by “Katharine”

“ To add to the general wretchedness of things, the weather had changed in the night; the rain had turned to sleet, and now snow was falling, freezing as it fell. After much scheming the ponderous stove was finally zigzagged off the porch and placed upon wooden rollers, immediately sinking fathoms deep in mud. ”

“ That the exploit upon which we are embarking is a perilous one, I will not deny. To guard against accidents and possible loss of life, it is necessary that we should be firmly bound one to another with this rope. ”

“ Lidless, doorless, and backless, like a shorn Samson, the stove then went quietly enough to its fate. After the pipe was jointed and poked out through a hole in the roof (there being no chimney) , it became apparent that some one must climb up there and wire it in position, a dangerous undertaking, the roofs of Oregon houses being as steep as toboggan slides, and this one just now glazed with sleet. Bert believed he could do the trick by nailing wooden cleats for each advancing step. There being no ladder on the premises, a table, surmounted by a barrel, was placed at the edge of the porch. ”

“ Like woodland spectres, the fir trees crept out of the gloom, standing in military ranks by the roadside, as if curious to note what manner of ghosts were these, lumbering in their strange craft up through the long green aisles. When halting, as we often did, to rest our tired horses, the silence was absolute. One would not think a great forest could be so breathlessly still. ”

“ Shocked by your skepticism, they recede. Ah! they are gone!”
“Good! Let the old spooks go! Say, let’s try a waltz; this old floor is a daisy.” And then, the spirit of folly being in full possession, if you could have looked through the windows of this old garret, you would have seen four elderly figures half veiled in dust gliding and whirling up and down the long room, while the rain rattled like hail upon the shingles. We thought we did it fairly well, with the exception, as Tom said, of “breathin’ a little ’ard, like the young recruit at the ’angin’ of Danny Deever.” ”

“ Surely nothing else in this world is quite so cheery and inspiring as an open wood-fire. As its genial warmth began to pervade the room, now brightly illuminated from floor to ceiling, the discomforts of the day and the gloom of the night were soon forgotten. ”

“ Having myself once successfully made the ascent of the architectural Matterhorn leading to that region, I am prepared by that experience to act as your guide. First, allow me to inquire, are you all wearing shoes with hobnails and cleats? Very good. The ladies will need alpenstocks,” handing us each a bed-slat. His glance just then falling upon a coil of rope used during the process of moving, his face lighted with the sudden thought of further absurdity. ”

“ That very instant lithe furry forms with glowing eyes might be crouching in the dark boughs above us, ready to leap upon our defenceless heads, or soft padded feet might be stealthily creeping over the thick velvety moss to attack us from below. ”

“ As that wagon-load of merchandise had to be carried in, it was midnight before we sat at supper, listening to a detailed account of the vexations and mishaps of the day. About dusk the travellers had found themselves “stuck fast in the mud,” working vainly a whole hour with rails and poles to lift those wheels out of a bog. Fortunately a Good Samaritan came along with a team of big Clydesdale horses, which he hitched to the wagon, yanking it out in a jiffy. Tom said he could have fallen upon the big necks of the horses and blubbered for joy. Just then night swooped down ”

“ A human voice from a house long deserted must have shaken their nerves. Tom, however, saw things in a different light, for, as I closed the door with a triumphant bang, he remarked, “Rather a doubtful compliment to your charms!” ”

“ While being released from bondage, our guide remarked, as he glanced around, “We are now in the Cave of the Winds, a locality rarely visited by the ordinary tourist; those glittering stalactites above our heads are Nature’s own formation.” It was a true statement, the stalactites being long rows of yellow seed-corn strung on wires. ”

“ While the horses were being fed and harnessed by the fitful light of a lantern, our third breadless meal was prepared. We had crackers, fortunately, and “before-daylight; appetites are easily satisfied. ”

“ The room we were occupying had at least one favorable feature,—it was very large. A high ceiling of wood was painted an ugly dull brown, the other woodwork in two shades of brown. The artist designing the wall-paper must have been either color-blind or color-mad. ”