little hamlet
• 1:21:01
  Speaker 1: of that, name which nestles close to the foot Of Mount,
• 1:21:05
  Speaker 1: marcy reminds one of nothing so much as the description
• 1:21:09
  Speaker 1: of a mining town in the Far. West men of
• 1:21:14
  Speaker 1: all nationalities and peculiarities convene there through the fall and winter.
• 1:21:19
  Speaker 1: Months the many saloons of the place are well, patronized
• 1:21:24
  Speaker 1: and the shouts of the bacchanalian lumberman and hangers, on
• 1:21:29
  Speaker 1: mingled with gay rollicking, songs can be heard in all.
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 2: Directions back in.
• 1:21:35
  Speaker 1: The spruce forests which Surround nukem on all sides are
• 1:21:39
  Speaker 1: the lumber. Camps they are frequented as a rule by
• 1:21:43
  Speaker 1: a hardy class of, men but sometimes a tenderfoot who
• 1:21:47
  Speaker 1: has had pictured to him the bright side of a lumberman's,
• 1:21:50
  Speaker 1: life finds his way in there and goes to work
• 1:21:54
  Speaker 1: with a, gang only to find himself made a bud
• 1:21:57
  Speaker 1: of ridicule and, contempt until life becomes such a burden
• 1:22:01
  Speaker 1: to him that he is forced to resign his position
• 1:22:05
  Speaker 1: and seek employment with a more congenial. Company the woodsmen
• 1:22:10
  Speaker 1: hoot him out of, sight and then turned to their,
• 1:22:12
  Speaker 1: work laughing and jesting as if it was the occasion
• 1:22:16
  Speaker 1: of some good, joke as indeed it is to. Them
• 1:22:21
  Speaker 1: from a pleasant home in a village not one hundred
• 1:22:24
  Speaker 1: miles From New York, city there started one pleasant day In,
• 1:22:27
  Speaker 1: september not many years, ago a, fine, featured educated young
• 1:22:33
  Speaker 1: man bound for the lumber woods Of. Newcombe he intended
• 1:22:37
  Speaker 1: to be absent from his home for some, months and
• 1:22:41
  Speaker 1: after a tearful parting with his widowed mother and fair young,
• 1:22:45
  Speaker 1: sweetheart and receiving their caution to be careful and not
• 1:22:49
  Speaker 1: get hurt and beshore and write to us, often he
• 1:22:53
  Speaker 1: bordered a train and was carried on toward the. North
• 1:22:58
  Speaker 1: he was now the sole report of his. Mother his,
• 1:23:02
  Speaker 1: father once a prosperous business man had met with a
• 1:23:06
  Speaker 1: reverse of fortune which caused his downfall in business and in,
• 1:23:10
  Speaker 1: health and he, died leaving his family with very limited.
• 1:23:15
  Speaker 1: Means after trying vainly to obtain a paying situation near,
• 1:23:20
  Speaker 1: home our hero had heard of the big wages paid
• 1:23:24
  Speaker 1: in The northwoods lumber camps and decided to cast his lot.
• 1:23:28
  Speaker 1: There he was, strong brave and not afraid to, work
• 1:23:34
  Speaker 1: and had every confidence he could do good service in
• 1:23:37
  Speaker 1: the lumbering. Business Reaching newcombe the following, day he instituted
• 1:23:43
  Speaker 1: inquiries as to the prospect of securing, employment and was
• 1:23:47
  Speaker 1: told that a man by the name Of toppins had
• 1:23:50
  Speaker 1: recently started a large, job was in need of more,
• 1:23:53
  Speaker 1: men and was offering extra inducements to secure. Them, therefore
• 1:23:59
  Speaker 1: in top And, Camp, frank as we will call our hero.
• 1:24:03
  Speaker 1: Went it was nearly night when he reached the. Camp
• 1:24:08
  Speaker 1: the men were just coming in from their work and
• 1:24:11
  Speaker 1: Greeted frank as he came in sight with cries Of, Hello,
• 1:24:15
  Speaker 1: johnny where you going to play? Tonight et, cetera et.
• 1:24:19
  Speaker 1: Cetera he minded not their, rudeness but hunted up the
• 1:24:23
  Speaker 1: boss and presented himself for. Employment he engaged himself as a,
• 1:24:29
  Speaker 1: chopper and the next day was set to work under
• 1:24:32
  Speaker 1: a Big frenchman by the name Of, joe who was
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 1: the boss. Chopper the gang had considerable fun at our hero's,
• 1:24:41
  Speaker 1: expense but he took it good naturedly and went to
• 1:24:45
  Speaker 1: work with a determination to succeed in doing his, share
• 1:24:49
  Speaker 1: and with hopes, of by so, doing of winning the
• 1:24:53
  Speaker 1: respect of the rough, woodsman who recognized only two qualities
• 1:24:57
  Speaker 1: in a fellow, man those of fis physical strength and.
