Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-02-09

hlSh anu ufy, but the reeds don,o.l
ny the weight of the body. SINK 81 St 49,
the mead OF the convict alone annoano1
ABOVE water. In this fashion ha ea;rod ~
the middle of the current. AMI tbo o,1t
gong tide swept him down toward ~
mouth of the harbor. 'ii0
Rufus Dawes, drifting with tbo o,n
rent, had allowed himself TO coost d..
TIE eastern side of the harbor mill +ho
plIot station appeared in view on tbn m
poslte Shore. By this time it was noori,-
CLOCK. lie landed at sandy cova
anu drawing up his raft, proceeded 70
unpack from among his garments niece
OF damper. Having eaten sparinglv and
dried himself in the sun he ranIacod
the remains of his breakfast. and nusbod
MS hoats again into the water.
Arrived at his destination about mia
day, he set to work to lay his snares
The goats, with whose sides he honnd
to cover the coracle, were sufficiently
numerous ana tame to encourage him to
use every eXertlon. He carefully exam
liled the tracks OF the animals, and found
that they converged to one point-the
track to the nearest water. With much
labor he cut down bushes, so as to mask
the approach to the water hole on all
sides, save where these tracks immedi-
ately conjoined. Close to the water and
at unequal distances along the various
tracks, he scattered the salt he had OBJ
tanned by his rude distillation of sea
water. Between this scattered salt and
the points where he judged the animals
would be likely to approach, he set his
traps, and retired to watch the effect
of his labors.
About two hours after he had gone.
the goats came to drink There were
five goats and two kids, and they trotted
calmly along the path to the water. The
watcher soon saw that his precautions
had been in manner wasted. The lead
ing goat marched gravely into the
syringe, which, catching him round the
neck, released the bent rod, and sprung
him off his legs into the air. He uttered
a comical bleat, and then hung kicking
The other goats bounded off at this sud-
den elevation of their leader, and three
more were entrapped at little distance
Rufus Dawes now thought it time to
secure his prize, though three of the
springes were as yet inspiring. He ran
down to the old goat, knife in hand
but before he could reach him the bare
ly dried catgut gave way, and the old
fellow shaking his head with grotesque
dismay, made off at full speed. The
others, however, were secured and killed.
The loss of the syringe was not a seri-
Gus one, for three traps remained I'M
sprung, and before shutdown Rufus
Dawes had caught four more goats. Re
moving with care the catgut that had
done such good service, he dragged the
carcasses to the shore, and proceeded
to pack them upon his floats He dis
covered, however, that the weight was
too great, and that the water, entering
through the loops of the stitching in the
side, had so soaked the rush grass as
to render the floats no longer buoyant.
He was compelled, therefore, to spend
two hours in resulting the skin with
such material as he could find. Some
light and fock-like seaweed, which the
action of the water had sWayed after
the fashion of haybands along the shore,
formed an excellent substitute for grass,
and having bound his bundle of PUSHES
lengthwise, with the goatskin as a cen
terpece, he succeeded in forming sort
of rude canoe, upon which the carcasses
foated securely.
The tide was now running in, and he
knew it was imperative that he should
regain the further shore while the cur
rent was in his favor. He touched the
chilled water and drew back. For an
instant he determined to wait until the
beams of the morning should lllumlne
that beautiful but treacherouS sea- ana
then the thought of the helpless child,
who was without doubt, waiting ana
watching for him on the shore, gave new
strength to his wearied frame; and hxlng
his ewes on the glow that, lowering above
the dark tree-line, marked her presence,
he pushed the raft before him into the
sea.
Padding and pushing, he gradually
edged it toward the freight; and at
last inst when his stiffened limbs re-
fused to obey the impulse of his VIII,
and he began to drift onward with the
onward tide. he felt his feet strike firm
ground. Dragging the carcasses above
Underwater mark, he rounded the little
nromontory and made for the fire. lie
gained the fire before the solitary Watch-
or there heard his footsteps, and spread
his hands to the blaze in silence
Frere. starting, cried, at is you!
Have you succeeded
..There are six carcasses down by the
rocks. You can have meat for breakfast
tomorrow"
The child, at the sound of the voice
came running down from the hut On
Mr.. Dawes! L am so glad. we were ,e
beginning to despair-mamma and l.
Dawes snatched her from the grounu'
and, bursting into joyous laugh swung
her into the air. ''Tell me" ne crleu'
holding up the child with two dripp4ns
arms above him, what you VIII 90 lea
me if l bring you and mamma saie
home again." ;s srI-
olive you free pardon" said syl-
via: land papa shall make you ms SCI -
yantr' Frere burst out Laughing a.
this reply; and Dawes, with cho ahild
sensation in his throat, put Tue