The Eyes of the Woods: A Story of the Ancient WildernessAltsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander)
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The Eyes of the Woods: A Story of the Ancient Wilderness
Altsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Fiction
He remained for hours looking upon the great spectacle, that pleased him
so much, and then kept dry by the huge painted coat, he went back to the
brush hut. But night only and the necessity to sleep could have sent him
there. He did not yet light a fire, contenting himself with the cold
food from the canoe, nor did he do so the next day, as the storm was
still raging. When it ceased on the third day all the trees and bushes
were coated with ice, and he was a dweller in the midst of a silver
forest. Then, with much difficulty he lighted a small fire before the
hut, warmed over some venison and a little of the precious bread. He
would not have to kill any game for a week or ten days and he was glad
that it was so, since he was still averse to slaying any member of the
kingdom of the animals that had befriended him so much.
The peace of the elements lasted only a few hours. Then they were in a
more terrible turmoil than ever. The wind whistled and shrieked, and the
snow came down, driven here and there in whirling gusts, while the lake
roared and thundered beneath the drive of the hurricane. Although there
were lulls at times, yet as a whole the storm lasted a whole week, and
it was remembered long by the Indians living in those northern regions
as the week of the great storm, unexampled in its length and ferocity.
But Henry found nothing in it to frighten him. Rather, the greater
powers were still watching over him, and it was sent for his protection.
His own bold and wild spirit remained in tune with it at all times. The
brush hut was warm and snug and it held fast against wind, hail and
snow. Now and then he lighted the fire anew to warm over his food or
merely to see the bright blaze.
At the end of the week he shot a deer among a herd that had found
shelter in extremely deep woods at the north end of the island, and
never did he do a deed more reluctantly. But it gave an abundance of
fresh food, which he now needed badly, and he added to his stores two
wild turkeys.
When the storm ceased entirely a very deep snow fell, and he put off his
intention to leave. He expected to use the canoe, but he might be
forced to leave it, and, traveling in the woods with the snow above a
man's knees, would be too hard. So he waited patiently, and made his
little home as comfortable as he could.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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