The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1909-01-26

was making a lonely canoe voy-
age from the railroad to point forty
miles distant, on Vermilion Lake, in
the western part of the Nipissing dis
trict of Ontario, where four of my
friends were awaiting me In camp.
had been told there was a clear
canoe route through the Eldorado and
Blk Axe Rivers, and so there was, al
lowing for the phraseology OF the
country, which calls a clear canoe
road one which has no portages of
more than mile and half in length.
did not know, however, that the
Big Axe River in it's windings took me
into that vast forest preserve known
as the Algonquin National Park, until
/ was unpleasantly informed of the
fact by park ranger who overlook
me one afternoon, and cross-ques-
toned me sharply on suspicion of IL
legal deer hunting.
The affair might have been still
more unpleasant had / not discovered
the ranger to be a former Muskoka
guide with whom / had gone twice
into the woods some years before
His name was Abbott, and although
still young man, he was one of the
keenest woodsmen l ever saw, and an
excellent fellow besides. He recog-
nized me about. the same moment
and as our former acquaintance was
enough to establish my innocence
we padded down the river together
to his camp, where l accepted his in
Vitation to spend the night.
He explained his first aggressive
ness OF manner by the fact that he
was being greatly annoyed by the
inroads of poachers in that portion
of the park. Shooting is forbidden
inside the park limits, where game
Of every sort, from rabbits to moose
swarms in consequence. These in.
yaders not only killed, but killed by
the use of the nefarious jack-light
and similar devices.
Abbott was morally certain that
they belonged to a small settlement
Of Professionalism trappers neal
Vavasour; he even thought he knew
the guilty individuals, but he had
never caught them inside the park
with weapons or outside If it witt
deer carcasses. AS this portion of the
preserve was under his charge he fell
himself responsible for the safety Of
its contents, and he had moved hi!
camp the day before, and was Gyms
low" by day and patrolling the wood!
at night.
We sat up rather late that even
ing. There was frost in the air; tn,
sky was cloudless, and half-moor
that was just topping the pines shonC
with the diamond brilliancy of al
electric lamp. / noticed a peculiar
uneasiness I'm Abbott's manner, an
air Of expectancy, and he frequently
broke off In the middle of a sentence
to listen.
But tho forest was absolutely still
except that just after moonrise w,
heard the distant deep-toned below
Ing of bull moose. 1t was the mat
ing season of these animals, and tn,
sound was no uncommon one in tn,
park.
1t was perhaps half an hour late
when Abbott suddenly ceased talking
and held up his hand for silence.
listened; l could hear nothing, but
few seconds afterward the faint sount
bf two rifle-shots came struggling al
! through the forest.
There they are. That1l be on BIZ
Axe Pond Come along!" exclaimed
the ranger, picking up his rife.
Infected by his excitement, I fol
| lowed him down TO the river, withou
stopping to reflect that the arrestini
OF deer stealers was none of my bust
ness. He had already put his cano
ahoat. and WAS kneeling In the stern
/ took the bow. and we shot of dow
the rapid current I'm the darkness.
was never a very good canoemau
and the midnight perils of the rive
made me nervous, but I found tina
Abbotts skill at the steering-paddl
amply compensated for my de
ficiencies.
The double wall Of forest slid pas
In alienation of black darkness an,
silvery moonlight. The river wa
badly broken by rough water. an
/ twice we had to make short portage,
which were the more unpleasant as
recent storm had choked the carr
trails with fallen timber. other ran
ids we ran, but a quarter mile abov
the pond we came to one we coul
not run.
This was Limestone Falls. which 4
reality was merely 81 very bad BIT r.
rapid, perhaps fifty yards i'm Length
and with a fall Of six or eight fee
AS the worst place on the river, it ha
attained the distinction Of an ind
Vidual name. We we're nearing tn
place whence the shots had come. bu
the roar and dash Of the cascade e
fectually drowned any noise of on
approach