The Irish standard., 1905-10-21


claw prints with twig. "If he's PAN
Their, he had longer claws'n ever saw,
m l never knew one to have q heal
mark like that, or step in the water Il
he could help it. 1t beats me-"
"What have you found" called tho
doctor from his canoe out in the lake
;'Oh, nothing" answered Martini
"only the track of an OTTER" and he
stepped into his canoe again and they
padded away.
Then he told Levi about the night
visitor creeping about the tent.
II do not think it wise to tell the doc
tor or JEAN" he said in conclusion, cor
speak of this queer track. It's the doc
tors first trip into the woods, and
such things will alarm him unduly and
spoil his enjoyment" And so the sin
gular footprint and its possible connec
ton with the creature who had crepv
up to their tent at midnight was left
behind.
Usually two sportsmen, In canoeing
upstream especially, will keep along
together, but somehow that day 1t hap
to reach the junction Of the North
Branch with the broad and slow-run-
ming Nloosehorn, and the lowering sun
had left it's valley in shadow ere Jean
pushed his canoe ashore and the doctor
stepped out. 1t was as Martin had
stated, good camping spot, for the en-
trance to an old tote-road furnished
0H
foam fecks on the Branch emerged
from the shadow Of Its overhang and
wheeled into the broader stream, while
the music of little cascade just back
In the woods suggested trout.
"You may jis' so we'll go fish," said
Jean, turning to the canoe and taking
from it small axe. 'zar be one vert
nice hole up re stream few rod" and
he pointed where bush-ch oked OPEN
ing showed that a tote-road had once
been cut alongside the Branch.
DIR. Sol eyed it suspiciously. "No
bears or panthers up there, Jean?" he
queried.
"lf you see him, he see you fust, an
you no see him." came the paradox
ical answer. as Jean began cutting away
the underground with his hunting
knife, preparatory to the erection of q
tent.
DR.. Sol reached for his rod jointed
it. still glancng furtively into the SOM
bre wilderness, and then down the
stream again. II wish Frisbie would
keep up" he said, half to himself. Il
want trout for supper, but I'm not just
anxious to go into the woods alone
after them"
But the floating foam necks, the call
Of the running waters, and the love Of
sport conquered the forbidding forest.
and with one more glance down the
Moosehorn he started up the almost in
visible path.
From the sound, the little cascade he
could hear must be scarce ten rods In.
but as he followed the old log road.
now close beside the stream, and then
bending away. while he pushed aside
the underground taller than himself,
it seemed ever little beyond. Just as
his courage had nearly ebbed, the faint
path turned down beside the stream
once more, and here its current, merely
frettcd by hidden ledge, was making
the music that had lured him in. Like
q boy now. in his eagerness, he adj
jnsted his tackle, and with short cast
lightly threw the gaudy flies into the
pool below, and let them float down. In
an instant came leap and splash as
q pound trout took the tempting NOR
/ al o,,I lao r>,,t
another the little doctor reeled in, OBJ
livious now 10 bears, panthers, or the
solemn stiffness OF the wilderness, and
happy as only true sportsman can be-.
A dozen had been tossed in rapid sue
cession behind rotting stump, when.
forgetting tho trees back of him, he
hooked one limb hard and fast. To
climb such spruce. with branches so
thick ~ squirrel only could do it, was
impossible. and with muttered impre.
cation, the doctor pulled on his line
rntil the delicate leader broke, and then
sat down to repair damages. He had
Just done so and arisen. when the faint
sound Of breaking twig caught his
attention. With a quick glance across
the stream, where rocky and BUSH
hid bank faced him, he saw, in tho
darkening twilight, just above brown.
moss-covcred boulder, a hldeous hairy
human face!
Only one instant he saw it, the next
| 1t had vanished.
For moment DR.. Sol, never coura-
geous man. stood still, while it seemed
that lev water Was 1aanDp thro,,uh
every vein; the next instant he turned
; and ran down the bush-choked path a.,
If pursued by demons Each moment,
rs he dove under bending boughs; or
leaped over fallen trees, he felt that a
hairy human monster was just about
to seize him.
When the campfire was reached,
Martin had arrived and was cutting
boughs with a hunting-knife. while
Jean and Levi were Just entering the
tent. fire had been started, black
ened pail had been hung from a stick
over the flame. and preparations for
night in the woods were we'll under
way. Into thi; little group leaped the
terrified doctor, breathless, with face
scratched and bleeding.
''Pack up, quicl!" he exclaimed in
husky voice: we've got to get out of
here at once! There's wild man back
up In the woods, and \ wouldn't stay
here for Il million dollars!"
Martin and Levi exchanged quick
elances, and halt came in the camp
Ing work. For moment the two.