Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-03-08
"NUMBER SIXTEEN"
A Romance OF wild Life In the
Canadian Northwest.


twelve years or 50 In the Canadian
Northwest territories. Outside the at
mosphere was chilly, and the indica-
tions favored colder weather.
"1f you could be transported from St
John to the prairies on such u day as
we had to-day" remarked the doctor,
land were ignorant Of the changes that
few hours bring in that climate, two
surprises would greet you. To-day you
observe dotted in countless num-
bers over the vast stretches of prairie
sluices or small ponds, whose placid
waters would remind you of so many
mirrors set in rustic frames.
Tomorrow morning, as you again
looked over the prairies, the whole face
of the country would seem to be
changed. Protruding from every sluice
you would sec cones made of grass, etc.
These are the winter houses of the
musltrat-reared, finished and occupied
in single night; as II these fragrant
little creatures possessed the power of
the Wizard Pancrates
THAT night the sluices would be
sure 10 freeze, and the muskrats would
live in peace until the spring, when the
Indians make their rounds, plunge the
spear down through the cones, and
thus capture numbers of the occupants.
The rats are in prime order in the
spring after their long rest The flesh
is eaten and the skins are taken care of
10y the squaws.
~ hesc skins, as well as all others,
are kind of legal tender, and it's
common occurrence for the Indian to
visit store, make his purchase, take n
bundle of ratslsins from under his
arm, and count them out as iive-cent
pieces.
THE Indian department displays
much energy to suppress smallpox,
which often creates havoc among the
natives of the plains. Doctors are sent
out regularly to vaccinate the Indians.
The doctor makes his rounds with the
agent who pays the bounties A large
tent is pitched, and the tribe is re-
luested to appear. The stipulation is
that all must he vaccinated before re-
,eiving the money,
THE Indians are distinguished by
numbers Us we'll as names, and, as they
are paid so much per head. every mem
btl Va a lhIlllN must w HAOANANNh anu
pass through the agents tent Be
fore being paid those requiring it are
yaccinatcd.
zone day." said the doctor, ~ was
vuccinaiiug tribe Of Crccs, when a
woman approached with u couple Of
children. she had rich, mclpdious
voice, with Scotch accent. When she
spoke | btopp,l for u ~ ueut and told
her to step into the next tent and |
would attend to h,r in IA few moments.
| saw she WAS not u sQuaw, and thought
she WAS the wife Of lludson's Lay
company cmp,oyc who wanted to
vaccinGtcd at the expense of toe gov
crnm'ut
"Wliir | was speaking the clerk
shouted ont: No. 10 and the woman
barred her arm, and both she and the
children were attended to, She passed
on. received her bounty, and then out
among the herd OF Indians.
"1hc face and voice of that woman
haunted me the rest Of the day while
Kept scratching the arms of braves,
squaws, and pappoJses
AT last the days work was over and
instruments laid aside, After supper |
set about to satisfy my curiosity Us to
the history Of No 10. A fev inquiries
enabled me to locate the shack where
she put up, and thithcr | bent my way.
"rhc shack, may say, is a small hut,
built Of clay or mud. A fire can be
made in the shack The place Is 80
constructed that the squaw stands the
5ticRs Of wood ON their ends so that
The fire is fed as II from sclf-feedcr,
No. 10 related to me how and why she
occupied the shack. II was rather a
romantic story, but yet one full of sad
ness from bcginnil,; to end.
"'Aly father said No, 10, in voice
.ull Of puthos, is a Scotchman, and is
factor Of Fort Policy, belonging to the
lludspn's Bay company, Before the
northwest territories were taken over
nc rulcd the country for hundreds Of
miles around lie was a magistrate,
too, and of course administered the
law
when No. 10 reached a certain age
she was sent to Scotland in one Of the
yompaay's ships, which leave for New
York or Fort Nelson couple of times
each year This was no easy trip in
those days, For hundreds of miles she
had to cross prair,cs, and then by ca
noe and other conveyHnces, the great
rivers were trnverscd unth lludsous
bay was reached. where embarkution
took place. IL took some months to do
this
"When Scotland was reached she en-
tered II university and remained there
until she graduated These were pleas
ant days for the young western girl.
She became acquainted with an intel
ligcnt young SIotchman, and the at
tachmrnt became 50 strong on both
idrs that before she left the land Of
heather for the wilds of Canada they
had plighted vows,
"One of the compOny's ships bore her
away from her pleasant associations in
Scotland TO the higher latitudes of
Davis straits and the lludson's bay
where the iceberg is familiar in Au,
gust there again 10 rough II over fords
and stretches Of hvRmps, up vast wa
ter courses, and along bewildoring
trails, in company with the trappers
aud porlcrs Of the company, for months,
until Fort Policy was again reached
THE journey was made In safety.
"a N'-'---- II WAS understood AhAt her