_MISFORTUNES._
Our traveler, after leaving Mr. Steele’s, unfortunately took a road
leading from the inhabited portion of country. Night was approaching,
and the last sounds of human habitations had long since ceased to greet
his ear; he still walked on, however, hoping that some dwelling would
come into view.
The sun had set behind the great mountain of storm clouds in the west,
and twilight was drawing a curtain of darkness around. The clouds rose
higher and higher; the heavens began to be overspread with long masses
of floating vapor, and the distant gleam of lightning could now be
distinctly seen. He now encountered a steep hill in his march; his
limbs could scarcely bear his body along, but he knew that he must go
on. There were but few trees on the hill, and their absence enabled him
to see his way more clearly in ascending, but the valley beyond seemed
shrouded in midnight darkness.
These wild regions were infested with wolves and other ravenous beasts,
and our hero being unarmed, his life became hourly more endangered.
After struggling along under accumulating difficulties, in utter
loneliness and discouragement he sat down on a log to rest. It was
to him an hour of trial; and his patience almost failed him. But the
remembrance of God’s promise, “Behold, I am with thee and will keep
thee,” cheered him. A clap of thunder warned him of the approach of
the storm, and aroused his enfeebled energies to their task. But where
should he go? The darkness, if possible, had increased; not a ray of
light remained, excepting when the electric fluid for a moment lit
up the heavens with its lurid blaze only to leave it still darker. An
effort to secure shelter must be made _at once_.
As he was anxiously hurrying on among the weeds and fallen timber, a
huge rattlesnake that had coiled itself under some rubbish suddenly
sounded its “death-rattle.” Finding that danger was threatening in
the heavens above, and lurking on the earth beneath, he was on the
point of sitting down and awaiting his fate, when, suddenly, a flash
of lightning revealed an opening between the tall trees, and the hope
that there might be some human habitation not far distant caused him to
again renew his efforts.
Moving cautiously forward, he succeeded in crossing a stream of water;
a short distance beyond was an old, broken-down fence. The glimpse
which the lightning gave him of this, the work of man, sent a thrill of
joy to his desponding heart.
He anxiously watched for the electric lamp to reveal the place of
habitation. Now and then a large drop of rain fell, and presently a
fearful blaze of lightning illuminated the whole heavens, followed by a
clap of thunder that seemed to shake the earth to its very foundation!
The rain was now descending upon the distant hill. Aroused to a full
sense of his danger, he commended his soul to God, expecting to be
crushed beneath the falling timber, which could plainly be heard above
the roar of the elements.
As we all shrink from imminent danger, he instinctively looked around
for some protection. Near by, in a clump of trees, he espied, when it
again lightened, something like a roof. What a thrill of joy entered
his heart! Groping his way forward, he found a little hut with door
wide open as if to welcome him; he needed no invitation, but rushed in,
for the storm was bursting upon him.
All within was dark and silent save a rustling in one corner and the
flitting of a bat overhead. The chilly dampness which pervaded the
room, and the musty smell that came up from the floor, made the first
impression far from agreeable. The roof leaked and the windows were
gone. In one corner he found a dry spot; here he nestled down, awaiting
the fury of the descending storm.
The elements were now raging with irresistible power. The very earth
seemed to tremble under the contending forces that were hurling
destruction all around. Part of the shattered roof came down, the trees
were torn up by the roots and the cabin was almost lifted from its
foundation.
Happily the winds hurled the rain against the corner in which he
had taken refuge, and the logs, chinking and daubing that remained,
arrested the water, so that the place which he occupied was
comparatively dry, whilst all the rest of the inside was deluged with
the dashing rain.
Musing for a time upon his lonely condition and his prospects for the
future, he fell asleep, and did not awake until it was quite day. He
arose, and kneeling down in that deserted cabin, he brought all his
sorrows before God, and asked in great humility for His guidance and
protection.
The storm had passed, and the sun rose in a serene and cloudless sky.
After his communion with God, he came out of his retreat to view his
surroundings.
The ground was literally covered with pools of standing water, fallen
timber and fragments of vegetation. The cabin in which he had slept had
been long since deserted, and the place looked mournfully desolate,
wild and forsaken.
