The record-union., 1899-09-13

The ptarmigan-broWn in summer and
white in winter-is a good game bird,
and in some~localities pinnated grouse
or prairie chickens are very numerous.
Our ubiquitous little friend the part
ridge, too. is nowhere more frequently
"at home" to the hunter than here, and
he is often such strangerto the guile of
man that an Indian will walk up to the
tree upon which he is sitting and slip
the moose that he has fixed at the end
of a pole over his head. After the first
snow in the fall rabbit shooting is good
sport, and in seasons when they are
plentiful fifty or sixty to the credit of
single hunStman is not an uncommon
score. Then there is the large game.
such as moose and deer, while now and
then stupid bear pokes his nose in
dangerous proximity to the fort, the
staff turns out and he is shot for his
fatal inquisitiveness.
At one of the posts where I was sta
toned we kept a moose for two years.
She was taken when very young by an
Indian, who killed her mother, and
brought the calf in his canoe to the
fort. She became quite tame and in
the second winter we broke her to drive
were soaring Indians by racing up to
them and stopping abruptly with a
loud snort, and planting her forefeet on
the backs of the train dogs. A train
dog will howl upon the slightest excuse,
and the pathetic outbursts which greet
ed the successful performance of this
latter feat appeared to cause Maud un-
stinted enjoyment and certain mild
wonder which it was ludicrous to
behold
The clerks often set traps adjacent to
the fort, and in this way find another
means of passing time and of adding to
their incomes. Snowshoeing is also
popular exercise on the short days.
and at posts where they are kept,
horses are much in requisition.
AT an outpost where a clerk is alone
with his Indian servant, however. the
life is wearisome to a. degree, and pri-
walton not infrequently adds to the
hardship of it. Supplies may run short,
and in any case he is expected to stock
with fish taken in nets from the lake.
near which his post is situated, for his
table and his dogs, as well as to aug
ment his larder by the expert and dili-
gent use of his gun. Rare instances
have occurred where, through accident.
supplies have not reached the far out
posts for which they We're intended.
and men have literally died of starva-
ton. Out of York boats crew which
was taking up the annual supplies for
a post far up in the Rocky Mountains,
on branch of the Mackenzie River.
two or three men were drowned and
the ice beginning to make, the boat was
obliged to put back to the district head
quarters. The three men at the ont
post were left for some weeks without
supplies, and when, after winter had
set in, and it became impossible to
reach them with dog trains provisions
were at length sent to them Two were
found dead in the post, while the third
man was living by himself in a small
hut some distance from the fort build
ings. The explanation that he gave
was that he had removed to where
there was a chance of keeping himself
alive by snaring rabbits, which were
more plentiful than at the post: but
suggestion of canniblism surrounded
the affair, for only the bones of his
companions We're found. and they were
in the open fireplace. Nothing was
done, however, and myself saw the
survivor many times in after years.
One of the two men who went to the
relief told me of the circumstances
Toronto Globe.