The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-03-21
Mike.

He used to look into the windows of
the periodical stores and read the titles of
the dime novels with delight; he reveled
in the wood prints of zone Eye, the
Scourge,' and stood long before the very
fascinating pictures descriptive of the
"Snarleyow, the Dog Fiend." And so
looking and dreaming in his own way,
he decided that the trapper's life was the
life for him. He had small conceptions
of distance, and thought some hunting
grounds might be found near the termi-
nus of the horse railway, so he made
preparations for the work. One five-cent
loaf, jack-knife with two blades, one
piece of clothes-line, five feet long, for
capturing deer, buffalo, or anything of
that sort, and six cents, comprised his
outfit. He knew trappers had tent
usually, and slouched hat and black
moustache; butn being able to manage
either, reluctantly left them out. One
chilly, gray day, late in November, he
wrapped up his possessions, contiding
his secret to the latest nice boy he knew,
who recoiled with horror, and then his
father and mother being out, and his ell
der brother and sister scattered or quar-
reling, Mike set out on his travels.
He took car, and by dexterous jump
ing off and on managed to save his fare;
and when the horses were Embossed at the
end of the route he ran. There were too
many houses about there, but he saw
trees in the distance and went towards
them. A rough country it was, Mike
thought, and it was growing cold, but he
oil I'D n 70 ka
wished he had brought his next younger
brother, but it was too late now. 1t be-
gan to snow and soon showed harder.
Mike looked around him little fri ght-
ened. He fell, too, once or twice, for the
rocks were steep and slippery. II Won
der where the deer are2" thought he. He
had heard that whistle would call them,
so tried "Captaia links" and the "Mulli-
gan Guards" but failed of his object,
and it was growing. rapidly dark. Just
then canary, bewildered and evidently
hurt, hoped close to him, and then flew
little. Mike gave chase. Loaf under
his arm, rope in hand, he ran farther and
farther. The bird, though evidently
weak, went faster than he. 1t was dark.
He lost sight of it, saw it just ahead,
dashed forward and fell.
They did not find him for several days
The snow had fallen very thick for that
time of the year, and it was bitter cold.
On the fourth day party of gentlemen,
walking out after dinner from the great
house on whose grounds Mike had gone
hunting, with cigars and light talk came
suddenly upon something half buried in
the snow, amid brushes and stones, with
high bare shrubs and trees above it
something lying so still that, though they
hushed their tones, the loudest laugh
would not wake it. The gentleman lifted
the childish figure in the ragged jacket
and long trowsers, extending at the foot
of the steep rock, and the dead canary
near him. Such an unfinished life to end
so soon, Such an ignorant child to go so
far on the long journey.
His parents mourned and buried him
after their fashion, and that was all, ex-
cept that one of the gentlemen, who was
an artist, being struck with something
picturesque in the circumstances, painted
the picture as he saw it, and people
praised it as an expression of u phase of
human life. Finally a lady bought it,
and it is seen mostly by those who know
mostly Of lives like this through art, and
they feel its pathos. Often their voices
tremble as they turn away. The picture
shows them high, rough rock and leaf
less shrubs, and at their base, half hidden
by large stone which has fallen upon
him, little boy with long heavy hair
lies stretched, the rope and bread close
beside him, and near by dead canary.
-Harper's Magazine.