The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-20
A winter vigil.

white mans endurance and An indian /
vengeance ever came across in the whole
Northwest. As some Of the more curious
portions of the official notebook Of an In
dim agent, transcrlbe the memoranda re-
lating to it.
Albert Black was an honest English gentle
man, whose adventures in search of fortune
led him away from Regent street to wander
in western worlds, and this is the way he
''put through" portion of the winter of that
year. He was residing, with single com
panion, in little log cabin at the Indian viii
lape of Bela-C Coola, on the coast Of British
Columbia. There was no white man nearer
than one hundred miles, but the villages of
many Indian tribes were situated in the imme-
date vicinity. The winter was only half
through; few natives came trading about the
post, and as time lay heavily on their
hands, Black and his companion re-
solved to go hunting for few days.
canoe was accordingly fitted out
with a stock of provisions and ammunition,
and with an Indian as steersman and pilot
they proceeded to cruise about among the
islands, ROW and then landing and stalking
deer or shooting the ducks and wild geese
which assemble in countless flocks by the
mouths of the northwestern rivers in winter.
The season was mild, with but a thin coating
of snow on the ground, 30 that each night
they encamped in the open air, aud slept
well wrapped up in their blankets around
the blazing log fire. Few old explorers
in these countries ever think of car
rying O tent with them, and our hunters
were not possessed of one, even had they
cared to avail themselves of its shelter.
They had been cruising about in this
manner for several days, when, as usual, they
encamped one night on an island, with the
canoe drawn up on the beach. Their pro-
visions they built up around them, to guard
them from the attacks of any prowling In
dams or other mishaps. Their Indian pilot
had informed them that he was Just about
out of powder and bullets, at the same time
begging to be supplied with some, exhibiting
his pouch, which contained but two charges.
The hunters were too tired to open their
packages, and, notwithstanding his solicita-
tions, they put him off until morning. They
then, as usual, loaded their rifles, the Indian
doing 80 also; and all three men lay down to
sleep, and all slept save one.
How long they slept Black could not say,
but all that he remembered was being awoke
by the report of a rife. A low scream, and
then O moan by his side, told him that all was
over with his companion. The Indians place
was vacant, and before Black could become
fully conscious of his situation, he was fired
at from the dark, and a bullet struck his
thigh. He attempted to rise, but was unable;
his leg was fractured. Instantly he grasped
his revolver and he had scarcely done so be-
fore he was conscious of figure crouching
towards him in the darkness.
He Immediately fred but the shot dill not
take effect, and his would-be murderer re-
treated behind some rocks He now stanched
the blood flowing from his wound as well as
circumstances would permit, tying hand
kerchief around it. ALI doubt was now at an
end that the Indian guide, tempted by the
property had murdered his companion, and
was only prevented by the want of ammuni-
ton from despatching him too. ALI night
long-it seemed year-he kept awake, too
excited to sleep, though he was faint
from loss of blood. Sometimes he
which he would be startled by the barking
of his little dog, when he would grasp his re-
volver, only to see a figure again skul1ing
into the darkness Daylight at last came,
and he had now time to contemplate his
situation. Helpless, badly wounded, far
from white or even friendly Indian, he
was alone, with an enemy watching every
moment to destroy him, as he had done his
companion, whose CLASSY eyes glared up at
him. Provisions enough were lying scat
tered around; but none were accessible as
food, save the bag of sugar, and on this his
chief chance of subsistence lay. He knew
enough of science to know that Magendie's
dogs when fed on sugar soon grew emaciated,
but he also knew that it supported life for a
lime. Before night snow fell, and covered
the dead body out of his sight. Sometimes
he would relapse into half-waking sleep,
when again the ever-faithful dog, who seemed
almost conscious how matters stood, would
warn him of the approach of his enemy. 1t
was in vain that Black attempted
to get shot at him; and had it not been for
the watchfulness of his dog-friend, the
wretch must soon have been able to despatch
with his knife the guardian whose revolver
intervened between him and the coveted
property. And SO they kept their dreary
viglls, and the snow fell heavily; and
though his leg panied him exceedingly, he
managed to keep warm in his blanket-lined
burrow. The Indian would sometimes dis
appear for hours and even a day, apparently
looking after food. The poor hunter
would then imagine that he had got clear
of his bloodthirsty enemy, when again the
barking of Flora would warn her master On
one or two occasions the Indian managed to
approach within few feet of his intended
victim before his presence was detected;
and as both murderer and hunter were
equally intent on each others destruction,
escapes were sometimes rather narrow.
Several days elapsed in this manner, until
at last the Indian seemed to have grown
tired, and left the island in the canoe; for
they were no longer alarmed. The sugar
bag was getting nearly done, and the poor
dog was now so weak with hunger, that,
even when it did not absent itself searching
for food on the shore, it was scarcely able to
give an alarm. If Black survived hunger and
his wound, which was now getting very pain
full, the Indian, he knew, would soon return
and accomplish his purpose. With such