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" November 18, 1882.
+eiGOLDEN DAYS:s==>
795
occurred. In-an instant he was envel-
oped in darkness; then there seemed to
be a land slide over his head, and flying
bits of wood banged about his ears.
Adam made a grab at the tarpaulin as
it swept’ over him, and held fast to one
corner of it. He was instantly jerked
about three yards along the sand, and
then the branch, to which the end of the
rope was tied, slipped under the tarpau-
. lin, and Adam and the tent were left
lying together on the ground.
Chap made a wild rush after the
branch, but it was pulled into the water
‘before he could reach it. He could see
- it floating rapidly along the topof the
water, as the alligator swam away, and he
st sadly on the bank, watching the
disappearance of that branch and his
hopes.
- Adam, with the two boys, now ap-
peared, half awake and utterly astound-
ed, and anxiously demanded to know
what had happened. Never had they
been awakened in such a startling style.
When Chap explained the state of af
fairs, Phil and Phoenix burst into a
laugh, but Adam looked rather glum.
** You don’t mean to say,’’ he exclaim-
ed, ‘that that ’gator has gone off with
all my rope?”
“He's got it all,” said Chap; “and I’m
sorry now it didn’t break, so some of it
might have been left. But I tell you
- what we could do, if we could only get a
boat; we could run after that branch—it
won't sink, you know—and when we
got hold of the rope we inight haul the
alligator in.’?
“Haul him in!” eried Adam, “Td
like to see myself hauling a live alligator
- into a boat, even if we could do it, and
had _a‘boat. No, that line is gone for
good, He’s turned round and chawed it
off his tail by this time.”
“What did you expect to do with your
alligator,” asked Phil, “after you h:
fastened him to a tree? We haven’t
anything to kill him with, and he would |,
have raged around at the end of his line
like a mad bull.”
“Perhaps Chap thought he could tame
it, and take it along with us,” said Phoo-
ix.
“Look here, boys,’? ‘said Chap, TI
don’t want any criticisms on this alliga-
tor business. If I'd been acting as your
captain, and leading you in an alligator
hunt, you might say what you pleased
when the beast got away; but I was do-'
ing this thing in my private capacity, and
not as commander of the party, and you
it.
fellows have nothing to do with
“ ‘t we?” cried Phil. ‘When
my head was nearly jerked ‘off, and
three or four yards of tent hauled over
iny face ?””
“And I was scared worse than if I had
been pulled out of bed with a rake?”
said Pheenix. .
“Nothin’ to do with it!’ exclaimed
Adam. ‘When my rope was jerked out
of sight and hearin’ in a minute, and the
tarpaulin would a-gone with it if
hadn’t grabbed it? I should think we
had somethin’ to do with it.”
“Perhaps you had,’ said Chap, as he
sat down on the sand to put on his shoes.
“But I tell you what it is, fellows,” be
added, with sparkling eyes, “if we could
have tied a live alligator to a tree, it
would have been a splendid thing to tell
when we got home.” .
“There is people,” said Adam, drily,
“who'd tell a story like that without ty-
in’ a’gator to a tree.”
“But we are not that kind,” promptly
answered Captain Chap. . .
“But I guess we won't cry over spilt
milk, or lost ropes, either,’? said Adain ;
“and the best thing we kin do is to get
along to John Brewer’s house and see
about some breakfast.” ~ .
“We might catch some more tish,’”
said Chap, ‘‘and have breakfast before
We started.” _ -
“If you kin ketch some coffee,” said
Adam, “[’'H be willin’ to talk about
breakfast here; but I don’t want to
make another meal off fish and warn
water, if Ican help it. John Brewer’s
house is just the other side of that bend,
and well be there in half an hour.” —
The tarpaulin was rolled up, each of
the party picked up his individual traps,
and headed by Chap, they were soon
walking along the shore of the river.
When they turned the bend above,
they were delighted to_see that Adam
was right, and that John Brewer's
house was really there. It was not
much of a house, for it was a frame
building, one story high, and containing
three or four rooms; but it had an air of
human habitation about it which was
very welcome to the wanderers. It
al
stood ina small clearing, and John
Brewer, a little man, with long, brown
hair, which looked as if the wind had
been blowing it in several directions
during the night, came out of his front
door to meet them. Two of his children
followed him, and the three others and
hs wife looked out of a half-opened win-
Mr. Brewer was mildly surprised to
see his old acquaintance, Adam, and the
three boys, and when he had heard their
story, he took a kind but languid inter-
est in the matter, and went into the
house to see about getting breakfast.
t was not long before our friends
were sitting down to a plentiful meal of
coffee, corn bread and very tough bacon,
Mr. Brewer and _ his - family standing at
the end of the table and gazing at them
as they ate. Some of them would have
joined the breakfast-party had there
een plates and cups enough.
_ About half an hour after breakfast, as
our friends, with Mr. Brewer and four
of the children, were sitting in the shade
in front of the house, and Mrs. Brewer
and the other child were looking at them
behind a halfopened window-shutter,
Adam remarked :
“What I want to know now is what
chance we have of getting up the river to
Titusville.” .
