The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1895-10-19

tinue the chase farther, and gave it up
Gas long as the chance of getting the
qame kept me up, felt no fatigue, but
now could hardly drag my legs as
slowly made my way across on the arm
of the lake to a sheltered spot, to pass
the night. was worn out from the
heavy snowshoeing and the want OF
something to eat, for had not even
munched my dry biscuit, and my mouth
seemed full of tongue for want OF
drink. The first thing, therefore, was
to get drink. So, on entering the
timber, cut down small, dry tree
and started to make fire to melt my
cupful of snow into water. This is
quicker than cutting through two or
three feet of ice to get at water.
"Think Of my surprise, boys, on
searching my pockets, to find only one
match My box l had forgot to take
out of our camp the night before at the
foot of the mountain; and it must be
there to this day, amongst the saplln
branches we laid upon.
ssWell, 1 thought, this will do. Once
the fire is started, will take particu-
lar care it don't go out ! built a small
fire on two green billets laid on the
snow, and put my tin cup full of snow
on TOP o melt. While waiting for this
to take place, perhaps didn't lean
against blamed tree that grew near,
where 1 sat watching the fire, and fell
dead asleep, and never woke until long
after the fire had burnt itself dead out
and myself about froze to the heart.
ssThe first thing 1 did was to thank
God that l had awoke again in this
world; for, tired as was, it puzzled me
to this day how 1 shook off that heavy
sleep.
ssWhen had my senses fully about
me, ! Judged by the height of the moon
above the tree tops that it must be
somewhere about nine o'clock, and the
way some big spruce, pine and birch
were cracking with the frost was
enough to keep weak nerves on the go.
Some of the reports were as loud as
guns going off,
'sMy first move was to ascertain If
the fire was really dead out. Yes, too
true, there was not spot remaining.
Well, here l was in a pretty mess-at
least twenty-five miles from camp, and
in what direction 1 could not tell till
the sun came out
"Of course, 1 could locate myself at
that moment by the moon; but what
tired man would undertake to guide
himself through the underbrush dur
ing the night?
mo blanket, no fire, and nothing to
eat except dry biscuit, which looked
and felt like stone in that cold eli
mate! Things looked dull. | knew,
to fall asleep the second time, was
death, sure, so to keep my blood warm
and to keep my eyes open, tramped
around large pine tree, first with my
snow shoes on and after the snow be-
came well packed walked around in
my moccasined feet the rest of that
blessed night And this is the way
call this yarn Circulating because L
circulated around that tree all night.
Did [ say all night? 1t appeared to me
like all month or all winter. l never
saw moon take such time to crawl
up into the heavens as the one on duty
that night.
cts true saying: Everything has
an emu. GNGn budO O4OOG1 COAd LIS hO
came to an end at last; and, although
L was both hungry and sleepy, l could
not resist the temptation to follow
couple of miles on the moose track
just to see how the fellow got along
after dark.
81 had walked about three miles, and
was just on the point of turning back
when 1 perceived the trail led out to
rocky headland or cape. Well, said,
talking to myself, we will just see how
he slid down there, and then for home.
"You can imagine my glad feelings
when, on spying down over the preci-
pice, which was about ninety feet high,
to see my moose planted across the,
trunk of a pine tree that lay crosswise
on some other fallen trees that hung up
four or five feet from the ground.
81 was not a great while making my
way around to the foot of the noun
tain, and there was made acquainted
with the whole state of affairs, as Il
the moose had told me the story him
self.
lin running away for dear life
these are Ben's own words, and not a
pun of the author-''in his mad rush,
and in the Pickering light of coming
night in the forest, he jumped clean
out over the cliff and planted himself
to the heart on length of dry limb
standing straight up from the pine
trunk. And here found him"
''Dead?" asked Charley.
"Why, yes" answered Ben, dead
as last years corpse.
81 began to skin him and cut the
meat up rough SO it would not spoil,
till we could come and get it, While
thus employed, l heard shot fired
quite close to where was. l gave
halloo; and who do you think an
swered? Why my chum, Nick, who
was making his way back to camp by