The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-10-12
A STORY OF HARDSHlPS
THAT TELLS THE KIND OF METAL
THERE is IN OUR GALLANT
EXPLORER.
1HRILLING Letter.

RAMPANT HOUSE, Porcupine River,
Eastern Boundary line of Alaska, I
May 30, 1894 J
CONTINUED From octOber5)
On March 10. accompanied by one
Indian and having sled drawn by
four dogs on which were carried our
provisions aud camp outfit, | started
on what is undoubtedly one of the
longest snOw-shoe trips on record.
Our route for the first 15Omiles lay due
northwest from Rampant House: over
the great treeiess, snow-cOvered plat
eau that stretches from the Porcupine
river TO The RomanzOf mountains. We
had brought with us on the sled dry
meat for The dogs, and the same arti-
Gle, in addition TO tallow and tea, for
ourselves, sufficient To last six days,
the length of time that We had expect
ed il would take us 10 reach band OF
Indians who, We had heard were camp
ed in a certain locality and from whom
we hoped to obtain additional sup
plies i'm order to enable us 10 continue
our journey across the mountains. On
reaching this place, we found to our
dismay that the Indians had moved
elsewhere and there was noting to in-
dictate in what direction as recent
snow storms and high winds had COM
pletely obliterated their trail through
the snow. We were now in a pretty
kettle of fish, as they say in Boston;
nearly out of provisions, behind US
more than hundred miles of wintry
wilderness, before us we knew not
what and the thermometer 40 degrees
below zero. Matters looked decidedly
ugly. To take the back track and go
five or six days on an empty stomach
was pretty Serious business when the
severe cold makes such demands on
oGe's vitality, and To push forward
Was only Ia leLgI hen the distance 10
travel i'll cast w did finally turn
back Our first move was TO make u
great circuit of about ten miles in the
hops of finding signs al he Trail of the
missing Indians Ibis iv,k al: of une
afternoon 10 no purpose, and WHEN we
bunked down 10 s.eep lhgt night on
the Iceward side Ut the up-turned sled
our hearts Were considerably heavier
than Our slonaclis, l,r both ourselves
and the dogs had caIen hall raGions.
The next morning oul, after a CONSUL
talon We decided 10 push due west,
the direction my Indian thought
it must likely his missing
brothers had Iakcn, and then
if in a days lraN ell We found no sign of
the trail, we were 10 kill one of the
dogs iOr food aud making ice line
for RampaIt House, tiavel day and
aud night until We reached it. We
started without breakfast and hit
lively gait over the rolling, snow COW
cred hills and all day my mind was
torluented by visions of canine stew.
Tue youngest and plumpest dog in
that team has mighty little idea of
what thin ice he skated on that day.
A bout / o'clock while we were pass
ing through a clump of willows in a
creek valley, the Indian shot rabbit
whereat We INDUCED in a miniature
Fourth Of July celebration and pre-
pared barbecue al once. l suppose
/ should blush To say it That the only
part of that rabbit that got away was
the hair, and the dogs didn't get any
thing. After that we felt more chip
per and thought that in country
where there was one rabbit,
there might be some of his relatives. |
We had seen no caribou tracks aud |
knew there Were none in this vicinity |
ami wherever We Iound them, thei e |
would lie Indians, for the Indions fol- |
low them in their migrati0ns. Dull
ing the afternoon VIC descended into |
the partially wooded valley of the
head-waters of the Sheenjic, one of the
northern tributaries of The IOrcupine. |
About o'clock the Indian, who was
walking ahead, suddenly fired both
barrels of his gun into the air and
gave vent 10 a series of whoOps that |
would have done credit 10 an Apache.
He had found the Iong-lOoked-for
trail. Although we how knew that
we were going ia The right direction,
it was di1ijcGl; IU guess whether We
would fluid the natives within five
miles or a hundred. r, lowing this
track for a couple Of hours we went
into camp for The night. Just before
reaching this place The Indian had
shot two piarmigan, birds about as
large as quail, and these we had for
supper. The next morning We diyid-
ed the last lump OF taliow INTO several
pieces about the size of "A walnut and
gave ourselves and the aogs one each.
L will take occasion 10 remark right
here that there is no sense in = fellow