The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-06-16

Thorpe knew that men occupied in
SO precarious business would be keen
~ on the watch. At the first hint of
rivalry they would buy in the timber
they had selected. But the situation
had set his fighting blood to racing
They undoubtedly wanted the tract
down river. Well, so did he!
He purposed to look it over carefully,
to ascertain its exact boundaries and
what sections it would be necessary to
buy in order to include it, and perhaps
even to estimate it in rough way. In
the accomplishment Of this he would
have to spend the summer and perhaps
part of the fall in that district. He
could hardly expect to escape notice.
BY the indications on the river he
judged that crew of men had shortly
before taken out a drive Of logs. After
the timber had been RATED and tOWed
to Marquette they would return He
might be able to hide in the forest, but
sooner or later, he was sure, one of the
company's land lockers or hunters
would stumble on his camp. Then his
very concealment would tell them
what he was after. The risk was too
great, for, above all things, Thorpe
needed time. He had, as has been said,
to ascertain what he could offer. Then
be had to offer it. He would be forced
to interest capital, and that is matter
Of persuasion and leisure.
Finally his shreWd, intuitive good
sense flashed the solution on him. He
returned rapidly to his pack, assumed
the straps and arrived at the first dam
about dark Of the long summer day.
There he looked carefully about him.
Some fifty feet from the waters edge
birch knoll supported, besides the
birches, single big hemlock. With
his belt ak Thorpe cleared away the
little white trees. He stuck the sharp
ened end of one Of them in the bark of
the shaggy hemlock, fastened the other
end in a crotch eight or ten feet dis
tant, slanted the rest Of the saplings
along one side Of this ridgepole and
turned in, after hasty supper, leaving
the completion of his permanent camp
to the morrow.
In the morning he matched smooth
the roof of the shelter, using for the
purpose the thick branches of hemlocks.
placing two green spruce logs side by
side as cooking range, slung his pot on
a ROD across two forked sticks, cut
and split quantity of wood, spread
bis blankets and called himself estab-
lished
Fer some days he made no effort to
look over the pine, nor did he intend
to begin until he could be sure of doing
SO in safety. His object now was to
give his knoll the appearance Of a
trapper's camp.
Toward the end Of the week he re-
ceiyed his first visit Evening was
drawing on. Thorpe was busily en-
gagged in cooking a painful of trout.
Suddenly he became aware OF pres
ence at his side
How do?" greeted the newcomer
gravely.
The man was an Indian, silent, SOL
emn, with the straight, unwinking
gaze OF his race.
"How do?" replied Thorpe.
The Indian without further cere-
mony threw bis pack to the ground,
and, squatting on his heels, watched
the white mans preparations When
the meal was cooked be coolly pro-
duced knife, selected a clean bit of
hemlock bark and helped himself.
Then he lit pipe and gazed keenly
about him.
what you do?" he inquired after
long silence. punctuated by the puffs
Of tobacco.
Hunt trap, fish," replied Thorpe,
with equal sententiousness
Good concluded the Indian after
a ruminative pause.
That night he slept on the ground.
Next day he made better shelter than