• 1:25:01
  Speaker 1: Bravery before the first day's work was, done he heard
• 1:25:06
  Speaker 1: one of the men remark to another that That duffer
• 1:25:10
  Speaker 1: is some pumpkins after, ALL i, guess meaning to convey
• 1:25:14
  Speaker 1: the idea That frank was regarded by him as being
• 1:25:17
  Speaker 1: strong and, able and after that all of the men
• 1:25:21
  Speaker 1: showed more respect to. Him his day's work was, finished his,
• 1:25:27
  Speaker 1: employer as is the, custom each, evening asked him how
• 1:25:31
  Speaker 1: many logs he had, cut And frank gave the number as.
• 1:25:35
  Speaker 1: Eighty when the count was given In frank noticed a
• 1:25:39
  Speaker 1: scowl on the face of the boss chopper and attributed
• 1:25:43
  Speaker 1: it to disgust because he had not cut. More but
• 1:25:47
  Speaker 1: when shortly after THE bc gave his count as sixty,
• 1:25:51
  Speaker 1: eight he thought that that could not be the. Reason
• 1:25:55
  Speaker 1: the truth was The frenchman was angry Because frank had
• 1:26:00
  Speaker 1: eaten him by twelve logs in his first day's. Work
• 1:26:04
  Speaker 1: the gang then proceeded to guy The Boss chopper because
• 1:26:08
  Speaker 1: he had been beaten by a, tenderfoot whereupon he became
• 1:26:12
  Speaker 1: very angry and swore to utterly demolish the tenderfoot on the.
• 1:26:16
  Speaker 1: Morrow frank was as strongly determined that he should do
• 1:26:21
  Speaker 1: no such, thing and the next day the contest. Began The,
• 1:26:27
  Speaker 1: frenchman stripped of all superfluous, clothing fell to work with
• 1:26:31
  Speaker 1: all his. Strength frank made every blow, count and the
• 1:26:36
  Speaker 1: gang encouraged them on with cries such as get, There
• 1:26:41
  Speaker 1: canada and Goer, johnny or you'll lose your. Job slam
• 1:26:47
  Speaker 1: bang went the axes right merrily flew the. Chips it
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 1: was a contest between giant strength on one side and
• 1:26:56
  Speaker 1: cool pluck on the. Other but pluck One frank one
• 1:27:02
  Speaker 1: hundred Ten joe one hundred. Two such was the count
• 1:27:07
  Speaker 1: given in that. Evening The Boss chopper's face was a.
• 1:27:11
  Speaker 1: Study he grew red and pale by. Turns he paced
• 1:27:16
  Speaker 1: up and down the men's room several, times and finally
• 1:27:20
  Speaker 1: went to bed without saying a. Word the men knew
• 1:27:24
  Speaker 1: that a big time was on and eagerly awaited. Developments
• 1:27:29
  Speaker 1: early next, Morning joe came down from the sleeping apartment
• 1:27:33
  Speaker 1: above in a tumult of. Wrath frank was engaged in
• 1:27:38
  Speaker 1: putting on his shoes in a corner of the men's.
• 1:27:40
  Speaker 1: Room The frenchman immediately went up to him, and shaking
• 1:27:45
  Speaker 1: his fist under his, nose angrily, exclaimed you damn. Sucker
• 1:27:51
  Speaker 1: maybe you beat me in, chop but me lick a
• 1:27:54
  Speaker 1: dozen like you and me gunna do it so, saying
• 1:27:59
  Speaker 1: He frank a stinging blow on the. Cheek in an,
• 1:28:03
  Speaker 1: instant our hero's blood was up and he jumped to his,
• 1:28:07
  Speaker 1: feet resolved to do or. Die quick as a, flash
• 1:28:12
  Speaker 1: he struck back at his burly antagonist a blow straight
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 1: from the. Shoulder it took him on the chin and
• 1:28:20
  Speaker 1: down went his form to the, floor but he quickly
• 1:28:24
  Speaker 1: jumped up and made For, frank roaring like a mad.
