The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-02-20
THROUGH LIMESTONE FALLS-:.
By FRANK LILLE POLLOCK.



Twas making lonely canoe voy'
- rom the railroad to a point forty
,;les distant, on Vermilion Lake, in
A. western part of the Nipissing dis
Mt Of Ontario, where four of my
heuds we're awaiting me in camp
n had been told there was clear
apoe route through the Eldorado and
AZ A1e Rivers, and so there was, al
hving for the phraseology Of the
nuntry, which calls clear canoe
mad one which has no portages OF
mare than mile and half in length.
did not know, however, that the
In Axe River in it's windings took me
10 that vast forest preserve known
uthe Algonquin National Park, until
\ lvas unpleasantly informed Of the
hi BY q park ranger who overlook
Ne one afternoon, and cross-ques-
toned me sharply on suspicion of IL
kgal deer hunting.
The affair might have been still
more unpleasant had 1 not discovered
he ranger to be former Nuskoka
nide With whom / had gone twice
| 10 the woods some years before.
n name was Abbott, and although
III q young man, he was one of the
heaest woodsmen l ever saw, and an
uDellent fellow besides. He recog-
Ind me about the same moment,
" q our former acquaintance was
0eagh to establish my innocence,
" paddled down the river together
hib camp. where l accepted his in
htation to spend the night.
Be explained his first aggressive
~ Of manner by the fact that he
~ being greatly annoyed by the
Gsads. Of poachers in that portion
the park. Shooting is forbidden
hdde the park limits, where game
ke7ery sort, from rabbits to moose,
warns in consequence. These in
neg lot only killed, but killed by
- ~ Of the nefarious jack-light
- similar devices.
Abbott was morally certain that
~ belonged to a small settlement
nch-Canadian trappers near
ivasour: hdseven thought he knew
~ guilty individuals, but he had
ever caught them inside the park
~ weapons or outside # it with
- carcasses. AS this portion OF the
Hsefve was under his charge he feit
nnself responsible for the safety of
= contents, and he had moved his
apthe day before, and was Lying
~ day and patrolling the woods
I hight.
4 We sat up rather late that even
There was frost in the air; the
~ vas cloudless, and a half-moon
~ vas just topping the pines shone
- the diamond brilliancy of an
ic lamp. l noticed a peculiar
lness in Abbott's manner, an
n q expectancy, and he frequently
!, se1e on in the middle OF sentence
blisten.
Sut the forest was absolutely still.
pt that just after moonrise we
~ the distant deep-toned below
" bull moose. 1t was the mat
season of these animals, and the
was no uncommon one in the
u perhaps half an hour later
~ Abbott suddenly ceased talking,
aeao up his hand for silence. II
could hear nothing, but a
v seconds afterward the faint sound
4 vo rine-shots came struggling up
oaeh the forest.
mere they are. That'u be on Big
lond. Come along!" exclaimed
anger. picking up his rifle.
eo by his excitement, 1 fol-
~ ann down to the river. without |
as 70 reflect that the arresting
er stealers was none of my bust |
ne mad already put his canoe
- ma was kneeling in the stern.
tne bow, and we shot off down |
plo current in the darkness.
- never very good canoeman.
~ ~ midnight perils of the river |
kA~...e nervous, but l found that |
~ skill at the steering-paddle
slsaeies. Az m' ue
=. Souoie wall of forest slid past
1ion OF black darkness and
~ moonlight. The river was
~ soken by rough water, and
5Es mad to make short portages,
~ the more unpleasant as a
"a rm had choked the carry