The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1901-10-05
not discovered his fate would be for

w. oHoulu luu u way OF ln1lctln
further punishment upon him. Fo
| some time the one that had cast OF
the rope continued to circle over him
! but it did not renew the attack, and a
! length joined its consort. preenng it
|, rumpled plumage in spruce-to]
iinear by. They kept up a subduet
croaking, a debate of which Koyoul
>fancied ihimseli to be the subject.
No air was stirring, and that moth
Ing might be wanting to complete hi!
discomfort, a host of black milges
ana mosquitoes presently arrived
|, For a time he famed them vigorousl,
with the sack, from which he hat
restored the fledgflng to it's mates;
iut tir!ng of that monotonous exer
cise, he took from a small pouch al
his belt a box, made of mountain
Sleeps horn and containing tinder
flint apd steel. and culling a bunch
cf dry tWigs from the nest, started a
tiny fire. When he had added refuse
aud damp wood frcm the interior OF
the pile, he found refuge in smoke
from, the voracious insects persecu.
ton.
AS the pungent vapor streamel
slowly upward, Koyouk hoped that
some one>in the village would observe
it and Investigate it's origin. With
this end in view, he laid on more fuel,
taking care not to set fire to the nest
itself
Apparently incited to action by the
smoke,\ the parent ravens lowered over
their domicile; but even the piteous
lamentation Of their young, whenever
an occasional puff half-stifel them,
failed to entice them within Koyouks S
reach. He longed wistfully that they
might fetch a salmon and throw it to
the clamorers. so that he could confis-
cate it for his own use. 1t was al
ready evening, and he too, was hungry.
For the present, at least he stood in
no great actual fear of starvation.
AS a last resort the fledgling's tender
flesh would sustain life for several
days; but thirst presented a more Sc
rious problem, and before midnight ne
would willingly have undergone a
drenching for the sake of rain.
Perpetual daylight rcigns in that
season and latitude, and right differed
from day in temperature only.
To sleep was impossible; tindeel. he
dared not try to do SO; the risk of a
fatal fall was too great. But hunger.
thirst and anxiety united to. sharpen
Koyouk's wits. 1t occurred to him
that in the sack and nest he had ma
terial with which he might accom-
plish his release unaided.
When twine is scarce among the
Yukon natives it is a common prac.
tice for the women to separate the
warp and woof of canvas provision
sacks discarded by prospectors or
traders, the numerous short strings
thus obtained being we'll adapted for
netting and ether purposes. In this
manner Koyouk proposed to provide
himself with a long cord. It was q
tedious task for boyish fingers, but he
applied himself diligently and hope.
FULLY to unraveling the sack.
The position and increasing
warmth of the sun proclaimed fore
noon when the work of preparation
lad been completed. To one end of
knotted cord he had attached couple
If stout sticks. dashed together cross
wise and weighted with his fire-box
and it's contents. to serve as sort of
,rapple.
Perched on the litchen covered spur,
le lowered the implement to the |
ground, imparting to it meanwhile
swinging motion. He was angling for
he twine which, before climbing to |
he nest, he had not united from the |
md of the rope, and which was still |
ying in plain sight directly beneath |
lin.
ut was sad, after so much time and |
,ains, not to get it again without
lelp." Koyouk said afterward, when
ecounting his experience to me.
He was fishing for the rope with
air prospect Of success when he heard
-oices, and on looking down the val
ey he caught sight of two youths from
lis village running briskly toward
lin. Speedy deliverance was assured. /
When they had attached the rope
o the grapple and he had drawn it up
nd again affixed the double strani
'ver the spur, Koyouk stripped off his
'arkie, knotted the sleeves together
nd tied up the neck. Into this i'm
rovised sack he slowed three Of the
lodgings, whose superior qualities
we're attested by the greater vigor of
heir cries, and then bade farewell to
he aerie.
His rescuers, who were hunting carl
ou. told him that, so far as they knew,
is absence from home had not yet oc-
assioned uneasiness. Chance alone
ad led them to the monOlith.
Regarding the subsequent history Of
he young ravens. one. .drooped and died
nd Koyouk's trained dog, jealous Of
he new rivals in it's masters affec-
ion, despatched another. But the
bird survived, and the result ofits edu-
alton even surpassed its instructors
l