As the lowlands were now full of standing water, and the creek so
high that to return by the way he came was impossible, he took up his
satchel and staff, and proceeded westward in search of a settlement.
After wandering on for several hours he came to a large swamp covered
with reeds, tall grass and spaces of open water; in some places the
covering was a beautiful carpet of green moss, upon which one could
stand, but the least movement would shake the frail moss bed for rods
around; under this treacherous cover there appeared to be a great depth
of quicksand and water. A path made by wild animals along the margin of
the swamp somewhat relieved the irksomeness of passing through it.
As he was traveling on he discovered the footprints of a bear which
had been turning over some old logs in search of worms and insects. An
encounter with Bruin was something for which he was wholly unprepared.
Sitting down to consider which course he had better pursue, his
attention was attracted by a noise among the bushes behind him. He had
already passed the monster and might have escaped unnoticed had he not
sat down!
The bear, seeing him, came out of the bushes toward him. As our hero
did not show any signs of retreat the bear stopped and sat upon his
haunches, ready for a fight. The worn-out missionary did not feel like
accepting the challenge, but was rather inclined to a purely defensive
policy. The bear remained stationary for some time, waiting, no doubt,
for a demonstration of the purposes and ability of the stranger. They
eyed each other until that indescribable superiority implanted in the
eye of man made the huge beast quail, and he sullenly retreated into
the thicket.
The way being now clear our traveler again started on. The marsh was
at length passed, but another difficulty now presented itself in the
shape of an abrupt bluff; too much fatigued to ascend it, he changed
his course by its base, still, however, designing to go westward. A
beautiful spring that gushed out from among the rocks at the side of
the hill invited him to rest. Whilst laving his sore, feverish feet in
its cool waters, he noticed the movements of a little squirrel as it
jumped from tree to tree, gathering nuts for the coming winter. Here he
learned a lesson which would enable him to appease his hunger.
Having eaten his frugal meal, and being somewhat refreshed, his step
was lighter. Another stream impeded his progress, so he again changed
his course, following its windings among the valleys and hills.
Throughout his whole course he had as yet seen no indications of the
presence of man.
The sun was again setting, and as the shades of night increased and no
dwelling appeared he began to look about for some place of shelter.
As he was hastily ascending a ridge, a pack of wolves commenced their
discordant yelps and howlings right in his front. Turning around he
wended his way up a ravine, walking as fast as possible. Another pack
of wolves then set up a howl to his left; this seemed to enrage the
others, so that their hideous noise could not but chill the heart of
the defenseless wanderer.
To climb a tree and rest among its branches for the night, was his
first thought. A spreading beech, with branches almost reaching the
ground, offered its accommodations. After choosing his position in
the tree, and fixing himself, as he supposed, for the night, he very
soon found his limbs cramped and his hold unsafe. Becoming satisfied
that to remain where he was would be risking his life, he immediately
descended. The darkness, when off the tree, seemed much more dense;
and being now within reach of the wolves, made him almost regret
having left it. “Oh, that I never had been called to this sacrifice,”
involuntarily burst from him. A voice whispered: “The foxes have holes
and the birds of the air have nests, but the _Son of Man_ hath not
where to lay His head.” These words were not without effect, for they
led him to say, “if the Lord of Lords suffered thus before me, why
should I murmer at my lot?” and he again “thanked God and took courage.”
At length he succeeded in finding a hollow tree which answered his
purpose. Feeling that he was in God’s hands, it was not long until
“tired nature’s sweet restorer” came to his relief.
It is well that God conceals from us the rod with which He intends to
chasten us; were it not so, our prospective trials would seem greater
than we could bear. The trials encountered by His servant in this
peculiar case, were but the beginning of those in store for him.
Having changed his course so often, he lost all idea of the points of
the compass. The consequence was that he spent two days and a night
longer wandering in this wilderness. At the expiration of that time
he found himself at the very old hut in which he had spent the first
night; which proved to him that he had been traveling in a circle.
Under the circumstances, he was very glad to again avail himself of the
protection thus afforded.
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