The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-28
TRAIL OF THE TOTEM BEAR.
A Wonderful Experience I'm the
WiIds of Alaska.
BY William Murray Graydon.

BY William Murray Graydon.
Two men stood on the primitive land
ing-stage at Nuchuk, the little Alaskan
settlement whose huts and cabins cluster
round an indentation of Cooks Inlet. A
her flag dancing in the breeze, the cargo
steamer Yukon of the Alaska CONNER
cial Company, lay at anchor.
well, what are you going to do about
it?" said Markham, an elderly and ex-
perienced trader, who was the companys
agent at Nuohuk. ''You must decide
quickly, for there amt much time. Bet
rare chance, for you are sure to- fetch
back a totem bear-perhaps a couple of
EN-"
81 hardly know what to do ouin said.
"I want one of those bears, but"
'Ial help you to trap one, and on the
way back we'll do bit of prospecting"
For gold?"
Yes, for gold; there ought to be some
about
And the risk of Indians2 The tribes
on the headwaters of the Copper river
| have a bad name"
"They won't modest u.s." Markham re-
pleu, nuIIleulys Ooine, what w yOu
| say?'' he added. 1.-THE Yukon sails within
the hour"
Let her SAIL" exclaimed Quin, with
/ sudden decision. Il don't go with her
| I've chosen for the totem bear"
Two days later Quin and Markham with
| ten hired coast Indians, were travelling
north. A journey of 10 miles through
an UNEMPLOYED region, attended with num-
erous difficulties and hardships, brought
l 80 Ian CaYN.
| per river. Here they camped, and fort
night was spent in constructing from fell
| ed trees, by the aid of what tools they
| had been able to transport, long, mar
row barge with a tiny cabin in the mid
die. This was completed one evening and
| the next morning the Indians were miss
| ing to man.
| 1.-THE rascals have deserted" said
Markham. 'I suppose they were afraid
of the hostile tribes on the lower river
| But we can shoot bear on the way
down." he added; which was poor conso-
lation to his companion.
| The two voyagers embarked the fol-
lowing, and three days later, towards the
close of the afternoon. they were drift
ing on the deep, rapid tide of the Copper
| river.
when are we going to tie up?' asked
| Quin.
| ooh, any time you like. We had bet
| ter slip on a mile or two, though" AS
| Markham spoke his face frightened, and
his perplexed expression vanished. He
| stood In listening attitude, gazing at a
tall pinnacle of rock that had suddenly
| been revealed by a curve Of the channel.
| From far down the river fioated dull,
roaring noise There are rapids yonder,
| he added. wen lay up here for night,
and run them in the morning"
He bent to the oar, and within five min
utes the boat was alongside the right
hand shore. where it was made fast 10
the stump of a tree. 1t lay in deep. swift
water, off the end of a promontory that
jutted a dozen yards into the river. I'm
mediately below was the mouth of val
ley.
by heavens, look yonder!" exclaimed
Markham
CHANGING in line with his companions
outstretched arm, Quin behe1d a huge
animal standing twenty feet away at
the edge of the timber. He had no
need to ask what II was. BY the long
thick body and proturberant snout, the
high arched back, and the glossy coat of
hluish-black fur, he knew that he was in
the presence of a totem bear-the first
he had seen.
ITS as big as a grizzly" he gasped.
For a brief instant, swinging its mass
i've head, the brute surveyed the two men.
Then, with a sIllen growl it turned and
galloped clumsily into the forest.
II must have that bearr' cried Quin.
"It's pity to shoot him, but / can't
take him alive"
"Well try to get the pelt for you, any
way" replied Markham. He scanned the
mouth of the valley for a moment, and
from the CLEAN of recognition in his eyes
it might have been supposed that he was
not altogether a stranger to the locality.
1.-THE identical spot" he muttered under
his breath. Come along" he added
aloud.
When they had gone nearly a mile up
the valley, the big footprints seemed TO
suddenly disappear. They pushed on for
hundred yards, then stopped. Night was
now close at hand. and the forest was
as dim as twilight. The wind made a sigh