• 1:28:27
  Speaker 1: Bull frank's school training now came into. Use when The
• 1:28:33
  Speaker 1: frenchman came for. Him he, ducked jumped one, side and
• 1:28:38
  Speaker 1: before his assailant could realize, it he was lying on
• 1:28:41
  Speaker 1: the floor from the effects of a blow on his.
• 1:28:44
  Speaker 1: Head he slowly pulled himself, together got up on his,
• 1:28:48
  Speaker 1: feet shook his fist At, frank went out the door
• 1:28:53
  Speaker 1: and disappeared down the road going out from the. Camp,
• 1:28:57
  Speaker 1: then cheer after cheer from the gang nearly raised the
• 1:29:01
  Speaker 1: roof from the. Shanty every one of the men rushed To,
• 1:29:05
  Speaker 1: frank shook his hand and warmly applauded him for his,
• 1:29:09
  Speaker 1: bravery telling him that in future they were willing to
• 1:29:13
  Speaker 1: do anything for. Him The frenchman was no favorite of
• 1:29:18
  Speaker 1: the men, anyway and now that he was, vanquished and
• 1:29:22
  Speaker 1: that too by a, tenderfoot their admiration and joy knew no,
• 1:29:27
  Speaker 1: bounds and they danced around the rough, floor sang and,
• 1:29:31
  Speaker 1: laughed and to end off with Took frank on their
• 1:29:35
  Speaker 1: shoulders and carried him to the, woods where they went
• 1:29:38
  Speaker 1: to work. Again time passed. On joe was not heard from.
• 1:29:44
  Speaker 1: After as his going away left the position of Boss chopper.
• 1:29:49
  Speaker 1: Vacant the place was offered To frank at advanced. Wages
• 1:29:55
  Speaker 1: he accepted, it and during the six months that he
• 1:29:58
  Speaker 1: stayed in the woods he filled it with credit to
• 1:30:01
  Speaker 1: himself and satisfaction to his. Employer he was loved and
• 1:30:07
  Speaker 1: respected by all the, Men and At christmas, time in
• 1:30:11
  Speaker 1: consideration of many little favors shown them By, frank such
• 1:30:15
  Speaker 1: as writing, letters et, cetera many of the men being
• 1:30:19
  Speaker 1: unable to read or, write they raised a nice little
• 1:30:22
  Speaker 1: purse of money and presented it to, him and he
• 1:30:26
  Speaker 1: sent it home to his mother down The. Hudson and
• 1:30:30
  Speaker 1: so the winter passed away without any new thing to
• 1:30:33
  Speaker 1: break the monotony of camp, life and spring was near at.
• 1:30:37
  Speaker 1: Hand frank was daily counting the, minutes looking eagerly forward
• 1:30:43
  Speaker 1: to the time when he would again meet with his
• 1:30:45
  Speaker 1: dear mother and, sweetheart with whom he intended to be
• 1:30:49
  Speaker 1: joined in marriage in the. Spring and they were as
• 1:30:53
  Speaker 1: anxiously waiting his. Return but now comes the sad part
• 1:30:58
  Speaker 1: of this true, tale AND i cannot refrain from dropping
• 1:31:02
  Speaker 1: a tear AS i write. It alas how cruel is.
• 1:31:06
  Speaker 1: Fate the winter is past and spring has Come toppin's
• 1:31:12
  Speaker 1: job is. Ended the men are collected together in the men's,
• 1:31:16
  Speaker 1: room talking of events that are past and of the
• 1:31:20
  Speaker 1: things to. Come some of them will depart for their
• 1:31:23
  Speaker 1: homes in the. Morrow others will go on the drive
• 1:31:27
  Speaker 1: that is help float the logs down The Hudson river
• 1:31:31
  Speaker 1: to the sawmills. Below frank decided to do the. Latter
• 1:31:37
  Speaker 1: it would make him later, home but he will be
• 1:31:40
  Speaker 1: going toward it all the, time and be earning more money,
• 1:31:43
  Speaker 1: Besides and so the next day he. Starts for five,
• 1:31:49
  Speaker 1: days everything goes, well and the drive is down the
• 1:31:53
  Speaker 1: river several. MILES a jam of logs is formed in
• 1:31:57
  Speaker 1: the middle of the river in a dangerous and the
• 1:32:01
  Speaker 1: foreman calls for volunteers to go out and break. It
• 1:32:05
  Speaker 1: frank is one of the first to, respond and, he
• 1:32:09
  Speaker 1: with three other brave men advance acts as in hand
• 1:32:13
  Speaker 1: to the center of the. DAM a few rapid blows
• 1:32:17
  Speaker 1: and the logs are loosened and turn and toss in
• 1:32:20
  Speaker 1: the swift. Current cries from the shore to look out are.
