Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-10-13
MY INDIANA GUEST.

waters OIL luc ADICtlblt III lOA tACl
Ontario. / had lived chiefly upon the
beasts of the field and the fowls Of
The air. with a little of civilizations
pork and tea.
Noyembers first SHOWS warned me
10 return to the city, but the charm
of the forest life was too powerful and
I stayed on, laying up treasures Of
health with every day that passed.
EARLY in December | was returning
late from a days still hunt, with the
edible norton of a does carcass on an
extemporized toboggan Of birch-bark,
when, on approaching my cabin, ob-
served human tracks, not SnOW-ShOe
tracks, but apparently those of a man
wading lab0riously through the four
feet-deep snow. They led in the di-
rection of my shanty, and as | had
seen no human face since last Sep
TENDER, when party of mining pros
pectOrs passed through, l hurried for
ward, reached my house, opened the
rude door and went in.
A bright fire was blazing in the big
fireplace, and directly before the
neal III lllOllOhlSSS LIZ was
evidently an Indian, for a striped
blanket lay loosely around his Shout
ders and his long black hair hung
tangled Oh his neck. A double-bar-
relied gun was leaning against the
wall near him, and on the floor lay a
pair of wet Snow-Shoes.
He did not even turn to look when
aooopdino tn
land etiquette, paid no attention to
him, but set about cutting up and
cooking some of my recently killed
venisOn. When the meal was ready |
handed my guest a heaping plate and
a steaming bumper of tea, and sat
myself down on the other side of the
hearth with a similar regale.
During the progress of the meal
which necessitated frequent reflIing
of the plates, had a good opportu-
nifty to observe the Indian closely. He
was dark-colored, very dirty, and
about thirty years old. His face wore
the average Indians impenetrable
look of stupidity, but it seemed to
me that there was a more than aver
tality in his countenance, as he 81
lently and voraciously devoured the
venison and "damper' until the sup
ply was exhausted.
When no more food was offered, he
lighted his pipe and condescended to
give me an explanation of his pres
ence in mixture of English, Angli-
cized French and Chippewayan.
ME come far; yes, from there. Heap
snow; YER froid; Injun heap cold. No
deer, no caribou, no mooin (bear).
Enfin, my racket he's broke out hees
cross-bar,-and mo got for to wade in
snow so high, an most cold to death,
die for sure if no reach cabin. Vol
la"' and he produced the snowshoe in
question, of which the forward cross
bar had snapped, slackening the net
work so that it was impossible to
keep the foot in the thongs.
However little l liked the appear
ance of my guest, l felt that I had
been the means of saving his life, and
threw down half a dozen hides and a
blanket in one corner for his bed. Be
ing very tired, l lay down on my
couch shortly after but my last wax
ing remembrance was of seeing the
Indian sitting motionless before the
ire, smoking his short pipe and gaz-
ing solemnly into the glowing Goals.
When l awoke in the morning he
occupied the same position, but his
pipe was gone and the kettle was boil
ing over the fire, which led me to in
fer that he had not sat there all night.
got up, and after a wash in an Ice
bound, dugout wooden basin outside,
with the temperature at ten degrees
below zero, l proceeded to get break
fast ready.
/ had supposed that my red man
would leave shortly after this meal,
but his snow-shoe remained unrepair-
ed, and he showed no inclination for
departure. He continued to smoke,
While l spent the forenoon in storing
away my meat and in cutting fire.
wood, and whenever l re-entered the
cabin l found him sitting precisely as
had left him.
He stayed for dinner, and it was not
until well on in the afternoon that he
began to mend his snow-Sl1oe. He I'm
iShed it before dark, but of course
did not expect him to start that even
lug, and l went to sleep, leaving him
smoking before the fire, just as on the
night before.
Now hospitality in the Northern
Wilderness means something. 1t re
Quires the sharing of your last crust
II need be, with the stranger, for the
next time you may be the stranger
yourself. At the end of three days
however l began to think that it was
out Just that my visitor should hell
10 ITplenish the Harder which he con
unned voraciously to deplete.
SO. on arising early the fifth morn
ing after his advent and finding thu
Gay suitable, proposed that he shonk