The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1905-03-27
AN ADVENTURE IN
THE COUER D'ALENE



toryeums and adjoining prairie lands
Hs- tna scene of my present auegdot,.
lt WAS during tHe latter part of tla
month of July 1895 chat party cone
si-iIug OF my brother. his wife. my two
elder sisters. 90 young lady friend of
my sister aud myself started from my
home. 90 western country village. once 90 /
saw min camp iu the dense nr forests
of that section, which have now aI- |
most entirely disappeared before tla |
Woodmau's axe, to % mountain peak
situated about twenty miles Go the
northeast for the purpose OF gather
ing huokIensuIos which grow 600 album
dance HmoUl tue foot bills and on the
mountain sides of that district
We started ou our journey at about
mine thirty iu the morning with % large
farm wagon aud four horse team.
] took with me my dog. favorite
companion. cross between bull and
blood hound ON the part of the dam
and 70 scotch collie on that of the sire.
making % kind and faithful companion
/ yet "a ferociOus and desperate animal
/ for any enemy TO contend with. The
first part Of our journey passed off
very pleasantly, that is IL riding in a
heavy farm wagon over roads which
/ are more or less rocky and so dusty I'm
places that the horses were invisible
/ even 10 the driver with the sun pour
/ ing down upon as with the intense heat
| for which the months Of July and Au-
/ gust are noted even in that latitude
| though 70 is pretty well north can be
called pleasant The forenoon passed
| without any Incidents Of Importance
and ~ about eleven thirty o'clock we
| were entering q timbcred belt near the
base Of the mountain on the top Of
which we were TO pitch our tent that
night. TO gain the summit it was ne
ccssary 10 wind back and forth up a
long ridge for distance Of three or
four miles to the end Of the wagon
road there being only a mountain trail
from that point to the summit
At about one o'clock we came to the
end Of our journey by wagon and there
proceeded TO camp for lunch prepara-
tory to making the remainder Of our
climb on horse back and on foot Down
n gulch 10 our right and some two
hundred yards from camp a beautiful
spring gushed from the mountain side
forming quite a brook. As we did not
: have time for q very long stop we did
! | not make q fire but procured some
water from the spring and ate our
lunch. After lunch we proceeded &c
explore some prospect shafts which
had been sunk some years before In a
bed Of mica near by, I'm the meantime
20 giving our horses time to eat their
grain and browse for short while
on the mountain side. We also made
q short tour Of the immediate vicinity
looking for huckleberries but as we
did not find very many we soon re-
. turned and prepared for the ascent OF
the mountain.
70 The trail was very steep and rug
% gcd IN places and made It very diff.
q cult to climb But nevertheless JUS
as the sun was sinking I'm the west We
succeeded I'm reaching a small sprinf
about quarter Of a mile from thu
summit. ! remained at the spring TO
the purpose Of excavating a small re
scrvoir from which to dip a bucket o
~ water. This delaying me but shor
time ! resumed my journey and on ar
- irving at camp found that my brOthe
?, had cared for the horses and was al
c ready pitching the tent but on un
packing we found to our dismay tina
we had IN our haste to get started tina
morning left our water bucket settin
on the back steps at home so had moth
ing IN which to carry water bupt on
n gallon coffee pot and we were quar-
ter Of q mile up the mountain from tn
spring However TO make the best {
our situation I took the coffee pot an
calling the dog which was named II
ger. ! started for water. In the mean
time the sky had become completeI
cnvcIopcd in heavy dark clouds ana
D. cold drlzzling rain had begun to fal
T. Arriving at the spring ! was just J
the act Of dipping up some water whe
from point some hundred feet or s
~ 10 my rear I heard a terrible screai
which sounded very much ike That
T. q woman in distress and at the sam
time Tiger who was ever at my sid
set up an angry grOwl and started J
the direction from whence the soun
came Knowing that the sound whic
J. I heard was the scream Of n cougar q
mountain lion and that the dog an
myself would both be safer from a
attack so lOlB ~ We h'bN ''7' '''N'
called Tiger back as soon as / coul
command the power Of speech an
r. made him remain by my side and thu
together we assembled 10 camp
quickly as possible with the couga
following at a respectful distance an
occasionally giving utterance to on
of his unearthly yells which would ten
h. very strongly 10 make the hair Of
~, Comanche Indian stand on end. A
w rlviug at camp ] found the girls veI
much frightened and wanting M
brother TO come 10 my assistance st
not wishing 10 be left alone at Il
mercy Of the cougar should ne happe
around that way As the small supp
" Of water which ! had brought W.
soon exhausted and II was necessary
procure more from some suorce ln ord
10 prepare the evening meal / got n
rife, called Tiger and once more star