River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-11-08
A NARROW ESCAPE.
Theodore Roosevelt Describes One OF Hi
French-Canadian Trappers.

Theodore Roosevelt Describes One of His
French-Canadian rrappers.
Once or twice he showed curious
reluctance about allowing a man TO APP
proach him suddenly from behind.
Altogether his actions were so odd
that felt some curiosity to learn his
history. 1t turned out that he had
been through rather uncanny ex-
perience the winter before. He and
another man had gone into a remote
basin, or inclosed valley, in the heart
OF the mountains, where game was
very plentiful; indeed, il was so album
dant that they decided TO pass the win
ter there. Accordingly they put up log
cabin, working hard. and merely killing
enough meat for their immediate use.
just as it was finished winter set in
with tremendous snOw-storms. Going
out TO hunt, in the first lull, they found,
to their CONSERVATION, that every head
of game had left the valley. Not an
animal vas to be found therein; they
had abandoned il for winter haunts
The outlook for the two Adventures
was appalling. They were afraid of
trying to break out through the deep
snow-drifts, and starvation stared them
in the face if they stayed. The man
that | met had his dog with him. They
put themselves on very short com.
mons, so as TO use up their flour
as slowly as possible, and
hunted unweariedly, but saw nothing.
Soon violent quarrel broke out be.
tween them. The other man, a fierce,
sullen fellow. insisted that the dog
sh ould be killed, but the owner was
exceedingly attached to IL, and refused.
For couple of weeks they spoke no
words to each other, though cooped in
the little narrow pen of logs. Then
one night the owner OF the dog was
walened by the animal crying out; the
other man had tried to kill it with his
knife, but failed. The provisions were
now almost exhausted, and the two
men We're glazing at each other with
the rage Of maddened. raving hun
ger. Neither dared to sleep, for
fear that the other would kill him.
Then the one who owned the dog al
last spoke. and proposed that. to give
each chance for his life, they should
separate. He would take half Of the
handful of flour that was left and start
off TO try to get home; the other should
stay where he was; and il he tried 10
follow the first, he was warned that he
would be shot without mercy A like
fate was TO be the portion OF the wan
derer If driven to return to the hut.
The arrangement was agreed to and
the two men separated, neither dar-
ing 10 turn his back while they were
within ri1e-shot OF each other. For
two days the one who went off toiled
on with weary weakness through the
snow-drifts. Late on the second after
noon. as he looked back from a high
ridge, he saw in the far distance a
black spcck against the snow. coming
along on his trail. His companion
was dogging his footsteps Immedi-
ately he followed his own trail bac'-,
a little and lay in ambush. At dusk
his companion came stealthily up. rifle
in hand, peering cautiously ahead.
his drawn face showing the starved.
eager ferocity OF n wild beast, and the
man he was hunting shot him down
exactly as il he had been one.
Leaving the body where it fell, the wan
derer continued his journey, the dog
staggering painfully behind him. The
next evening he baked his last cake
and divided it with the dog. In the
morning. with his belt drawn stili
tighter round IFS skeleton body, he
once more set out, with apparently
only n few hours of dull misery be-
tween him and death. At noon he
crossed the track of a huge timber-wolf; |
instantly the dog gave tongue. and, |
rallying its strength, ran along the |
trail. The man struggled after. AT
last his strength gave out aud he sat
down to die; but while sitting still, |
slowly stiffening with the cold, he !
heard the dog baying in the woods. |
Shaking off his mortal numbness. he |
crawled towards the sound, and found |
the wolf over the body of a deer that |
PC had just killed. and keeping the dog |
from it. At the approach of the new
assailant the wolf sullenly drew off, and |
man and dog tore the raw deer-nesh |
with hideous eagerness. 1t made them |
very sick for the next twenty-four |
hours; but, lying by the carcass for
two or three days, they recovered /
strength. - Theodore ROOSeCcH, an Cent |