Connecticut western news., 1892-08-11
A PULL FOR LIFE.

| was passing an evening with Jack Harlan, the noted landlooker and specu- | lator. The latter phase of his occupa- tion, however, has come in later years. In the old times he was dependent on his daily toll for subsistence.
 He has comfortable home now, a nice family and an assured income, so that he can afford to talk lightly of his past life while roughing it in the wilds of Michigan and Wisconsin. .sf
 s'So you wish me to give you little of my experience while looking land, | JimY' said Harlan. | assured him that nothing would | please me better. since I knew he must have met with some interesting experi- ences during the long period of his tim Der life. Jack was not given to ''blow- l ing his own bugle, yet at times, under | the mellowing influence of hickory l fire on winters evening, he would talk by the hour of the woods and his adven- | lures therein.
 It was 8 blustry night outside, and Jack sat before the fire holding little Bess, his youngest child, and smoothing her dark ringlets with his big brown hand. I could see that he was in a rem iniscent mood, so I waited patiently for him to speak
 | Do you know, Jim," he said at length, sI was never frightened but twice in my life? have met with many adventures, but nearly always could see my way out somewhere, and man. | aged to remain fairly cool through it all But on two occasions I quite lost my head, and very nearly my life" | I nodded as he ceased to speak. and he proceeded:
 | "It was ten years ago last November that Dolph Wender and I set out on two weeks tramp, looking land in the | region about the headwaters of the Muskegon. The weather was cool and the air bracing, just the season of the year for big game, so Dolph and took l along our Winchesters, with plenty of | ammunition.
 | "We meant to bring down some game even should we find plenty of timber on | the land we had been sent to estimate l I was quite Nimrod in those days, and would rather hunt than eat
 ''On the afternoon of the fourth day we halted on the bank of large lake | The land we desired to look over. on which we were to estimate the amount of standing pine, was on the opposite side of the lake. To go around would be an all days tramp, while across the water was a matter of only six or eight miles.
 elf we only had boat, Jack said Dolph, we could save two days tramp.
 "sWe must find one, returned. Its not likely this lake has ever been plowed by boats-Indian canoes, at any rate. I see house over wonder, let us investi- gate
 We did so and found an old fisher man, who was the owner of a small skiff in good condition-just the thing for our purpose. The owner agreed to lend the boat on condition that we would return It soon. Of course we promised, and were soon launched upon the water.
 "We doffed our packs and laid them in the bottom of the skiff. We each had belt, from which hung hatchet and cartridges. Our rifles we placed care fully in one end of the skiff. The craft was small and had but one set of oars. was something of an athlete in those days, and so it seemed natural enough | for me to take the first turn at the oars. Dolph promised to spell me when half our voyage was covered.
 "We had gone perhaps mile from land when the wind rose and sent the white caps tumbling across the bosom of the lake. At the outset I enjoyed this. Our little skiff rose and fell like an ocean steamer on the Atlantic. Pres ently great wave splashed over the | side, nearly deluging Dolph. The wind was cold and cut like knife, and could see that my wet comrade was chattering With an icy chill.
 "'Let me take the oars,' he said. shook my head. A strange thrill shot over me at that moment and realized that we were in danger. Our only safety lay in keeping the skiff out of the trougi , of the sea. Each moment the wave rolled higher and the breeze stiffened t gale.
 "Dolph crouched in the stern, his fac, blue, his teeth chattering. He wa freezing, while I was perspiring freely It was too late to turn back had we de Q sired. The water scurried along ou . sides, splashing at times over the lov ' gunwale.
 'I dared not look ahead, but kept m, !. gaze fixed to the rear, upon the foamin: i water and receding shore. We mus J have been three miles out when Dolpl g cried in great alarm, We're sinking . Jackr and I thought the same mysel n for the moment, as the stern of our craf
 seemed to sink down, down, until tn
 great waves hung over us with awfu
 threatening A bucketful of wate
 splashed into the boat, and then we ros
 on the crest of huge wave.
 ".Were all right yet, Dolph,' said |. although the smile on my face was bu
 a ghastly attempt at pleasantly. A - length found myself tiring under tn !. | constant strain at the oars. I locke ,, longingly at Dolph. He seemed to LII
 derstand and moved as if to rise to hi
 feet.
 ".No, no, don't cried sharply. T
 you get up now we are lost! Keep you seat. I will hold the skif alone.' Th Is task was a harder one than 1 had bal
 gained for, however. It was a yer
 difficult matter to dip the oars properl N in such heavy sea.
 D s'It taxed all my coolness and know
 edge of boating to hold the fral ski
 straight across the boiling sea. A sll
 gle mismovement now would send us
 the bottom When I realized this col
 fess felt alarmed. It was yet a lon
 distance to land, and I knew that, stron
 hs was, the gituation was destined
 - IT lgizrsnss n ihA xsxasss.