Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-02-06
WITH WET CARTRIDGES.

The story which 1 am about to re-
late was told me beside the camp fire
on the banks Of the Big squatook, In
southeastern Quebec;
The wild regions about the Squatook
lakes are rich In fish and game. A
party of four, devotees of gun and rod
md paddle, we went one July to this
land of the Big Squatook; and round
the camp fire one chilly evening when
sudden north wind had put an alb
rupt end to our fishing, Stranion, be-
ing in certain sense the leader Of our
party, was called upon for a story Of
adventure.
We were all experienced woodsnen,
with large stock Of stories at our COM
nand; but Stranion's experience was
the widest and to him had fallen the
strnngest and most thrilling adventures.
When Stranion was not with US a good
yarn might be ELECTED from the lips Of
w. B. or Sam or even myself; but in
Stranon's presence we paled our lin
effectual fires" When we had heaped
our camp fire to thrice it's accustomed
height and had huddled ourselves com
fortably in our blankets under the lee
Of the tent, we turned our attention to
Stranion, and Stranion began:
Boys, the air bites shrewdly. 1t is
nipping and eager air. In fact, II
puts me forcibly In mind of one of my
best adventures, which befell me that
winter when was trapping on the Lit
tie Sou'west Mirament.
"Oh, comel Tell us good summer
story, old man." interrupted W. b.
Elm half frozen as 1t is tonight. Tell
us about some place down In the trop-
les, where they have to cool their por-
ridge with boiling water"
May" replied Stranion, "my
thoughts are wintry and even so must
my story be.
lie traced In the air few meditatlve
circles with his pipe (Which he rarely
smoked, using 1t rather for oratorical
effect) and then resumed:
'"That was hard winter of mine on
the Little Sou'west. ! enjoyed 1t at the
time, and it did me good; but, looking
back upon IL now, wonder what in
duced me to undertake it, / got the
experience and INDUCED my hobby to
the full, but by spring felt like bar
barian.
~ had Noel with me that winter-a
good hunter and true, but about as
companionable as a mud turtle. Our
traps were set In two great circuits, one
ON the south side of the stream, the
other ON the north. The range to the
north was in my charge, and very big
charge il was. When l had any sort
of luck, II used to take me day and a
half 10 make the round, for had
seventeen traps Co tend, spread out
over range OF about twenty miles.
But when the traps were not well filled,
used to do IT without sleeping away
from the camp
''It's not much like play, l can tell
you, tramping all day on snowshoes
through those woods, carrying an AK, a
fowling piece, food, ammunition and
sometimes pack Of furs. Whenever !
had 10 sleep out l would dig big OBJ
long hole In the snow, build roaring
iire at one end OF the hole, bury myself
In hemlock boughs at the other end,
snd snooze like n dormouse till morn
ing. relied implicitly on the fire to
keep of any bears or Indian devils
panthers) that might be feeling lnqulsi-
tive as 20 whether would be good eat
ing.
''rhe snow must have been fully six
feet deep that year One morning,
near the last OF February, had set
out on my round, and had made some
three miles from our shanty when l
caught sight of a oovey of partridges In
the distance, and turned out OF my
way 20 get a shot at them. II had oc-
Cured 20 me that perchanoe brace of
them might make savory morsels for
my supper. After a considerable de.
tour bageed my birds and recovered
my trail near the last trap had Wis
tied. My tracks, a. had left them,
had been solitary enough, but now |
found they were accompanied by tho
footprints OF large Indian devil.
II didn't really expect 10 get shot
at the beast. but loaded both bar
rels with ball cartridges AS l went
on, however, il began TO strike me AS
strange that the brute shoeld happen
TO be going 30 far In my direction.
Step for step his footprints olung 90
mine. When roaehed the place where
had branched on IN search Of the
partridges | found that the panther
had branched OF with me. So polite
q conformity OF his ways 10 mine could