“How did you expect toget up?” ask-
ed Mr. Brewer. .
“Well,” said Adam, “TI thought we
might get passage in a mail-boat, if one
happened to come along at the right
time; and if it didn’t, I thought there’d
be some boat or other goin’ up the river
to-day that would take us.”
“Well, if them’s your kalkerlations,”
said Mr. Brewer, gently rubbing his
knees and looking out over the water,
at don’t think you’re goin’ to get upat
all.”
“Not get up at all!’ cried the boys;
and Adam looked puzzled.
“Well, not for a week or so, anyway,”’
said Mr. Brewer, his eyes still fixed up-
on the rippling waters, ‘‘ To-be-sure,
the mail-boat will be along to-day, and
she’ll stop if she’s hailed, but she can’t
carry you all, and as for other boats, the
long and short of it is, there ain’t none
gone down, and there can’t none come
up. There was a boat went up yester-
day with vegetables from Lake Worth,
but she won’t bé back for a week, and
then itll be a good while before she
goes upagain. Every boat that’s been
down the river this month has gone up,
and they tell me there ain’t nothin’ at
Jupiter but the little sloop that belongs
to the light-house keeper, and she’s
hauled up to havea new mast put in her.”
“Then what are we to do?’ asked
Phil, anxiously.
“Dunno,” said Mr. Brewer.
. [To BE coNTINUED ]
————
A Night on the Plains of Abraham,
BY GEO. G. RYAN.
Wolfe’s famous battle on the plains of
Abraham is familiar to every student of
American history. The plain extends
for about two miles along the St. Law-
rence River, from Quebec to the cove up
which Wolfe led his forces.
Ilaving tried to capture the city from
below, this brave young general deter-
inined to gain a foothold above the town,
On the night of September 12, 1759,
under cover of the darkness, Wolfe and
nearly all his army secured a landing at
this cove, climbed up the precipitous
steep, overcame the small guard at the
top, and in the morning formed in line
of battle on the plains.
Montealm was surprised and outgen-
eraled. He had not defended this side
of Quebec as he should, thinking that
nature had dgne this for him. He an
all his army were across the St. Charles,
on the opposite side of the city, When
he heard of Wolfe’s approach, he had no-
thing to do but to meet him in battle on
a field which Wolfe had chosen. The re-
sult was death and immortality to both
generals, and the permanent possession
of Quebee by the English.
The boldness of the undertaking, the
military genius of Wolfe, and his glori-
ous death, have roused many a youn
man’s ambition, and filled his mind with
thirst for glory.
* So we may Readily understand how,
one day in July, four school-boys, who
were enjoying a vacation on. the St.
Lawrence, and were that day approach-
coe
ing Quebec, determined to follow in the
footsteps of Wolfe, and capture once
more the plains of Abraham. ~
ys all lived in Ogdensburg,
where they had been attending school,
and three weeks before, they had begun
their journey down the river from that
point. Melvin Green, who had visited
nearly all the towns along the river, had
organized the expedition. John Creigh-
ton, Everett Marshall and Arthur Pow-
ell, all of whom were at home on the
river, were his companions, They were
well fitted out with boat, tent, oil stove
and other cooking utensils, bedding and
money. They had a large sail, too, for
they had no idea of working very hard,
and their progress depended very much
upon the direction of the wind. They
had a glorious time. The last day or two
had become somewhat monotonous, for
the river was wide, and there were few
islands or objects of interest.
one morning, they learned by in-
quiry that they were within a few miles
of Quebec. Again their enthusiasm was
aroused. It had been a settled purpose
in their minds for some time to camp
out one night upon the plains of Abra-
am, and to reach their camping-ground
through Wolfe’s Cove, and at dead of
night.
A fisherman, whom they chanced to
meet, pointed out to them Wolfe’s Cove,
which could easily be seen at a distance,
They made a landing two or three miles
above, and waited until evening, not
wishing to make the ascent until the a
pointed time. They spent the time in
studying the full particulars about
Wolfe’s great victory, and impatiently
waited for the time to come when they
were to embark.
Nine o’clock found them on their way.
The moon was shining brightly, and the
river and shore never looked grander.
They thought it an easy thing to be
brave amid such surroundings.
It is said that Wolfe, when he thought
of the danger that awaited him upon the
plains, recited to his fellows a part of
“Grey’s Elegy,” which had been writ-
ten only a short time before.
So Melvin, who had spoken the whole
poem at an exhibition that very spring,
stood up in the stern of the boat, and
once more pronounced those well-known
words upon the calm waters of that
mighty river. -
“The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e’er
The paths of glory lead but to the grave,”
Await alike the inevitable hours
The cove was soon-reached, and by the
time they were there, they really wished
there were a few soldiers at the top to re-
sist them.
