The Ruling Passion: Tales of Nature and Human Nature

He entered the backwoods village of Bytown literally on the wings of the wind. It whirledhim along like a big snowflake, and dropped him at the door of Moody's "Sportsmen'sRetreat," as if he were a New Year's gift from the North Pole. His coming seemed a merechance; but perhaps there was something more in it, after all. At all events, you shall hear, ifyou will, the time and the manner of his arrival.It was the last night of December, some thirty-five years ago. All the city sportsmen...
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He entered the backwoods village of Bytown literally on the wings of the wind. It whirledhim along like a big snowflake, and dropped him at the door of Moody's "Sportsmen'sRetreat," as if he were a New Year's gift from the North Pole. His coming seemed a merechance; but perhaps there was something more in it, after all. At all events, you shall hear, ifyou will, the time and the manner of his arrival.It was the last night of December, some thirty-five years ago. All the city sportsmen whohad hunted the deer under Bill Moody's direction had long since retreated to their homes,leaving the little settlement on the border of the Adirondack wilderness wholly under thesocial direction of the natives.