Middletown transcript., 1888-10-04
A MARROW ESCAPE.

A NARROW ESCAPE.
From Theodore Roosevelt's illustrat-
ed paper on "Frontier Types" in the
October Century, we quote the follow
ing description of one of his trappers,
a French Canadian "Once or twice
he showed curious reluctance about
allowing man to approach him sud-
denly from behind. Altogether his
actions were SO odd that 1 felt some
curiosity to learn his history. 1t turn
ed out that he. had been through
rather uncanny experience the winter
before. He and another man had
gone into remote basin, or inclosed
valley, in the heart of the mountains,
where game was very plentiful indeed,
it was so abundent that they decided
to pass the winter 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 con-
sternation, that every head of game
had left the valley. Not an animal
was to be found therein; they had
abandoned it for their winter haunts.
The outlook for the two advenSurers
was appalling. They were afraid OF
trying to break out through the deep
snow-drifts, and starvation stared
them in the face if they staid. The
man that I met had his dog with him.
| They put themselves on very short
commons, so as to use up their -four as
slowly as possible, and hunted un-
weariedly, but saw nothing. Soon a
violent quarrel broke out between them.
The other man, a fierce, sullen fellow,
insisted that the dog should be killed,
but the owner was exceedingly attach
ed to it and refused. For couple OF
weeks they spoke no words to each
other, though cooped in the little mar
| row pen of logs. Then one night the
owner of the dog was wakened by the
animal crying out the other man had
tried to kill it with his knife, but fail
ed. The provisions were now almost
exhausted, and the two men were
glaring at each other with the rage OF
maddened, ravening hunger. Neither
dared to sleep, for fear that the otkel
would kill him. Then the one who
owned the dog at last spoke, and pro
posed that, to give each chance fol
his life, they should separate. III
would take half of the handful of -four
that was left and start off to try to ge
home the other should stay where he
was: and if he tried to follow the first
he was warned that he would be sho
without mercy. A like fate was to b.
the portion of the wanderer if driver
to return to the hut. The arrangement
was agreed to and the two men separat
ed. neither daring to turn his bacl
while they were within rife-shot o
each other. For two days the one VIII
went off toiled on with weary weakness
through the snow-drifts. Late on tn
second afternoon, as he looked bacl
from high ridge, he saw in the ia
distance black speck against the snow
coming along on his trail. His com
panion was dogging his footsteps. I'm
mediately he followed his own trai
back a little and lay in ambush. A
. dusk his companion came stealthily uI
rife in hand, peering cautiously ahead
his drawn face showing the starved
eager ferocity of wild beast, and tn
man he was hunting shot him dow
exactly as if he had been one. Leay
ing the body where it fell, the wander
er continued his journey, the do
staggering painfully behind him. Tht
next evening he baked his last cak
and divided it with the dog. In th
morning, with his belt drawn sti
tighter round his skeleton body, b
once more set OUT, with apparentl
only few hours of dull misery be
'' tween him and death. At noon b
crossed the track of huge timber
E wolf instantly the dog gave tongue
and, rallying it's strength, ran alon
the trail. The man struggled afte
At last his strength gave out and b
sat down to die but while sittin
still, slowly stiffening with the colo
he heard the dog baying in the woods
y Shaking off his mortal numbness, l
p crawled towards the sound, and foun
II the wolf over the body of deer ths
y he had just killed, and keeping tt
of dog from it. At the approach of Il
h new assailent the wolf sullenly dire
d off, and man and dog tore the ra
# deer-fesh with hideous eagerness.
q made them very sick for the ne
n twenty-four hours but, lying by Il
carcass for two or three days, they l
covered strength