• 1:32:26
  Speaker 1: Heard the men start, back leaping from log to. Log
• 1:32:32
  Speaker 1: another moment and all will be safely. Landed frank is.
• 1:32:36
  Speaker 1: Behind his three companions have gained the. Shore in another
• 1:32:42
  Speaker 1: moment he will be with. Them he jumps for a,
• 1:32:45
  Speaker 1: log but it floats from. Him he strikes the, water
• 1:32:50
  Speaker 1: and with an agonizing cry of Tell mother on his,
• 1:32:54
  Speaker 1: lips he is carried down in the swift.
• 1:32:58
  Speaker 2: Current fellow the.
• 1:33:02
  Speaker 1: Next day his body is washed ashore many miles, below
• 1:33:06
  Speaker 1: bruised and beaten by the rushing, torrent and is sent.
• 1:33:10
  Speaker 1: Home oh the, agony grief and despair of that loving
• 1:33:15
  Speaker 1: mother and expectant. Sweetheart let us draw a veil over
• 1:33:20
  Speaker 1: that sad. Scene at a point near Where frank was
• 1:33:25
  Speaker 1: drowned is a huge rock known As Tragedy. Rock the
• 1:33:30
  Speaker 1: boys up in the North woods have composed a song
• 1:33:33
  Speaker 1: in remembrance of the hero Of Toppin's. CAMP i have
• 1:33:38
  Speaker 1: often heard them sing, it BUT i can remember but one.
• 1:33:42
  Speaker 1: Verse he was a favorite of all, young, handsome gay and,
• 1:33:48
  Speaker 1: Brave but at the jam On Tragedy rock he met
• 1:33:52
  Speaker 1: with a watery. Grave end of section Four section five
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 1: Of stories from The adirondacks By ALBERT. A. Young this
• 1:34:11
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public. Domain section Five bear.
• 1:34:17
  Speaker 1: Stories black bears are plenty in The, adirondacks and perhaps
• 1:34:24
  Speaker 1: the city reader will be interested in a few true
• 1:34:26
  Speaker 1: stories concerning. THEM i can well remember the first BEAR
• 1:34:31
  Speaker 1: i ever. Saw it was WHEN i was a lad
• 1:34:34
  Speaker 1: of about sixteen years of. Age my home was then
• 1:34:38
  Speaker 1: in a sparsely settled region among the, mountains and one
• 1:34:42
  Speaker 1: day in the fall of the. YEAR i had been
• 1:34:44
  Speaker 1: out along a mountain road picking. BLACKBERRIES i had filled
• 1:34:50
  Speaker 1: my pail with a luscious, fruit and was returning, home
• 1:34:53
  Speaker 1: whistling merrily along the, way in going through a short
• 1:34:58
  Speaker 1: piece of. Woods imagine in my surprise at seeing a, big,
• 1:35:02
  Speaker 1: black shaggy animal jump into the, road not over a
• 1:35:06
  Speaker 1: rod from, me and go running along ahead of.
• 1:35:09
  Speaker 2: Me WAS i?
• 1:35:11
  Speaker 1: Frightened, WELL i should SAY i. WAS i gave a
• 1:35:16
  Speaker 1: yell like A Comanche indian and took the back. TRACK
• 1:35:20
  Speaker 1: i ran one way and the bear the. Other it
• 1:35:24
  Speaker 1: would be hard to tell which was the most. FRIGHTENED
• 1:35:28
  Speaker 1: i do not know what became of my pail of.
• 1:35:31
  Speaker 1: BERRIES i did not have them WHEN i stopped, Running
• 1:35:35
  Speaker 1: BUT i was young. THEN i have since seen many,
• 1:35:38
  Speaker 1: bears and killed quite a. Number they have lost their
• 1:35:43
  Speaker 1: terrors for. ME i can recall catching a big bear
• 1:35:47
  Speaker 1: alive in an old barn which stood in a back
• 1:35:50
  Speaker 1: meadow near a. Forest he was an old sheep thief
• 1:35:55
  Speaker 1: and had given the farmers round about any amount of.
