Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-07-03
A BLOODY CONFLICT.
How He Saw the Wild DOGS Of
Athabasca and Was Satisfied.

! fully interesting character ia the serV-
4 ice of the Hudsons Bay COMPANY, watch
/ for nearly TWO hundred years held regal
sway over the vast unknown northwest
of Canada, he nd spent half 4 century
/ Of ar3uous and exciting service. living
7 far away from civilization, one ST 4 mere
+ handful Of wkite men in the midst Of q
! wilderness sparsely inhabited ~ the
Indian and half-breed, hut Astounding
in deer b4daloes bears. wolves and the
smaller wild animals
He had risen rapidly in the service.
for he was q fearless. stanch, trust
worthy man. and Tor the latter half of
two terms had dlled the important post
of chief factor at different forts. for il
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 reputation 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 NcTavish.
Having filed out his fifty years with
entire satisfaction to his employers. and
no small crealt 70 hlmseIi' be had re-
tired on his laurels 20 spend a hale and
hearty old age in the enjoyment Of the
comfortable pension awarded him by the
company whlch 81 had served 50 vs..
IL Vas the aellght OF ms declining
days y recount ser the 1eneaJ Ct
4 younger eaas fIe many thrilling lnol-
dents q rs a.stent Uious career ana
one q BIS ltt214le stories MAS tAat
wliea saatl now attempt g te-l as
nearly as pQsssa5a th h.s a"h words.
~ was eae Z I1 tde i4'.5es when had
charge ri o-d f9e5 AsSiaib3-ne away out
On the Atsa3aset ri#eF men iar rom the
boc6its ar 'seolea PIE Hstu' lLe tfoF-
efnor 81 taa colony at Iced hiE2r like
the thouaat-1I Waa Re yves lad sent
ont to me aY ae Qrtag brigade snlen-
ina scotch sta hound, one - bail
dozen he had just brought with him
from the dear all lond
~ man hut he was deg His back
was On q level with nay belt, and when
be raised himself en- MS hind legs he
could put alS iore-paWs On my shoulders
and rub noses win me, yet stood a
good six teet ln my stockings in those
days.
Ills hair Was q gfizzled as old
Ephraim s. and eoaIse and cugled like
what they stuff beds with. His body
was long and lean, and 90 vas his head,
but he had q noble eye, and then the
way he could run and leap over every
thing that came III his path, it was
sight 70 see, | warrant you!
We soon got very much attached to
each other, and wherever | 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.
bat same summer rev hand was
semitic 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 hrutes | ever laid eyes
on. She minded nobody but her mas
ter, OF whom, to do her credit, she
seemed fond enough
II never much cared for that breed Of
log, but l must say that Vixen was
about perfect in her way As 70 good
"a AA7 III = - E1t44 p 'l' ia A - W
choose between her and Bruce.
Il was little uneasy as to how the
two dogs would get on, and at first It
did look as if there might be trouble,
for Bruce, who utterly despised the
rabble OF ours hanging about the fort,
evidently felt disposed TO resent the
coming of this possible rival; but al
most before knew ii the two were the
best of friends, and would eat their
dinner side by side, like two well-be-
haved children.
After awhile they took to going out
a-hunting together, and grand times
they had. They would work along in
company until herd OF deer was start
ed, and then Bruce would make for the
latest doe, his tremendous speed soon
bringing him to her throat, while
Vixen, following at her best rate,
would come up just in time to help him
finish her and then they would have a
fir0p f0qef