The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-03-18


 armed with a single-bladed paddle. Be side him lay a steel pointed pike-pole ready for instant use in case of ar emergency.
 In the gray of the early morning Andy sent the long boat fyinl across the still waters of the lake toward the ruined dam which guards the outlet of the Flambeau. There the water rushed, sweeping down through the moss covered sluices in a ! narrow, shallow current, kicking IF White-eapped waves where it struck the deep, still water at the bottom. The dugout went racing through the sluice like logs, just a touch or two of the paddle on either side keeping them in the center. Below the dam lay round pool of black water.
 This here's the old sturgeon hole, said Andy"
 What kind of bait do you use for sturgeon, 'Andy?'" asked the tall ten- derfoot.
 Best bait I know of is two-pound chunk of dynamite, answered Andy with one of his rare smiles. "Only way you can catch sturgeon is to blow lem
 
 speak of and you can't never catch lem on hook"
 Deep water in here, Andy?'
 About forty feet
 kind of dangerous place, eh?"
 Not half so dangerous as twill be when we strike the rapids where the water is shallow. It's the bottom of a river you want to be afraid of, not the top, particularly when you're in a dug out. Listen. You kin hear the Little Bull a-roaring now"
 The big woods stood close and still to the edges of the narrow little river. The long black boats slipped through the water in almost complete silence, it being point of honor with river man to use his paddle without making 8 noise. So far as could be seen or heard the woods were lifeless. Actually they were full of feathered and furry crea- lures, but like all wild things they had learned the lesson that in complete silence lies the greatest guarantee of safety.
 Suddenly as the dugouts shot around a sharp bend in the pines loud metal lie roar, which the keener ears of An dy Udu ll6d1u llllle away SlQGLIEu lIG tenderfeet.
 What on earth is that, Andy?"
 That's Little Bull a-bellerng Sit down on the bottom now, boys, and part your hair in the middle"
 Round the next bend the little river pitched down so sharply and steepiy that it seemed to be trying to run away from itself. Half filling the stream from bank to bank, a hundred brown and yellow monsters of all sizes seemed to be shouldering their way up against the current, each of them roaring as 1t came, It was the Little Bull rapid and the big brown and yellow monsters were the huge rocks between which it was "Andy's" work to guide his dug out The river runs here for three l quarters of mile at the rate of mile in five minutes, and 1t was beautiful to | watch the delft and easy way in which he picked his course, just grazing the [ sharp edges of one big boulder, twist | ing and turning the long boat like a snake to evade the threatening jaws of | I dozen jagged rocks, which rose in a half circle before him. sending the buoyant dugout bow-on into the midst of boiling whitecaps and coming out at he end into smooth water without ship ping a drop. ,
 Pretty rough water Andy" said the all tenderfoot with thrill, half of fear md wholly of pleasure.
 Wait" said Andy" till we strike Fish Frat and Big Bull This ain't worth talking about"
 A few rods back from the stream on ,ne side, where the giant pines and ;pruces were still standing, what looked ike a cloud of smoke hung over the tops if the tallest trees.
 Forest fire, Andy?"
 Nav; woods a-sweating. It'll be aiming in less than an hour" It was true prophecy. Before the hour vas up the clouds had settled down Ike lid on the top of the pine woods. hen miles away it started to rain and he men in the boats could see the storm oming on over the woods, preceded by gust of wind which bent down the rec tops and marked a distinct path trough the forest perhaps a mile in width.
 The men in the boats put on slickers nd hip boots, but two hours In the
 
 ply wet, the water running down their ( leeves, up trouser legs and somehow enetrating to the skin of each member the party Only Andy" whose only ] for the storm had been to emove his coat and vest, seemed to en- j oy the wetting. Makes fellow grow" he said, as ne of the tenderfeet complained. z Here's the Half Way House., but here aint no letters in the postoffice ' pr any of us.''
 The Half Way House" consisted of tiny clearing in the thick woods, and he postoffice was a split hickory sap ling, in the cleft of which letters were fit for people coming downstream by he men who draw wagon" out to the t ike. | l We'll stop, anyhow" said Andy" V and eat" IT Andy" and Big Dan' pulled the c ugout up on the bank, and in spite of l