• 1:35:58
  Speaker 1: Trouble one, night a party of us determined to lay
• 1:36:02
  Speaker 1: for the old fellow and give him a warm reception
• 1:36:05
  Speaker 1: if he came. Around we stationed ourselves behind the fence
• 1:36:10
  Speaker 1: of the barn yard in which he had been plying
• 1:36:12
  Speaker 1: his business of sheep, catching and. Waited, presently we heard
• 1:36:18
  Speaker 1: something tearing around inside the, barn and we thought we
• 1:36:22
  Speaker 1: would take a peep inside and see what it. Was Gee,
• 1:36:26
  Speaker 1: whiz said one of the. Men it's a bear in
• 1:36:30
  Speaker 1: the barn. There, now let's take him. Captive so we
• 1:36:35
  Speaker 1: crept around quietly and closed the barn, door and, behold
• 1:36:39
  Speaker 1: his bearship was a. Prisoner how he did snarl and
• 1:36:44
  Speaker 1: rage and try to get, out but he was there
• 1:36:48
  Speaker 1: to Stay.
• 1:36:50
  Speaker 2: All next.
• 1:36:50
  Speaker 1: Day every, man woman and child for miles around crowded
• 1:36:55
  Speaker 1: about that, barn peering in through the cracks to see our. Prize,
• 1:37:01
  Speaker 1: finally after exhibiting him long, enough we cast lots to
• 1:37:05
  Speaker 1: ascertain who should have the bounty and, pelt and the
• 1:37:08
  Speaker 1: lucky man took a, gun, and pointing in through a,
• 1:37:11
  Speaker 1: knothole shot Mister bruin. Dead he was a huge fellow
• 1:37:17
  Speaker 1: and furnished bear, steak enough to last the whole neighborhood
• 1:37:20
  Speaker 1: for many. Days the greatest number of BEARS i ever
• 1:37:25
  Speaker 1: saw together was. Five they were having a camp. MEETING
• 1:37:30
  Speaker 1: i GUESS i ran upon them without making my presence,
• 1:37:34
  Speaker 1: known and stood watching them for some. Minutes they would
• 1:37:38
  Speaker 1: go up close to each other and rub their noses.
• 1:37:41
  Speaker 1: Together then they would back, up sit down on their
• 1:37:45
  Speaker 1: haunches and look at each. Other then they would get
• 1:37:49
  Speaker 1: up and all walk around in a. CIRCLE i soon
• 1:37:53
  Speaker 1: got tired of watching their funny antics and sent a
• 1:37:56
  Speaker 1: rifle bullet in among, them which had the effect of
• 1:37:59
  Speaker 1: breaking up the meeting and killing one of the. Brethren one,
• 1:38:04
  Speaker 1: time when hunting in the, MOUNTAINS i ran across two
• 1:38:07
  Speaker 1: little bear cubs curled up in a hollow stump, asleep
• 1:38:12
  Speaker 1: and as the mother bear was not around to offer any,
• 1:38:15
  Speaker 1: OBJECTIONS i captured, them put them in my pack basket
• 1:38:19
  Speaker 1: and carried them. HOME i shut them in a shed
• 1:38:23
  Speaker 1: a little way from my house and left them there.
• 1:38:27
  Speaker 2: That.
• 1:38:28
  Speaker 1: Night along toward, MORNING i was awakened by a terrible
• 1:38:32
  Speaker 1: racket out in the shed where my baby bears were.
• 1:38:34
  Speaker 1: CONFINED i conjectured that the mother bear had come for her,
• 1:38:39
  Speaker 1: young AND i was not mistaken for looking, OUT i
• 1:38:44
  Speaker 1: could see by the pale light of the moon that
• 1:38:46
  Speaker 1: she was, there tearing around that building like, mad and
• 1:38:51
  Speaker 1: the cubs were scratching and whining, inside trying to get
• 1:38:55
  Speaker 1: out to. Her my heart was touched with pity for
• 1:38:59
  Speaker 1: the little. THINGS i made a noise to frighten the
• 1:39:03
  Speaker 1: old bear away so she would not harm, me AND
• 1:39:06
  Speaker 1: i went out quickly and released the little, ones and
• 1:39:09
  Speaker 1: off they scampered to join their. PARENT i could have
• 1:39:13
  Speaker 1: easily killed the old, bear and the bounties from her
• 1:39:17
  Speaker 1: and the cubs would have netted me a nice little
• 1:39:19
  Speaker 1: sum of, money BUT i did not have the heart
• 1:39:23
  Speaker 1: to do. So the end end of section, five end
• 1:39:30
  Speaker 1: Of stories from The adirondacks By ALBERT. A. Young recording
• 1:39:36
  Speaker 1: By Roger moline