[The Fugitive Blacksmith by James W. C. Pennington]@TWC D-Link book
The Fugitive Blacksmith

CHAPTER III
11/13

Feeling about on the ground, I picked up two stones, and one in each hand I made off as fast as I could, but I heard nothing more that indicated pursuit, and after going some distance I discharged my encumbrance, as from the reduced state of my bodily strength, I could not afford to carry ballast.
This incident had the effect to start me under great disadvantage to make a good night's journey, as it threw me at once off the road, and compelled me to encounter at once the tedious and laborious task of beating my way across marshy fields, and to drag through woods and thickets where there were no paths.
After several hours I found my way back to the road, but the hope of making anything like clever speed was out of the question.

All I could do was to keep my legs in motion, and this I continued to do with the utmost difficulty.

The latter part of the night I suffered extremely from cold.
There came a heavy frost; I expected at every moment to fall on the road and perish.

I came to a corn-field covered with heavy shocks of Indian corn that had been cut; I went into this and got an ear, and then crept into one of the shocks; eat as much of it as I could, and thought I would rest a little and start again, but weary nature could not sustain the operation of grinding hard corn for its own nourishment, and I sunk to sleep.
When I awoke, the sun was shining around; I started with alarm, but it was too late to think of seeking any other shelter; I therefore nestled myself down, and concealed myself as best I could from the light of day.
After recovering a little from my fright, I commenced again eating my whole corn.

Grain by grain I worked away at it; when my jaws grew tired, as they often did, I would rest, and then begin afresh.


<<Back  Index  Next>>

D-Link book Top

TWC mobile books