Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-26

Then he lit pipe and gazed keenly
/ about him.
What you do?" he inquired after q
long silence, punctuated by the puffs
Of tobacco.
Hunt, trap, fish," replied Thorpe,
with equal sententiousness.
Good" concluded the Indian after
n ruminative pause.
That night he slept on the ground
Next day he made a better shelter than
| Thorpe's IN less than half the time and
was off hunting before the sun was an
hour high. He was armed with an
old fashioned smooth bore muzzle load
err, and Thorpe was astonished after
he had become better acquainted with
his new companions method to find
that he hunted deer with fine bird shot
The Indian never expected to kill or
even MORALLY wound his game, but he
would follow for miles the blood drops
caused by his little wounds until the
animals in sheer exhaustion allowed
him to approach close enough for a
dispatching blow. At 2 o'clock he re-
burned with small buck, tied scientif-
ically together for toting. with the
waste parts cut away, but every ounce
Of utility retained.
II show" said the Indian, and he did.
Thorpe learned the Indian tan.
The Indian appeared to intend max
ing the birch knoll his permanent head
quarters. Thorpe was at first a little
suspicious Of his new companion, but
the. man appeared scrupulously honest,
was never intrusive and even seemed
genuinely DESTROYS of teaching the
white little tricks of the woods brought
to their perfection by the Indian alone
He ended by liking him. The two rare
ly spoke. They merely sat near each
other and smoked. One evening the In
dian suddenly remarked:
you look 'um tree?"
whats that?" cried Thorpe, STAR
tied.
"You no hunter, no trapper. You look
'um tree for make 'um lumber"
What makes you think that, Char
ley?" he asked.
"You good man in woods" replied
Injun Charley sententiously. Il tell
by way you look at him pine"
Thorpe ruminated.
Charley" said he, "why are you
staying here with me?"
big frien'," replied the Indian
promptly.
"Why are you my friend? What have
ever done for your"
"You got 'um chiefs eye" replied his
companion, with simplicity.
Thorpe looked at the Indian again.
There seemed to be only one course.
Eyes, I'm lumberman," he confess
ed, "and I'm looking for pine. But,
Charley, the men up the river must not
know what I'm after"
"They get 'um pine" interjected the
Indian like flash.
Exactly" replied Thorpe, surprised
afresh at the others perspicacity.
"Goodw exclaimed Injun Charley and
fell silent.
| With this, the longest conversation
| the two had attempted in their peculiar
acquaintance, Thorpe was forced to be
content.
| Three days later he was intensely
! thankful the conversation had taken
place.
After the noon meal he lay on his
blanket under the hemlock shelter,
smoking and lazily watching Injun
Charley busy over the making of a
birch bark canoe.
So idly intent was Thorpe on this
piece of construction that he did not
notice the approach of two men from
the down stream side. They were
short, alert men, plodding along with
the knee-bent persistency Of the wood
walker, dressed in broad hats, flannel
shirts, coarse trousers tucked in high
laced CRUISERS and carrying each a
bullying meal sack Topped by cord
across the shoulders and chest. Both
were armed with long slender scalers'
rules. The first intimation Thorpe re-
ceived of the presence of these two men
was the sound of their voices.
Hello, Charleyw said one of them.
"What you doing here? Amt seen you
since the Sturgeon district"
MAX 'um CANOE replied Charley
rather obviously.
$50 see. But what do you expect to
get in this God forsaken country?''
Beaver, muskrat, mink, otter.''
Trapping, eh?" the man gazed keen
~ at Thorpes recumbent figure who's
the other fellow?''
Thorpe held his breath, then exhaled
it in long sigh Of relief.
Him white man." Injun Charley
was replying. Him hunt too. He
max 'um buckskin."
The land locker arose lazily and
sauntered toward the group.
tHowdy?" he drawled SCOT any
smokin'?"
''How are your" replied one of the
scalers, eying him sharply and tender
ing his pouch. Thorpe filled his pipe
deliberately and returned it with
heavy lidded glance of thanks. To all
appearances he was one of the lazy,
shiftless hunters Of the backwoods.
Seized with an inspiration, he said:
"What sort of chances is they at your
camp for little -four? Me and Char
ley's about out. I'll bring you meat, or
I'll make you boys moccasins. 1 got