The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-03-05
A STRANGE
PERIL.
By FRANK LILLE PoLLocK,

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The long vacation of last summer
Horace Graham spent with the sur
vey party for the new Canadian
sranscontinental railroad, thus adding
practise to the theory of engineer
ing which he was acquiring at the
Toronto Scientific School. The line
was then being run through the rough
and almost totally unsettled country
north of Lake Huron, and from time
to time one of the party went out
by canoe to the nearest settlement
for news, newspapers and supplies.
During the first week in August
Horace volunteered to make the
trip, and left camp early in the mornr
ing. It was more than fifty miles
to the settlement. and he had never
been over the route. but the way was
Easy enough to find He had only to
ascend the river where they were
sncamped till he reached the carry
20 the river Bouchette, which would
In turn lead him to his destination.
He carried letters for the camp in
waterproof sack and took four days.
provisions, besides fishing-tackle and
i rife to furnish q little variety to
mis- fare.
The day was hot. even in the deep
shadow of the forest, and Horace
found the ascent of the stream far
from easy The current was strong,
and the frequent rapids necessitatcd
an exasperating number of portages.
All that day he saw no sign of life
along the rocky shores, till late in
the afternoon, he was astonished to
come upon clearing beside the riv-
er.
It contained about eight acres, and
had been planted with potatoes
among the half-burned stumps.
Through the fringe of willows Hor-
ace caught sight of tall girl ac-
lively engaged in hoeing up the tub
srs. while two children of five or
six years of age were gathering them
into buckets. All three were bare
footed and wore great straw hats.
Three or four filled sacks stood in
the clearing, and in the distance there
was log shanty, with rough stable
close to it.
Horace went ashore and chatted for
few minutes with the potato-har-
vesters. His sudden appearance star
tied them. He was the first stranger
they had seen for months. but he
was soon chatting with the tall girl,
who told him that her name was
Bertha McNeill
The family had come into the woods
that spring, and had succeeded in
finding an unusually fertile bit OF
land in that rather rocky wilderness,
Of which they proposed to make a
fOurishing farm. Her father, she
said, was then chopping nearly a mile
from the FLYER, but they had spent
the forenoon in seining the river for
such fish as they could obtain.
The fish were picking in brine for
winter use, but the seine still hung
to dry, as Horace had noticed. from
the branches of a couple OF trees
by the river
Horace felt considerable admira-
, ton for the spirit of this self-relianr
and energetic pioneer girl. but he
had not time for long stay, and
he presently padded away with
some new potatoes to be roasted Tor
supper.
The stream made a wide curve a
quarter of a mile after he left the
clearing, and as he rounded the
bend, he heard with disgust the
hoarse sound of rapids once more.
They came in sight Immediately,
almost cascade. some twenty yards
long. where the brown water rush
ed foaming through tangle of dan
gercus-looking rocks.
Horace landed with his freight at
oh foot of tn fall and portrayed it
to the top, carrying the canoe last.
While he was ashore it occurred to
him that a pole might be more use
full than a paddle in ascending the
stream, and he went into the woods
with his Ratchet to cut one. Birch
and cedar were the only trees along
the shore, and he had gone fifty yards
into the swosds before he found a
maple sapling to suit him. He cut
1t, and was trimming on the branches,
when, at a casual glance up. he
caught a glimpse of grayish, furry
hide vanishing among the dwarf ced.
Ssp few rods away.