On landing, they drew their boat on
shore, and quickly made preparations
for the ascent. Melvin Green and John
Creighton were to carry the trunk,
which contained the oil stove, cooking
utensils and provisions. Everett Mar-
shall and Arthur Powell followed close
behind with the tent and bedding.
was by no means easy work, for the
trunk was particularly heavy; but their
enthusiasm ma em unusually
strong. They had wished for oppo-
sition, and they were destined to meet
it, though in an unexpected manner,
Just as Melvin and Jobn'were reach-
ing the top. a ,» quick bark was
heard, and immediately a large dog was
seen rushing toward them. They drop
ed the trunk and:took to their heels
across the Plainsof Abraham, the dog
following after them. The dog did not
follow far; but as long as he continued
to bark, our herves did not cease to re-
treat.
It was not long before they found
themselves near a large building, which
Melvin recognized as a jail, built a few
years before on the plains. This was a
new source of terror for them, They
feared that some guard might see them,
mistake them for escaping prisoners or
accomplices, shoot them, or capture and
confine them inthe jail. However, by
keeping close ‘to the cliff overhanging
the river, they escaped notice.
No vhat were they todo? Behind
them the jail; to the right the river,
three hundred feet beneath; to the left,
at some distance, a street, which they
dare not approach at this time of night;
in front the citadel and outer fortifi-
cations.
They sat down on a rock and began to
collect their scattered senses. Where
were their companions? They had not
given them a thought until now. The
moon was still shining, though a dark
and threatening cloud was rising.
They were awakened from their rey-
erie by the sound of oars on the river
elow. Some one—perhaps a guard
from the jail—was on their track.
They took to their heels once more,
until’they reached the friendly pro-
tection of an old round tower. This was
one of a line of towers which extended
from the St. Lawrence River across a
point to the St. Charles. They were two
stories in height, and the one which the
boys entered had some time been used
for a dwelling-house. They made up
their minds to spend the night there.
So they climbed a rickety stairway, and
lay down to rest upon some straw which
they found upon the floor.
Their fears were soon forgotten, and
they were just about falling asleep, when.
they. heard footsteps below. Besides,
they noticed that it was no longer light,
and they heard a storm approaching.
Once more their fears were aroused.
They felt that now there was no escape
for them. Then a voice was heard amid
the murmuring of the storm. .
“T wonder where they could have
gone?” asked one of the invaders.
“T tell you,” whispered Melvin,
“that’s a man from the jail.” ~~
“Tam sure I can’t imagine. I know
they ran in this direction,” was the re-
ply of another. . : .
“Perhaps that’s the owner of the dog.
We're in a tix now. For ness sake,
keep still, Melvin. What shall we do if’
they come up here?”’ : oe
“Didn’t you hear a noise above?” said
one ofthem, ‘‘ Let’s go up these stairs.”
“Tt was only a rat,’’ replied the other.
“But we might just as well stay there as
anywhere. There’s no use in looking
any further to-night.” oe
And up stairs they started.
The hearts of our heroes on the straw
above beat like engines, and seemed al-
most to shake the tower. It was very
ark, however, and nothing remained
for them to do but to keep as still as pos-
sible.
When the newcomers reached the top
of the stairs they did not venture to walk
around, but lay down, and, after talking
low to each other for a few minutes, were
soon fast asleep. Their position command-
ed the head of the stairs, and Melvin and
John could not escape if they should try.
In spite of their fears, exhausted nature
would have its way, and the snores of
their sleeping guard soon lulled them to
sleep as well.
Leaving them there in a sleep too
sound for dreams, we will now return to
Wolfe’s Cove, and follow the fortunes of
Everett Marshall and Arthur Powell.
When Melvin and John dropped their
trunk, and ran across the plains, pur-
sued by the dog, they quickly
to their boat, thinking the river much
safer than the shore. .
They rowed down the river as quietl
as possible, in the direction in whic
their companions had gone. They listen-
ed intently to catch the slightest sound
that might reveal the presence of the
heroes above. But the Plains of Abra-
hain are at least three hundred feet
aboye the river, and they could see or
hear nothing. . .
ma storm was heard advancing,
and they once more effected a landing.
hey drew their boat on shore, and with
much difficulty, succeeded in climbing
to the plains above, .
Looking around. for.a shelter, they
caught sight of an old round tower near
by, and to it they hastened. It was the
very same tower to which Melvin, and
John ran, to escape, not the guards from
the jail, nor the owner of the dog, but
their own fellow-travelers, Everett and
rthur.
They were too frightened to recognize
their voices, but the recognition in the’
morning, when they awoke in the tower
and saw their friends sleeping near them,
ean be more easily imagined than de-
scribed.
They returned by boat to the scene of |
the night’s adventures. Near the top of
the path up which they had gone was a
small shanty, in which lived a French
fainily, the owners of the dog that was
the cause of all their woe.
The trunk, with its contents, they
never found. It probably rolled down
into the river and sank out of sight. Its
loss put an end to their voyage, and they
returned by steamboat to Montreal and
thence to Ogdensburg. :
In their opinion, the French general,
Montealm, made a wonderful mistake in
not strengthening the guard at Wolfe’s _ .
Cove with adog. Who knows but that,
if he had done this, Quebec might still
belong to France
4
aren,
‘