The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-03
BLEW UPA PANTHER
Big Lie, the Navigator, Narrates
aWierd Tale.
HE USED A STICK OF DYNAMITE
How Sir Ursus Wrought Havoc in
the Cache Left by
Kelly.

the Cache Left by
Kelly.
This beats hell, don't it," said Little
Nike" the cook, and YEARLY assented,
with mental reservation to the effect that
the layout of disaster before our eyes
was the inferno itself, if it did not
"beat'' it.
''Well. anyhow, amt a-grievin' none
over it, went on the little one, whose lit
and $50 pounds of avoirdupois; 1T amt
no skin off my hide. nohow. It's up to
you to rustic grub; all I got to dos cook
It," with which ''he smiled in scorn and
turned away" That is, he started to
turn away when an interruption occurred.
We had pushed the drive down Swan
river as far as the second crossing, car
rying sufficient supplies to feed the crew
till we should reach that locality on the
rear wanagan, and calculating to replen-
ish from Astounding cache left at an
old camp on the river bank in the early
spring. We had sighted the cache camp
with days grub" yet on hand, landed
US by a bear-or a family thereof-as
soon as we reached the old camp.
We had locked front and rear doors
when we left for the river head, but the
rear one now lay in splinters on the
floor. and there was a confused medley
Of barrel slaves, broken boxes, and tram
pied, wasted provisions lying around, that
resembled nothing so much as the Doug
las larder minus the corpses that amiable
warrior seasoned his mix-up with. And
here we were with fifty men to provide
four meals day for; as many miles from
the nearest base of supply; no road but
the Mississippi river between-and one
days grub in sight. And it twas up"
to me to supply the deficiency.
The robbery was plainly the work Of Sir
Ursus, for there were no thieves in the
country in that day, and he had left his
sign manual very plainly all around the
camp It was too bad for Michael to
remind me that the onus of the white
mans burden" was mine; that "I'd better
quit gapin' around like a stuck pig and
git move on me, az he did in the very
act of leaving me to my own devices. But
that Is the way his sympathy was mani
tested, and a suitable retort was springing
to my lips; when the interruption came. ,
It came in the shape of major himself,
who came swinging into the camp, prob
ably to see If there was any little tidb1t
left that he. might devour. -
What Mike did know not even to this
day. What I did was to swarm up the
wall in some fashion I have not yet com
pretended, shoot through the ventilator
out upon the roof, and there, beholding
bruin in full flight for the woods, set up
an animated popping at him with a SO
had In my inside pocket. By good luck
didn't hit him or he would probably have
returned and murdered Mike, but that
sarcastic gentleman never thanked me fol-
the service my poor shooting did MIN.
Neither would he believe that
assembled the roof merely to attain a good
shooting ground. On the contrary, he hello
the opinion that was 80 skeert that
couldn't hit the side of the camp and
stand three feet off'n it''-and expressed
the same so freely and often as to make
nv life a WEAKNESS long before the drive
reached Brainerd
Grabs Bear by the Tail.
I did not believe Mikes assertion that
he had .grabbed the bear by the tai
and twisted it till he was ID glad to b.
let loose and skoot outer the camp but
as I did not larry to see Just what die
happen I was in a Door position to con
tradict him. -.r
was in nearly as poor acne to do thu
required "grub-rustling, but had thu
incentive that has produced every goot
work that has done since this terrestrial
BALI first swung into motion; 1T had t.
be done, and at it I vert: There wer
several teoees OF Indians Wltnln a Ie1
miles of us, and annexed the occupants
setting one with rifle after meat; one o
the scuaws had gill-net, and her dele
gated to procure supply of fish; a you'll
known to be swift OF foot, and trust
worthy because AS yet not devotee o
the 1rewater of the paleface. dispatche
to Aitkin with a reQuisition for supple
tn he sent to the river-nouth per steam
er; and three more took with me to tn
wanagan.
There feeding them well-the road t
an Indians heart is surely through nj
stomach whatever that to a. white man
may bel collected pa cksacks enough t
the wanagan navigator, along: struck TO
"Old-Grub-Pile" camp on the Missis
sippi some fifteen miles away, and
depot of supplies of another lumberin
concern. Arriving there I begged, Dor
rowed, and stole every pound of food
stuff the custodian would let 60, or INA
could be lugged off without his knowledg
and set off with my supply train heade
for the Wanagan. ..... --. -:
Five Miles Through Bog.
The way was combination of loggin
road, "tote" road. and roadless bol
flve miles Of the latter there was, kne
deep in moss, and ankle deep in watel
the loads ran from 80 to 100 pounds p
man. and the whole trip was about
Dretty little try-out of sinew, plut
and endurance as any man ought to WIS
for.
For my cart know that sudde
death would have been welcome reli
long before we struggled through the b'
which lay about midway of the distanc
gained the hard ground, and sank dov
to enjoy the luxury OF rest, and win
catching combined. ,
GOSH said Lie, after he had I'LL
and lighted his pipe; but that was p,
and worse, wasn't it? Dunpo's ever b
anything much worse since followed t.
river. Wish to Jimminy them bea
could let the grub alone, an not Sc
ns anackin' through that Reliable be
Bet you was skeert wild when that Q
he showed up in the camp when you'n Il
tie Mike was there.
mike he says he JUS KEEP cool q
chased the old bear outer the camp, 3
/ don't take no stock in that A NAL