The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-08-13

tAOwlng from the west, ana were greatly
surprised that some human being had
been there before us, for we found the
stmps of several small trees and the head
of half-barrel which had contained
pork. eagerly examined the inspection
stamp. 1t read
MESS PORK
'P. NJ.
MONTREAL"
This convinced the wanderers that they
were in Canada. They travelled all day
Friday westward on the banks of the
creek, striking deserted lumber-road
and log shanty, which they hoped might
be forerunners of settlement, but were
disappointed. To reach the shanty they
had to cross the creek. Haddock fell in,
swan out with difficulty, and was 30
chilled rs scarcely to be able to stand.
They found straw in the shanty, under
which they crawled, and tried to warm
their bodies with their breaths. The
narrative froceeds
"I think the most revengeful, stony
heart would have pitied our condition
then. will not attempt to describe our
thoughts as we lay there home, child
rem, wife, parents, friends, with their
sad and anxious faces, rose up re-
proachfully before us as we tried to sleep.
But the weary hours of night at last wore
away, and at daylight we held new
council. 1t was evident, we argued,
that the creek we were upon was used
by the lumbermen for driving their
logs in the spring freshets. If, then, we
followed it to its confluence with the
Ottawa or some stream which emptied
into the Ottawa, we would eveIaually get
out the same way the timber went out.
The roof of the shanty we were in was
covered with the halves of hollow logs,
scooped out in a manner familiar to all
woodsmen. These were dry and light,
and would make an excellent raft.
Without delay we dragged the hol-
low logs down to the creek, and La
Mountain proceeded to tie them to-
gether. We at last got under way and
poled down the stream about mile,
when we came abruptly upon a large
pine tree which had fallen across the
current, completely blocking the passage
of the raft. No other course was left us
but to unite the raft, and push the
pieces through under the log. This
was at last accomplished, when we tied
our craft together again, and poled
down the stream. To-day each of us ate
a raw frog (all we could find), and began
to realize that we were hungry. Yet
there was no complaining-our talk was
of the hopeful future, and of the home
and civilization we expected to reach"
On they went, down the creek. An
other day and night passed. They
found the greatest difficulty in getting
their raft past some rapids, and finally
their compass was destroyed by the case
becoming unglued by the water. They
came to large lake, and found one
clam, which Haddock insisted LaMoun-
taid should eat, he being the weaker of
the two. Indeed the latter was used up
and sick. That night they lay down
faint and discouraged. Their condition
at this time is thus described
"By this time our clothes were partly
torn off. My pantaloons were slit up
both legs, and the Wristbands nearly
gone. My boots were mere wrecks, and
our mighty wrestlings in the rapids had
torn the skin from ankles and hands.
LaMountain's hat had disappeared the
first day out he had thrown away his
woolen drawers and stockings, as they
dragged him down 10y the weight of water
they absorbed. And so we could sleep
but little; it really seemed as though
during this night we passed through the
horrors of death. But at daylight we
got up by degrees, first on one knee and
then on the other, so stiff and weak that
we could hardly stand. Again upon the
silent, monotonous lake we went-follow-
ing round its shore for an outlet. About
10 o'clock we came to quite broad
nerthern stream, which we thought was
the outlet we were seeking, and we en-
tered it with Joy, believing it would take
us to our long-sought Ottawa. Shortly
after entering this stream it widened
out, and began to appear like mere
lake. We poled up the westerly shore
for about seven miles, but found our
selves again deceived as to the outlet,
the water we were upon proving to be
another lake or bayou. We had gone
into this lake with the highest hopes,
but when we found that all the weary
miles of our morning travel had been
in vain, and had to be retraced, my reso-
luton certainly failed me for moment,
ltlb INC Oue UtilT Oh
genuine regret Yet we felt that our
duty as Christian men was to press for
ward as long as we could stand, and
leave the issue with higher power.
at had now been four full days since
we eat a meal. All we had to eat in the
meantime was frog apiece, four clans,
and few wild berries, whose acid prop
critics and bitter taste had probably done
us more harm than good. Our strength
was beginning to fail very fast, and our
systems were evidently undergoing an
extraordinary change. / did not permit
myself to think of food-the thought of
a well filed table would have been too
much. Ny mind constantly dwelt upon
poor Strains sufferings on the Isthmus
of Darien Chen lately published in
Harper's Mdgdzine). He, too, was
padding raft down an unknown stream,
half starved, and filed with dreadful
forebodings. But did not believe we
could hold out half as long as he had.
Besides, he was lost in tropical coun-
| try, where all nature is kind to man; he
had firearms and other weapons with
which to kill game. We were in cold,
inhospitable land, without arms, and
utterly unable to build fire. Strain