The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-11-01

Although still under thirty years Of
age, Walking Moose was one Of the
most successful furtakers Of his tribe.
His hunting-ground, which ran north
and west between Hudson Bay and
the great mountains, was vaster than
many kingdoms. Now, after a pros
porous winter, he and his squaw and
two sledge-dogs crossed the weaken
ing ice on Smoke River and ascended
the bank toward the three log shan
ties of Alexander's Hope.
Walking Moose stalked in front, car
rylng his trade gun, in its blanket
sack, under his right arm. Behind
came the squaw and the dogs, drag
sing the sledge piled high with pelts
OF marten and fox, deer and bear.
Pleasurable anticipation glowed In
the hearts of all four of the little
party. The two Indians thought OF
the treasures Of the post Tobacco
and tea would again be theirs, and per-
haps the hunter would indulge in
red shirt and the squaw--she was
good squaw-w would be treated to
blanket and a few yards of gaudy cot
ton cloth. Ammunition must De
bought for the trade gun, for already
the streams were breaking from their
letters, and the beavers, leaving their
strongholds, presented tempting marks
for well-directed bullets. The dogs
looked forward to few extra feeds
and the summer freedom from the
sledge.
The hunter paused halfway up the
slope, and turned upon his wife with
a nicely calculated grunt The grunt
and a gesture of the left hand, con
veyed the truth to her She ceased
pulling at the sledge and looked Keen
ly toward the shanties.
Mcleod not come yeti" she cried,
in shrill voice. He still way down
at the big fort He not think at all
of the poor Injuns."
Walking Moose nodded, smiled visit
fully, and continued the ascent. The
squaw stopped again and dragged ON
the leathern thong, but now with a
yiciousness that disturbed the toiling'
dogs Well, the poor woman had GER
tainly been building on the tea and
new blanket They halted in the lit
tie clearing that surrounded the cab
ms and gazed about disconsolately.
The snow lay unbroken by any human
mark. and the chimneys stood smoke
less above the low roofs. Accustomed
as they were to the silence and lone
liness of forest and hill, the still
ness OF the empty clearing and de-
serted buildings daunted them.
"Too earlyl" exclaimed the hunter.
mo baeey, no tea, no powder and
lead till Mcleod come up from ST.
Johns"
McLeod's absence from the little
summer post of Alexanders Hope was
a keen blow to the plans of Walking
Moose. The store contained food and
ammunition that he needed and tea
and tobacco that he craved; his sledge
was heaped with the good currency of
the land--yet he and his squaw must
sit idle and hungry until the agent
returned from his winter quarters,
three days journey to the southwark
The beavers would expose themselves
along hundreds of flooded streams
that he knew, while he must sit in
idleness before the empty shacks. He
had intended to rest at the post for
only two days, and then set out for
his summer camp on distant river,
killing beaver as he went.
But perhaps the trader even now
was travelling northward. Hope glow
ed at the thought
The dogs were loosed and given
their scanty feed of dried moose-meat.
A FIRE was lighted before a thicket