Daily Kennebec Journal

(Continued from first Page.)

the mountains opposite me, I supposed I must be near Harrington's and of course the main stream, on which stood our mountain cabin.

Descending the mountain side. I soon reached its banks, and although it was now dark, yet, by the wintry starlight and the snow, I saw at once that it was not Bear river. Nor did its banks show any signs either of mining or of any human being having been there. Not a tree had been cut, not a rock disturbed or a foot of soil removed, nor was there any sign of a path or a track of human foot.

Cold, wild and savage, the unbroken wilderness gave no sign, and the gloom of the wintry night made it still more wild and lonely. Having no knowledge even of the existence of a stream in that lonely locality. and supposing that there was none between me and Bear River. I was of course bewildered, and realized at once that I was lost, and could not tell my surroundings. I first thought of crossing the stream and continuing on my course.

But there was no "foot-log"or means of crossing, except by wading the ice-cold water. And finding this unknown stream in my course showed me that I could not be certain as to that course being right.

And if wrong. how was I to track out a new one? All these considerations I thought over rapidly, and soon concluded that my safest and best plan would be to follow the stream to its mouth, or to some camp, track or path.

I was. of course. excited when I first realized that I had struck a wild and unknown stream, of whose existence I had never even heard, and that I was lost in those awful and untrodden wastes, covered with snow. and in a winter night without covering. fire. food and shelter.

But I did not feel much fatigued. and. as reflection seemed to show that I had taken the wisest and best course. I soon found myself journeying down the stream without much apprehension.

But difficulties seemed to increase. Logs, crags, rock and ravines were in the way, and further progress sometimes seemed almost impossible, and was often excessively laborious, and frequently quite dangerous.

But I persevered without despondency -sometimes loosening fragments of rock that would go thundering down the steep hillside, again sliding for many feet with a moving mass of small fragments of slate-rock, but never seeing any sign of life. except some little mountain bird occasionally flying from its lodging in some bush near which I was passing. or by which some fragment of rock had rolled.

Thus I toiled on mile. after mile and hour after hour-difficulties and dangers seeming to increase rather than to diminish. yet feeling satisfied that I was doing the best that could be done. and would find my way out all right. At length I saw that the little stream on my right began to break into small cascades every few rods. and about the same time I heard a dull roaring sound on my left. Soon I saw through the trees a wild and, at first bewildering glimmer of white waters, and ere long emerged from the gloomy ravine or valley, and stood upon an open point of land, with a great roaring mountain torrent upon my left, and on my right a beautiful cascade of about twenty feet fall. formed by the small stream I had followed, and here leaped from its bed into that of the great torrent. that white with foam, and roaring over the rocks. thundered by on its rapid course. So I had followed the course of the unknown stream to its mouth without meeting any signs of a human being ever having been there before me.

(Continued to-morrow.)