Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-04-01
n 7E y
A BLOODY CONFLICT.
How He Saw the wild Dogs a
Athabaaca and Was Satisfied.

Athabasce and Was Satisfied.
Old Donald MoTavish was q wonder.
fully interesting character. In the serv-
Ice Of the Hudson's Bay Company. which
for nearly two hundred years held regal
sway over the vast unknown northwest
of Canada, he had spent half a century
OF arduous and exciting service, living
far away from civilization, one of a mere
handful of white men in the midst Of
wilderness sparsely inhabited by the
Indian and half-breed, but Astounding
in deer, buffaloes, bears, wolves and the
smaller wild animals.
He had risen rapidly in the service,
for he was fearless, stanch, trust
worthy man, and for the latter half of
two terms had filled the important post
of chief factor at different forts, for it
was his somewhat undesirable if honor
able, lot to be sent to those stations
that gave the most trouble and the least
returns to the company.
Such was his repu tation for shrewd-
ness, courage and fidelity that it was
felt by the authorities that no other
man could so soon set matters straight
as Donald McTavish.
y
entire satisfaction to his employers, and
no small credit to himself, he had re-
tired on his laurels to spend o hale and
hearty old age in the emf yment of tho
comfortable pension awarded him Y the
company which he had served so we'll.
1t was the delight of his declining
days to recount for the benefit of
younger ears the many thrilling inoi-
- l.
one OF his favorlte stories was that
which 1 shall now attempt to tell as
nearly as possible in his own words:
at was early in the ffties when had
charge of old Fort Assiniboine away out
on the Athabasca river, not far from the
Rockies. Sir George Simpson, the Gov
ernor of the colony at Red River, like
the thoughtful man he was, had sent
out to me by the spring brigade SPLEEN
did Scotch staghound, one Of half q
dozen he had just brought with him
from the dear old land.
20 man, but he was q dog! His back
was on level with my belt, and when
he raised himself on his hind legs he
could put his fore-paws on my shoulders
and rub noses with me, yet stood a
good six feet in my stockings in those
days.
His hair was as grizzled as old
Ephraim's, and coarse, and ourled like
what they stuff beds with. His body
was long and lean, and 50 was his head,
but he had a noble eye, and then the
way he could run and leap over every
thing that came in his path, it was a
sight to see, warrant you'll
1--WE soon got very much attached to
each other, and wherever I went Bruce
went, too. He did not seem to take to
any one else, and was just as we'll
pleased that he did not, for never
wanted him out of my sight.
THAT same summer q Few hand was
sent to the fort. He was an Englishman.
who gave his name as Heathcote, and he
brought with him pure white female
bulldog that was one of the most dan
gerous-looking brures I ever laid eyes
on. She minded nobody but her mas
ter, of whom, to do her credit, she
seemed fond enough.
81 never much cared for that breed OF
Dog, but l must say that Vixen was
about perfect in her way. AS to good
breeding there certainly wasn't much to
choose between her and Bruce.
~ was little uneasy as to how the
two dogs would get on, and at first ii
did look as If there might be trouble,
for Bruce, who utterly despised the
rabble of ours hanging about the tort
evidently felt disposed to resent the
coming of this possible rival; but al
most before knew it the two were the
best of friends, and would eat theil
dinner side by sidc, like two well-be
haved children.
"After awhile they took to going on
a-hunting together, and grand time:
they had. They would work along il
company until herd of deer was start
ed, and then Bruce would make for the
latest doe, his tremendous speed soo1
bringing him to her throat, while
Vixen, following at her best rate
would come up just in time to help hin
finish her and then they would have
dne feast.
"Onee the dogs got into these way
neither Heathcote nor had much NOR
satisfaction out of them. They wer
never on hand when wanted. The,
kept growing wilder and wilder, ant
finally, toward autumn, they disap
peared one day. and were never seen a
the fort again.
'sWe hunted for them high and low
sending out the half-breeds as far .
Lake La Crosse on the east, and to tn
foothills Of the Rockies on the west
but not sign or trace could we find @
them. When winter came and they di
not return we gave them up as lost
thinking that some thing must have haL
pened to them on one of their huntin
forays, or that perchance they had bee
killed by the Indians.
"Two years went by, and Bruce an
Vixen were almost forgotten, whe
stories began to reach the fort of
strange and fierce kind of wild dog ths
was being seen how and then by hun
ers and trappers in the out-of-the-wa
valleys and ravlnes of the foothills.
"It was not an easy job to get at til
J.. bottom Of these stories, for they passe
from mouth to mouth before reaching u
but at last trapper turned up who ha
SeeA pack OF dogs himself, and att
| hearing HIS description had no long,