Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-08-15

with the sack, from which he had
restored the fledgling to its matee;
but tirlng Uf that monotonous exer
else, he took from a small pouch at
his belt a box, made Of mountain.
Sleeps horn and containing tinder.
flint and steel. and culling bunch
OF dry twigs from the nest, started a
tiny fire. When he had added refuse
and damp wood from the interior Of
the pile, he found refuge in smoke
from the voracious insects persecu
tion.
AS the pungent vapor streamel
slowly upward, Koyouk hoped that
some one in the village would observe
1t and investigate its origin. With
this end in view. he laid on more fuel,
taking care not to set fire to the nest
itself.
Apparently melted to action by the
smoke, the parent ravens hovered over
their domicile; but even the piteous
lamentation of their young, whenever
an occasional puff half-stifed them,
failed to entice them within Koyouk'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 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 reigns in that
season and latitude. and night differed
from day in temperature only.
To sleep was impossible; indeed, he
dared not try to do SO; the risk of
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 well adapted for
netting and other purposes. In this
manner Koyouk proposed to provide
himself with long cord. 1t was
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
had been completed. To one end of a
knotted cord he had attached a couple
Of stout ks.lashed together cross
wise and weighted with his fire-box
and its contents, to serve as sort of
grapple.
Perched on the litchen covered spur,
he lowered the implement to the
ground, imparting to it meanwhile
swinging motion. He was angling for
the twine which, before climbing to
the nest. he had not united from the
end of the rope, and which was still
lying in plain sight directly beneath
him.
"It was sad, after so much time and
pains, not to get it again without
help" koyouk said afterward, when
recounting his experience to me.
But it SO happened.
He was fishing for the rope with
fair prospect of success when he heard
voices, and on looking down the val
ley he caught sight of two youths from
his village running briskly toward
him. Speedy deliverance was assured.
When they had attached the rope
to the grapple and he had drawn it up
over the spur, Koyouk stripped off his
parl1ie, knotted the sleeves together
and tied up the neck. Into this i'm
provised sack he slowed three of the
fledglings, whose superior qualities
were attested by the greater vigor Of
their cries, and then bade farewell to
the aere.
His rescuers, who were hunting carl.
bou, told him that, so far as they knew,
his absence from home had not yet oc-
cassioned uneasiness. Chance alone
had led them to the monolith.
Regarding the subsequent history of
the young ravens, one, drooped and died
and Koyouk's trained dog, jealous of
the new rivals in it's masters affec-
ton, despatched another. But the
third survived, and the result ofits edu-
cation even surpassed its instructors
expectation. During many months it
was our companion in camp and travel
and it's remarkable traits seemed to
justify the boys assertion that the
raven is the legitimate king of the
birds.--Youth's Companion.
Under the Umbrellas.
0Tf ic II weather ~ cot hn.