Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-11-30
sportsmen enter tAk wilderness 1


little way, rarely does che cross it;
lumbermen follow up its streams to
cut their quota of logs and return the
same way; and yet so broad is it, and
so, impossible by direct journey, that
events happening on one side are
rarely known on the other. 1t is a
world by itself, as it were, scarcely
surveyed, with townships of primal
wilderness seldom crossed, lakes that
for years remain unvisited, and noun
tains that are rarely scaled.
1t was the bold intention of Martin
and the doctor to cross this for an out
ing trip; and now, scared for day
and night by the visit of a queer
creature, they had gone on, leaving
it's locality many days. journey be-
hind, and yet wildly retaining the i'm
press 1t made.
For two weeks they had journeyed
onward, upstream, downstream, and
across lake and carry, hating to try
for trout in seductive pools or land
at some available spot and cook
midday meal. Deer browsing upon
the first green shoots had been sur
prised many times; twice they had
come upon an lord1y moose, to hear it
snort with alright and plunge out of
sight in the underground. Once
bear had been seen scampering up an
old log road, and often at night had
they heard q lucivee or panther utter
ing its peculiar cry in some neighbor-
ing swamp. OF humanity, they had
met not soul in all that time; and
now, somewhat wearied of ever con-
tinued pushing on, they had camped
on the shore of a long and narrow
lake to remain and rest few days.
This, known as the Second MusQua-
cook, lay at the apex of two narrow
valleys, through each Of which flowed
Stable streams. One, the larger, had
served as their waterway to this lake,
and entered at it's foot the other mid
way. 1t was near this, and in a cove
outlined by pretty sandy beach, that
their tent was pitched. above this
stream, and extending Well into the
shallow lake, grew bed Of rushes,
now putting forth fresh shoots This
growth also extended up the stream a
few rods, while next to the cove its
bank was wooded. and where ii joined
the lake rounded gravelled point put
out. The sun was out Of sight behind
one of the low ranges of mountains
that shut them lin, ere> the, camp was
made comfortable, and just as Levi
had finished his Watchful care of q
frying-pan Of trout and another of
suffering ham, and lifted the coffee-
pot from the bending wambeck. the
moon, now almost full, looked over the
opposite range.
II WISH" said the doctor, who, had
seated himself by the little improvised
table OF saplings, and heaped his tin
plate with good things, "that we had
stayed a few days longer on the
Moosehorn and tried to run that wild
man to cover"
Like many another man, DR.. Sol wa.
always courageous when either vel.
fed or about to be-
1--WE might go back there" an
swered Martin, with his mouth full of
fried trout, while he gently stirred the
condensed milk in his tin cup of cof-
fee; lit isn't over a hundred miles,"
"No-o-o,' responded the doctor.
slowly, Il don't believe we'd better;
and yet, I'd go good many miles to
find out what that thing was"
Then Martin laughed, knowing full
we'll how little courage DR.. Sol had.
Time and again they had discussed
this strange problem in all it's bear
ings, failing each time to arrive at
a conclusion. Then, there were two
Of him." as Jean once said. and about
equal In mystery.
II, too: wish we h ad stayed where I
saw this creature" said Martin, in re-
Spouse to the doctors assertion, at
least for one night If it was some
half-insane old trapper who wore moe
casins tipped with panther's claws, as
more than half suspect, the latent
human curiosity in such frea,- would
have led him to return the next night.
There was no danger, for if he had
meant harm, he had ample chance. AS
to its being q nondescript, half man,
half brute, as his tracks would indi-
!
Heve.; Neither do i think. he had any
connection with the chap who has hid
himself in the lone log-cabin up the
Moosehorn, and who rugged trap-bell
signal to warn him of visitors. He is
cat of another stripe, and one Id
not care to disturb. What do you say,
Levi"
Il dunno, I dunno" replied that cau-
tious woodsman, slowly shaking his
head, 'cordin' to my way O. thinkin',
it's the same Teller, ez I've said afore
DOW, an mebbe some one ez had cause
fer hidin'. There's good many curis
things ez happens in the woods, n
some on 'em never gifts found OUT
And you think this chap who put
moose skull where it would do the
most good might have been some mur-
'derer in hiding" queried Martin.
wal, he might n he might an
severed Levi, in his always cautious
tone.
Then, as the subject was about ex-
hausted for the time, Martin and the
doctor once more fell to recalling incl
dents Of their boyhood days. and all
the fun they had, and all the scrapcs
they got into then.
Ito Be Continued.l
Long Journey Of W1ales.
Addressing the Academy Of Science
Of Christianla, Prof. Goldlob said
that the whales that swim about tho
islands which lie OF the coast OF Nor
way and Finland in March and .Apr,l
travel immense distances. In May
they turn up at the Azores, or even at
the Bermu6as, and sometimes nav a