LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2401, 13 December 1881, Page 4

LITERATURE.

AFTER FOUR YEARS. ‘ Come Sprite, we must mend our pace if we wouldn't bo late to supper,’ I said patting the jaded animal’s neck. Sprite gave an assenting whinny, and at once picked up the trot which he had dropped, perhaps unconsciously, in a fit of absent-mindedness akin to that from which the lengthening shadows, hot kenning the approach of sunset, had just aroused his master. All day we had journeyed through a wild unbroken forest, and the settlement at which we were to find food and shelter was still several miles ahead.

Suddenly, with a snort of fear. Sprite shied so as to almost throw me from the saddle. I had no time to be surprised at hia conduct, for a quick glance toward the side from which he had recoiled at once revealed the cause.

A huge panther, surrounded by her young, crouched in a cluster of bushes within six feet of where poor Sprite, cowering with terror, seemed rooted to the spot. No sooner had her eyes, flashing with a greenish glare, encountered mino, than the Infuriated beast, with a piercing yell, bound upon me. I felt her hot breath on my cheek. With both hands I grasped her neck and straggled to hold back the gaping jaws and glittering fangs, which, In spite of my uttermost efforts, came closer and closer every moment. Meanwhile my flash was rent and torn with her merciless claws, till, at last, exhausted with pain and loss of blood, my hold was on the point of relaxing. An instant more, and the savage tusks would have met In my throat ; but just then the sharp report of a rills rang upon my ears. The panther’s brains were spattered in my face, and we fell to the ground together, ‘ Are yon hurt bad ?’ inquired a quick, eager voice, but withal so soft and musical that I turned in surprise to look at tho speaker. Judge how much greater was the surprise when, bending over me, I saw a face whose surpassing loveliness put to shame tho most perfect ideal I had ever fancied. The hunting costume of its owner might have left in doubt whether the face was masculine or femine. Bat it needed no second glance to tell that such beauty could belong only to the gentler sex. In truth, my preserver was a girl, hardly yet sixteen, to judge by her appearance.

* Are you hart bad ?’ she repeated for I had been too much lost in admiration to answer her immediately. ‘Not seriously, I think,’ was my reply, as I rose with her assistance, at the same time casting a relieved look at my late enemy’s carcase, which had luckily rolled away some distance, or I might have Buffered further injuries in the brute’s death-throes. • But I see you’re wounded,’ the girl added, observing the blood whioh trickled from my lacerated limbs * One don’t get off with light scratches in a fight with a panther. You must come over to our cabin. Tom’ll know what to cto for you.’ By leading ‘Sprite’ alongside the trunk of a fallen tree, which served as an ‘ uppingblock,’ it was managed, between us all, to get me into tho saddle sgain- Then the pretty huntress took up her rifle—not forgetting to load it—and led the way, ‘ Sprite’ and I jogging along behind. ‘ Here’s oar place,’ said the girl, when at length we came to a ‘ clearing’ In which stood a log cabin surrounded by a rude fence.

Making a aimilar use of the fence to that before made of the fallen tree, I succeeded in dismounting, and hitching ‘ Sprite’s’ rein to a sapling, I entered the cabin with my guide. ‘ Here’s a stranger, Tom,’said the latter, ‘ I found him In a fight with a panther. I shot the panther, but not In time to save'the stranger from bein’ wounded, I’m afraid.’ ‘ Bat in time to save his life, though !’ I added warmly. * Ruth's a brave gal! ’ said the white haired old woodsman, who answered to tho name of Tom.

Ruth didn’t stay longer to listen to her own praises, but betook herself to an apart ment partioned off at the further end of the cabin, leaving me to the surgical care of Dr. Tom.

