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


search, and soon finished a second
| whereupon the rest of the coyev took
wing, but alighted after brief flight.
The boy followed eagerly, keeping I'M
the chase until five more had been
added to his string.
He heard at intervals the report of
distant gun, and he conjectured that
another hunter had also found game
The pursuit of the ptarmigan had
enticed HIM far from the way. Snow
had been falling intermittently for
some time, and daylight was waning
rapidly when he struck out on a bee
line toward the trail
Beyond the meadow the trail led
over steep, wooded ridge to a similar
natural clearing, many acres in ex-
tent. There for perhaps a half-miIe
it sl1irted the base of a precipitous
hillside, irregular, vertical wall of
Weather-worn rock, overlooking the
clearing.
Just in front of the precipice, and
| about midway along its face, grew a
single tall spruce, so close that it's
branches almost brushed the rock.
| One of its exposed roots protruded
| across the trail, making a mound over
which the natives, when sledging,
drove with care to avoid a spill.
The twilight was fast deepening into
dusk as Akowma descended the ridge.
He was abreast of the solitary tree
when musket-shot close at hand fol-
lowed by prolonged outcry as of an
animal in pain, brought him to a
standstill. A moment later he heard
a loud halloo, in which he recognized
his brothers voice.
''Nipsu has shot the wolff" he ex-
| claimed, jOyfully. He hurried on,
| shouting as he ran.
| He was within a few strides of the
thick forest bordering the clearing
when wolf leaped into the trail right
in front of him. His first thought was
that it must be the creature at which
Nipsu had fired. Possibly it was
wounded. Without hesitation he fit
| ted an arrow to his bow and let fly
at the brute. Despite the dim light,
his aim was true. With the shaft
| sticking in it's side the wolf sprang
back into the thicket, yelping and
bowling.
Scarcely had the arrow left the bow
before Akowma heard his brother call
ing to him.
Cab! gah!" ely! fy!) was all
that he could make out, but he COM
pretended that Nipsu was entreating
him to find place of refuge without
delay.
The reason for this was quickly re-
vealed. The yelping of AkoWma's vic
| tim was answered by a chorus that
terrified the lad. 1t was sound that,
| once heard, is not likely ever to be
| forgotten-the hunting-cry of a fam
| ishing wolf pack. Having freed
Nipsu, some, if not all, of the brutes
were coming to attack MIN.
His sole chance of safety lay in his
climbing a tree Immediately. Those
before him were of sman growth, but
| the pig spruce at his back would at
ford sure protection if he could but
retrace his steps. Facing about, he
sped f1eetly down the trail toward it..
Had the snow been covered with
crust firm enough to bear the wolves,
Akowma could not have escaped. AS
| it was, the foremost of the racing
pack broke from the cover of the
woods as he paused at the foot OF the
| tree to slip off his snow-shoes.
Knowing that if he left them lying
in the snow the wolves would speedily
! devour the sinew meshes and gnaw the
| 10 r-NIi mt q
| hooked the toes of the snow-shoes, to-
gether with his bow, over the stub of
a broken bough above his head. Then
| grasping a stout limb, he scrambled
| up.
In doing so his head struck the heels
| of the suspended snOw-shoes, dislodg-
| ing the bow. 1t fell upon the leader of
! the pack as the snarling brute snap
ped at Akowma's moccasins. The
| boys first care was to remove the
| snow-shoes to another stub higher up
on the trunk.
| Dreading lest anxiety on his &C.
count should lead Nipsu into making
rash attempt to come to his aid,
! AkoWma. climbed to height from
which he could look over the woods
where his brother was still besieged by
part of the pack. and called out reas-
suringly to him. Although neither
| could see the other, they were abe
by shouting to converse intelligibly.
Nipsu, it seemed, had successfully
| performed his errand, and he was
bound homeward in high spirits when
| he had discovered the wolves closing
| in behind him. He had taken refuge
in tree near the trail, and had re-
| tanned his load of provisions, as we'll
as his musket, but he had lost his
snow-shoes, of which the wolves sharp
teeth had made short work.
He stated also that seven of the
| brutes were still watching him. He
had killed three, and might have in
| creased his score if his supply of
ammunition had not given out.
Foreseeing that Akowma's prolonged
absence from the settlement would
,oI,