The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1883-03-08
A DAY ON sKEEs (NORWEGIAN
SNOW-SH0ES.)

l -'O W SNAN~S'
s'Ola, my ladr' cried Morse father
10 his young son, one crisp, cold winter
morning, fetch the AK from the wood
shed and bring me my gun from the
corner behind the clock. andwewill see
what luck we had with the fox-traps and
che snares up in the birch-glen."
| And Ola has no need of being asked
| Cwice to attend to such duties. His
mother, in the meanwhile, has put up
luncheon, consisting of cold smoked
ham and bread and butter, in gayly
painted wooden box, which Ola sings
across his shoulder, while Nils, his
| father, sticks the ak into his girdle, and
| with his gun in one hand and his skee-
staff in the other, emerges into the
bright winter morning. They then
climb up the steep snow-banks, place
their Skees upon the level surface, and
put their feet into the bands. Nils gives
tremendous push with his staff and
away he flies down the steep hillside,
while his little son, following close be-
hind him, gives an Indian war-whoop,
and swings his staff about his head to
show how little he needs it.
Whew, how fast he goes!
| In few seconds father and son have
reached the bottom of the valley, and
before them is a steep incline, over
| grown with leafless birch and elder for
ests. 1t is there where they have their
snares. made of braided horse-hair; and,
as bait, they use the red berries of the
mountain ash, of which ptarmigan and
| thrushes are very fond. Now comes the
test of their strength but the snow is
| too deep and loose to wade through,
and to climb declivity on SkeeS is by
no means as easy as it is to slide down
| climb brings them to the trapping
grounds. But there, indeed, their efforts
are well rewarded.
'sOh, look, look Father!h cries the
boy, ecstatically. ''Oh, what a lot we
have caught! Why, there are three
| dozen birds, as sure as there is one.
''There is enough to buy you new
coat for Christmas, lad, y" he said chuck
| ling; "and if we NIKE many more such
hauls, we may get enough to buy
Mother silver brooch, too, to wear at
church on Sundays" p"
'.No, buy Mothers brooch first,
| Father" protests the lad, little hesi-
tatingly Gor it costs many boys an eff
fort to be generously; ''my coat will
come along soon enough. Although, to
be sure, my old one is pretty shabby he
adds, with a glance at his patched
| sleeves.
Now, quick, laddie,'' his father
called out. ''Stir your stumps and bring
me your bag of bait. Get the snares to
rights and fix the berries, as you have
seen me doing"
Ola was very fond of this kind of
work, and he pushed himself with his
staff from tree to tree, and hung the
tempting red berries in the little hoops
and arches which were attached to the
bark of the trees. He was in the midst
of this labor, when suddenly he heard
the report of his fathers gun, and,
lGI5tf6i leap t6eR pfaiRgihg' heah6hg 1Ar6S 6Srt676 rt66
snow.
Hello, Mr. Reynard," remarked
Nils, as he slid over toward the dead
animal. .'You oversight yourself this
morning You have stolen my game so
long, now, that it was time should get
even with you. Now, sir, we are
quits.
When the task of setting the snares in
order had been completed, father and
son glided lightly away under the huge,
snow-laden trees to visit their traps,
which were set farther up the mountain.
And when they turned their faces
homeward, they had, besides the ptar-
migan and the fox, big capercailzie
Cor grouse) cock and two hares. The
twilight was already falling, for in the
Norway winter it grows dark early in
the afternoon.
''Now, let us see, lad," said Ola's
father, regarding his son with strange,
dubious glance, ''if you have got Morse
blood in your veins. We don't want to
90 home the way we came, orwe should
scarcely reach the house before midnight.
But if YOU dare risk your neck with
your father, we will take the western
track down the bare mountain-side.
1t axes brisk and stout legs to stand in
that track, my lad, and | won't urge
you, if you are afraid.
Il guess | can 60 where you can,
Father" retorted the boy. proudly.
Anyway, my neck isn't half SO valua-
| ole as yours. >
''Spoken like man. said the father,
III d NOlCe Vi OcCp SdIlSldCllOH. NOW
for it, lad! Make yourself ready. Strap
the hunting-bag close under your gir-
die, or you will lose it. Test your sfaif
to make sure that it will hold, for if il
breaks you are gone. Be sure you don't
take my track. You are fine chap and
brave one,
Ola followed his fathers directions
closely, and stood with loudly palpitat-
ing heart ready for the start. Before
him lay the long, smooth slope of the
mountain, If it had not been his father
who had challenged him, he would have
much preferred to take the circuitous
route down into the valley.
s'Ready!" shouted Nils. advancing
toward the edge of the slope. Zone,
two. thfee!"
And like an arrow he shot down over
the steep track, guiding his course
steadily with his staff; but it was scarce
ly five seconds before he was lost to
sight, looking more like whirling
snow-drift than man. With strained
eyes and bated breath, Ola stood look
ing after him. Then, nerving himself
for the feat, he glanced at his skees to
see that they We're parallel, and glided
out over lHe lcTIlDIC uGCllFIJN- lliS HGSt
feeling was that he had slid right out
into the air-that he was rushing with
seven-league boots over forests and
mountain-tops. For all that, he did not
lose hold of his staff, which he pressed
with all his might into the snow behind
him, thus slightly retarding his furious
speed. Now the pine-trees seemed to
be running past him in mad race up
the mountain-side, and the snowy slope
seemed to be rising to meet him. or
moving in billowy lines under his feet.
Gradually he gathered confidence in
himself, sort of fierce courage awoke
within him, and wild exultation surg
ed through his veins and swept him on
The wind whistled about him and stung
his face like little sharp needles Now
he darted away over snowed-up fence
or wood-pile, shooting out into the air,
but always coming down firmly on his
skees, SO as to prevent them from di-
I