Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-10-23

| 8 saw, two hatchets, two hunting-knives.
| pistols and guns with hundred cartridges
| for each gun a thermometer and the tiny
| compass belonging to the charms Of Yegor's
| watch-chain-the watch was to play the
| important role of chronometer.
Unfortunately, the supply Of food, as the
reader already knows, was not large.
| From the first day, the chief of police re
| fused the food that was offered to him. s
kettle had been placed upon the fire in
order TO make soup from reindeer meat.
| The meat set aside, each one, except Yer
mac, dipped spoon into the kettle. Yer
mac drew from his sack some rye biscuits
| he had furnished himself with at the ostrog
| these, with a morsel of youkoula of nlouh-
soune "a sort of sea gudgeon dried consti
tuted his supper.
Yegor and NJ. Laf1eur looked at each 9th
er, painfully impressed by the chief of po-
| Ices determination.
And when you have eaten your biscuit.
what then?" asked the Partisan.
| Tomorrow, shall begin hunting" re-
| sponded Yermac.
ITO hunt one must have a guni"
"And you have mine! No matter! Twill
set traps. You will trust NE with a hatchet
to prepare my traps, will you not."
Certainly" said Yegor, who admired the
character of the chief of police.
But you will be compelled to have bait, ,
: observed the Partisan
Right: did not think of that" answered
Yermac, and ceasing to eat, he put aside
his morsel of youkoula.
He refused the tea prepared with melted
snow, and, after his more than primitive re
| past eaten amid biting cold, stretched him.
| self OUT dressed as he was upon the planl1s
| Of the camp bed, having previously changed
| his stockings, a precaution without which
one would expose himself to the risk OF
freezing his feet
The next day he set ten traps, formed Of
roughly constructed boxes embedded in the
snow. In each box he placed the bait
| Above, a heavy fat piece of wood, held in
position by a spring, was designed to fall
! upon the animal-Which, in touching the
| bait, would free the spring-and retain il
until the arrival of Yermac.
Twenty-fOur hours afterwards, the CHIEF
| Of police, his Ratchet in his hand, visited his
traps, one by one, but found nothing in
! them. Returning towards the hut with the
/ prospect of fast before him, he saw some
| makarcha plants and with difficulty pulled
| them to eat the roots.
| They formed his breakfast, dinner and
| supper that day.
Yegor begged Nadege, who was affected
, by Yermacs stoical resolution, not to pay
| too much attention to him; that was, per.
| haps, the only way to induce him to act
| otherwise
Very early in the morning everybody was
astir They rekindled the fire which, little
| by little, had gone out; then they washed
their faces and hands with snow recently
fallen and yet soft. This operation finished
the kettle was placed on the fire and tea
| made. Afterwards, it was necess ary to see
| what could be done about dinner and, ulti.
| nately, the evening meal with the very linn
| tied means as to provisions and utensils at
their disposal. Yermac always did by him.
self what he called his cooking
| The cold grew bitter and the hut was far
from being comfortable when the north.
west wind, blowing with violence, drove
| back the smoke into the interior.
The Yakoutes' pipes had frozen. Iron
burned on touching it when one forgot tc
| envelop his hand in a glove or piece Of skin.
| The excessive cold, which at first acted as 6
stimulant to the will, speedily produced de
| billty. NJ. Lafl6ur was the initial sufferer
| A sort of intOXicatiOn took possession o.
| him, his jaws trembled and his movements
! became uncertain. Sometimes, in the night
! he felt the cold so much that, despite his pc
| lisse and the fire burning in the centre Of the
hut, he arose repeatedly, went out-of-doors
| and ran around the cabin to give some phi
ancy to his benumbed limbs.
The night of thirty-six days had com
| mcnced on the 22nd of November. Yermat
thought seriously of taking advantage of the
| darkness to escape; but he could only at
tempt to gain Nijni-Kolimsk with the aid O.
one of the guides.
Telzel seemed TO him to be too thorough
| devoted to his masters to be influenced, but
| ChOrt offered more encouragement The
chief of police frightened him by telling hin
what kind Of people he was serving and tt
what he was exposing himself should they
be arrested in their attempt to escape. Fin
ally, he proposed that he should fee with
him in the marta, the dogs of which were ac
customed to obey him, promising him hand
| some recompense as soon as they reached
! the settlements of the Kolilna.
The Yakoute asked time for reflection
He was, doubtless, on the point of yielding
to the pressing applications of the chief OF
police, when Yegor, without suspecting
Yermac's plans. totally overthrow him,
Yegor had quickly compreaended that
! they could not feed thirty -four dogs unit:
the close of the winter. Many things, also
were wanted to assure the success of his
! bold project. He decided, in accord with NJ
! Lafeur, to send the two Yal1outes in then
| nartas to Elope-Balo or some of the villages
on the banks of the CONGRATULATIONS
! would be too dangerous-there to purchase
| reindeer skins in sufficient quantity to make
an ourouse, or travelling tent, to be used or
the resumption of the journey, pieces OF
| birch wood and skins for the construction OF
| baydare, very light, fat boat made OF
| wood and leather, for crossing streams, and
! whale ribs to strengthen the runners of the
| sledges when the ice was rough and also in
| those places where the snow was impreg
| mated with salt. Finally, the guides were
to collect considerable supply of Frozen
reindeer ribs and dried fish for the dogs
| 4egor gave Tekel some gold pieces and rou
bic notes, which are perfectly current with
| the natives, although their money, for the
most part, is either tobacco or brandy.
| The two Yakoutes were to depart in forty.
eight hours, and Yermac had but very faint
hope of deciding Chort to disappear before
the moment when he was to follow his com
! rade Telxel.
CHAPTER XAIv.-LADISLAs' RETURN AND pI.
| MITRI'S DEATH.
The next night the dogs barlzed so loudly
the Iakoutes persuaded the fnUitivas that
Tchouktchis must be in the vicinity Yegol
and M. Lafleur watched with loaded weap
ons within reach. At last, Yegor grew i'm
patient and went into the open air.
| Affair off he heard a STRANGE noise What