Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-17
TALES OF ADVENTURE
IN THE NORTHWEST
BY E. B. OSBORN,
(Author of Greater Canada" etc.

art that they believed 1t possible to earn
the missing three-Quarters with q shot
gun and crazy old rifle and improvised
traps. They must have been city bred;
else they had known that II requires
seven years apprenticeship to learn how
to read the palimpsests of the SHOWS. And
SO. instead of hurrying out through the
eastward passes before the snow fell and
the trap was shut they set a winter camp
and sat down to wait for the spring.
These were thumb-fngered folk, and their
show shoes fashioned of willows and fish,
ing Irvine, proved unserviceable; SO that 1t
was not until late in December, when the
surface of the deep SHOWS became hardened
that they could get about their hunting.
The first weeks bag contained no more
than brace Of rabbits-creatures of bark
and berries, which any vegetarian might
eat with an easy conscience-and they soon
learned why the company" had no outpost
in that section of Prince Ruperts Land.
By the middle of January scurvy had their
hearts in his grip and, with the exception
of Big Dick Kelly Cor some such name),
who was the latest and most foolish of
the party, none had the strength to go the
rounds of their few ill-wrought. ill-placed.
ill-baited traps.
Day In. day out, they lay In their frowsy
rugs and pondered the dark patches on thor
mortgaged members. and watched the lean
beIlied -four sack which held the most Of
their living. And every night they re-
NAMED awake listening to the immemorial
complaining of the owls. Whool WHO'D!
Ah-soom- tshaak-ees'' is the owl-cry Of
those far western nights; for 1t is known
that the owl mourns In the Shuswap tongue
over the grave OF chief who is Dead!
dead! Long, long ago." The weakest of the
four died before the last moments of Janu-
airy trickled away. This was piece of
good luck for the rest; 1t increased the size
of the daily hammock. Moreover, the very
next day the whisky-Jack appeared, and
for a while they ceased to chew the rag"
That is no stray bit of Chicagoan slang,
but a phrase which is both a star and q
key to unlock and reveal the past.
In the far-ofr days of Indian chivalry, the
captive warrior who was permitted to
glorify his manhood at the stake took rag
or a bullet in his mouth-often this was the
gift of the man who caught HMM order
that he might not be tempted to talk to the
busy grumblng flames. Today 1t is used
OF one who. whatever the nature of his suf-
fering, yet contrives 10 suffer in silence
For a while the three sick men took great
delight in the doings OF their guest from
the settlements. They would crawl out into
the bitter-cold sunlight and hide crumbs In
the snow and laugh to see him dig them
out They got back part OF their self
respect: for, although beggared by circum-
stances, they were yet able to give In
charity But Big Dick. who had cheerfully
done all the work OF the camp-cooking
cutting frewood, visiting the traps. etc.
and had even given up portion OF his food
meal of crumbs. and whenever he saw the
creature near the tent swore at him OF
threw a log of frewood. The man seems
to have been half crazy; doubtless he kept
his health. partly because he lived on his
fat-a treasury of warmth--but chiefly BE-