And I might easily have fared worse. Tom had a salvo of his own compounding in which were concentered the therapeutic virtues of a boat of “ roots and yarba ” whose healing power, In tome's esteem, far excelled that of the famous embrocation of the sorrowfulfoeed knight. Whether or not it was all its inventor claimed for it. I must nevertheless confess to Us good effect in my own case, when my wounds, after a plentiful smearing of Tom’s salve, had been carefully bound up, 1 felt like another man; and when Bath, la a simple but more feminine garb, ‘came in and prepared sapper. I sat down to it with her and Tom with as much relish as though I hod come oat of the late encounter without a scratch. ‘ Sprite,’ meanwhile, had been brought within the enclosure and treated to a plentiful banquet of grass cut from a neighboring prairie. Thanks to the superficial character of my injuries, my youth, and a good constitution —not forgetting Tom’s famous salve—l waa able In a few days to resume my journey. Bath’s beauty bad grown upon me avery

hour, and, in spite of her imperfect grammar, it was easy to see she possessed a superior mind. She was not Tom’s daughter, I learned, nor, indeed, in any way related to him. He was only an old friend of her father, 'who had died before she could remember’ and Tom had taken care of her ever sines—unless it might bo said sho was taking care of him now.

‘ What a pity,’ I could not help thinking, ‘ her lot had not been cast in a worthier ashore !’

But I bad no lime for idle musings. I was quite recovered from my hurts, and the object of my travel would admit of no delay. Tom declined the compensation I pressed upon him for the trouble I had give, and Ruth, I thought, looked a little hurt that I should have offered It. And when, at the final parting, with the renewed acknowledgment of the debt I owed her, I pressed her hand warmly, I thought it trembled jastatriile, but that may have been only fancy.

Four years of foreign travel had brought me faca to face with many fair daughters of many aads. But when 1 compared them, as one by one I did, with the beautiful forest maiden, 1 could not but confoaa she far outshone them all. And I resolved that when I returned home I would take another journey that way, just to see, if she and Tom wore In the old place yet, and leading the same life. Mayhap I might find Ruth the wife of some stalwart woodsman. I made haste to banish that last thought. ‘ Well, Charles. ’ said my uncle Richard, in our first confidential talk after my return, * you didn’t pick up a wife in your travels, eh?’ It was evident I hadn’t.

‘ Well, I’ve been more diligent than you,’ continued uncle Richard, ‘l’ve picked out one for you ’ ‘lndaed!’ I answered—‘subject to your humble servant’s approval, of course.’ ‘ I’m not so sura of that,’ replied the merry old gentleman. • When a match making grandfather and a plotting old uncle, both with wills to make, lay their scheming heads together, they’re very apt to have their way. ’ ‘At any rate you’ll grant me a eight of the lady bsfore I commit myself.’ ‘ Certainly—you’ll meet her at Mrs Gloasop’s reception to night. I’ve secured invitations for us both.’

‘ There she is,’ whispered uncle Richard, as we entered Mrs Qlossop'a drawing-room, pointing out a lady richly dressed and a sideudid figure. I’ll introduce you as soon as she turns this way. ’

At that instant she turned her head. ‘ I think I’ll introduce myself,’ I said, in an agitated voice. ‘Ruth!’ I exclaimed, advancing and reaching out my hand. ‘Mr Ludlow, ’ she answered ; and this time there was no doubt that her hand trembled as she placed it in my own. ‘ But this meeting, so different from the one four years before, how did it come about ?’ the reader asks.

The explanation is simple enough. George Kennett, Bath’s father, married without his father’s consent, and was disinherited. With his young wife he emi grated to the distant West, where the former soon died, leaving Buth a baby. Still more soured at the world, George Bennett, with his child and Tom Bolton, an old hunter, for a companion, migrated further into the forest, where he, too, died before Ruth was three years old. Tern reared hia little charge with what tenderness he could. He knew nothing of her father’s history. A packet of papers left by the latter be was unable to read, and bad laid them aside where they were soon forgotten. Ruth never knew of their existence till after Tom’s death, which happened soon after my departure, when causing the papers to be examined, it tnrned ont that she was the grand daughter of the wealthy Giles Kennett, who had disinherited her father for marrying her mother. The old gentleman relented toward hia grandchild, whom he took to bis home and heart, and three years in a first-class boarding school had made Ruth what I found her at our second meetfng.

Mr Kennett and unole Richard were the best of friends. So the wooing between Ruth and I went on smoothly. We’ve been settled down for some years now, and our oldest boy, George, never tires of hearing the panther story.