The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-27


I consumed a good part Of the day in fruit
less examinations. There was nothing %
/ indicate that any man had ever preceded
/ me here But. on my return. when about
/ a mile from camp. and retraeing my path
/ of the morning. I came upon the footprints
+ Of wolf. The creature had crossed the
Fsvine from the north. and, on meeting my
{ tracks. had turned and kept along them
toward camp. ] had seen but few signs OF
1 animals for weeks. and was quite UMPIRE
/ pared 70 find these row. fresh and clean
cut. on the white snow. leading in that
particular direction. But Mr. Wolf must
have changed his apparent intention OF
raiding our ill-stocked lsrder. for his path
+ soon left mine. turning down a slope and
into ravire on the south As there still
! remained somewhat of daylight. l passed
/ beyond the camp along the creek 10 the
northeast. more 70 see the fine fir trees
i than for any other purpose. In a few mo-
ments there appeared more footprints. this
time those of a big bear. partly obliterated
by recent snowfalis. and about a hollow
I tree which had evidently been his winter
I quarters He must have been out few
days before. but. not satisfied with the
/ weather. had returned 10 sleep the rest of
! the season.
/ In the frightening shadows I prepared a
/ solitary supper. and ate il without my
/ usual appetite and as quietly as possible.
I Sitting by the fire thinking over my stu
alton, l realized that Il was somewhat dam
/ Eerous. especially as I supposed Wilson 70
I be fifteen Or twenty miles away. Fire
arms there were none except my reyolv-
/ or. which could hardly he taken into ac-
count. not having been discharged for
( months. But the reflection. that never in
I my own experience had I known harm 10
! come from wild beasts. greatly served TO
/ stu my fears. already partially lullec by
/ Natures potent soporific. fatigue. | there
g.. sx..o H. as,A
] posed myself for sleep in the best manner
4 possible under the circumstances.
! / had become fairly tranquil. specializing
dreamly on the probability of an awaken
! ing before morning caused by the bowling
I Of wolves, or by the intrusion OF bear 5
1 snout among my blankets, when reused TO
an acute perception of surrounding things.
! A sudden loud snap painfully audible in
I the stiffness OF the night. Of branch
/ breaking on the other side OF the stream,
! ] felt sure was caused by the bear. which
/ might. at any moment, approach my rest
/ ing place. In this | was, however, pres
( entity proved mistaken. as Wilson, and not
4 Bruin, peered in under the fy. saying,
| cbeerfully. Boss. are you asleep?'
| He had met he Indians and taken from
| them most OF the provisions, sending them
! back for more. A long. weary day he had
| made OF Il. and. as he told his story, ! con-
| ceived a gratitude ana friendship for him
WHICH ! &HdI never lose. OF. tI SPITE cf
/ a fatigue SO extreme that he felt feet and
! legs could endure no longer. he had left
| his snowshoes on some bushes, crawling
| on hands and knees the rest of his jour
! ney more than half mile. and all because
1 no felt it his duty to return TO me that
1 night
! We were now confident of being on a
/ north fork. instead of the main stream.
1 To regain the latter we must retrace our
| footsteps. carefully on the lookout for its
! mouth on the south side. The start the
| next morning was late one, our rest aft
| er so much fatigue having been undis-
| turbed. long and refreshing. Departing
| from this abiding place of uncertainties,
| we christened IL Lost camp. while the
north fork became known Sunday
creek. Keeping as close TO the creek as
| possible. observed no change either in
! forest or stream, for nearly three hours,
when appeared comparatively wide ba-
sin. such as might be looked for at the
junction of two watercourses. wilson,
! pressing forward through the heavy under
| growth. said there were indications OF a
large tributary on the other side, little
| below, and that we had better cross and
| explore. This We did. partly on driftwocd
| and partly wading. and were soon repaid
for our efforts by the sight of a stream,
| considerable enough in size TO assure us
! that il was the main river. Following IL,
| as we had already planned. In less than
| half an hour we suddenly 'came upon the
| nearly obliterated imprints OF snowshoes.
| All these led eastward or up stream ana
/ could only have been made by the men
| who were to build Cabin s. They had evil
| IDENTIFY done what they could and returned
| 10 Thorp
/ Tracing back the snowshoe tracks few
! hundred feet across the stream we found
| the cabin. a rude affair. evidently built in
| haste. There being nothing in or about it
/ 20 detain us more than a moment, we
! pushed forward, intent on going as far as
/ possible before nightfall, following the
! train OF our friends leading across Tacoma
/ pass to Thorp. Success raised our spirits.
| giving US new strength for the rapid jour
ney of the day. About 3 p. m. Cabin ap-
/ peared. so buried in the snow that de-
] scent Of some feet was necessary TO reach
/ It, We entered through the door. left pur-
| posely unfastened by tire party preceding
! us and were reioced at the sight OF a
| rough fireplace. provisions and utensils for
/ cooking them. As we had eaten nothing
/ since morning this opportunity was by no
! means neglected. Leaving here such arti-
/ cles and supplies as could he safely dis
| pensed with. we started again, intending
| to reach Cabin before night. The hills
| soon closed In upon us. steep and slippery
/ The stream, which now plunged in cas-
/ cades down 4 gorge. was bridged in many
/ places by foot logs placed from ten TO for
/ ~ feet above the torrent, whose cross flg
was perilous. while the ascent beyond be-
/ came slow and toilsome. When we finally
arrived at the summit fast-fallng snow
! and approaching darkness made IL difficult
10 read the two aueroid barometers ] had
/ carried throughout these JOURNEYS. over
/ the descent on the enst night fell sudden
! ~. shutting out all signs of the trail and
/ leaving only as = guide the features of the
/ ground. which kept US IN the depression
/ between the hills Travelling thus for
! big mound Of snow. which. on close IN
/ spection. proved TO he Cabin 3. This was
/ only a hare shelter where We made a light
| supper on some Food we still had with Us
/ and passed comforta HE night, early
! dawn seeing us on our wav. The course
/ WAS now nearly all down hill The woods
! vvere comparatively omen. the trail was
/ we'll marked and the snow. which covered
/ many Instructions In good condition for
/ snowshocinE Thus ~ was that we made
( a rapid march, reach ng Thorp before
! dark. and meeting the men we sought.
/ They had arrived but three DAYS before.
and were preparing TO return 30 Cabin 5
/ with more supplies.
Having sent Wilson and companion 20
/ Tacoma with a report Of oar "trip. | left
+ Thorn on the 1t,h and went 70 Cabin :.
/ whore supplies for the proposed expedition
/ northwarf along the range had preceded
/ me Cne man had been left behind in care
/ OF she place and with Instructions to oh
/ serve ana note che readings Of an anero.d
/ AZ morning. noon and evening % each day
II o11r absence. The remaining three men.
! James Gregg. Andy p~Ury and Mathew
! champion. accomnan. me The next day