Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-05-17

into their heads 60 proceed to the ton
OF the hill, and by leaping dowa into
the spruce come to close quarters with
| MIN! 1t was true that a long detour
through the woods would first be
necessary, but, desperate with hunger.
as they were, he believed that neither
the detour nor the fear of falling
with their victim would restrain them.
Cllnglng by it's roots to the frozen
SOIL on the brink of the rocky wall a
white birch dropped until it's bushy
branches mingled with the spruce
boughs few feet above his head. AS.
IN sudden dismay, he glanced up
through the falling snow-flakes, the
sight of it's gnarled and twisted trunk
suggested to him that if he could but
elude the vigilance of his besiegers. it
would be possible for him to make his
way over the birch to the verge of the
rock
Then he could hurry back to the
settlement, arouse the hunters, and
return with them to relieve Nipsu.
Realizing that delay increased the
| likelihood of an attack from above. his
| straightway prepared to carry out this
plan.
Darkness and the falling snow were
in his favor, but he wished besides to
devise means of distracting the
wolves attention. He rejected the
idea of scattering his birds among
them; these would be snapped up too
quickly. But a more promising
Scheme soon occurred to him.
Descending the tree, he suspended
three of the ptarmigan from branches
wheer they dangled temptingly just
beyond reach of the gaunt beasts.
Then, taking with him his snow
shoes, he reascended to where the
dropping birch rubbed against the
spruce.
Stripping off his parkie, he stuffed
it almost to bursting with spruce
| twigs, amid which he distributed the
remaining birds, after which he tied
thongs tightly about the waist, wrists
and hood of the garment
This done, he called out to his
brother, telling him briefly of his pur-
pose. Nipsu volunteered, by shout
ing and by feigning an intention of
jumping down, to prevent those of the
pack which were guarding him from
noticing what was going on elsewhere
Pushing the bulky parcel outward
and clear of intervening boughs,
Akowma dropped it into the snow at
the foot Of the tree, fifty feet below,
on the side away from the rock. The
| wolves, no doubt mistaking it for the
lad himself, bounced upon it, rending
it with teeth and claws, and fighting
with one another over it's contents.
Now was Akowma's time Without
stopping to deplore the ruin of his
parllie, he swung himself into the
birch The clamor of the quarreling
brutes below drowned the swapping
| of tWigs, brittle with cold, that &C
companied his hasty passage along
the bending tree.
Kneeling on the brink of the preci-
pice, he listened anxiously while put
ting on his snow-shoes, but there was
no abatement in the noise of conflict
His flight had not yet been perceived.
L uS SOIL, uGW-ld1lCu SHOW uuLu0u
the sound of his snow-shoes as he
sped on through the trackless birch
forest covering the hill He laid his
course straight for the settlement.
| Nipsu's vociferous cries were audible
long after he had left the hill, but no
wolves barred his path.
On reaching home, which he did
without mishap, his tidings we're re-
ceived with joy. Every man and boy
procured weapons and snow-shoes, and
| guided by Akowma, who had donned
| another parkie, set forth to Stay the
wolves.
AS they drew near the scene of the
lads adventure, the natives divided
their forces. Part assailed the wolves
which were found still patiently sur
rounding the big spruce, while the
rest relieved Nipsu. The marauding
pack was annihilated.
The meat obtained by Nipsu fur
nished food for the little community
until the migrating caribou had re-
turned, when starvation was no longer
to be feared-Youth's Companion.