The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-20

winter sunshine.
Again, with q tanned caribou hide.
tanned with the hair on. over his head,
and q narrow ALT TO see through. would
he stalk these same mouse colored chill
dren Of the forest,
Patiently would he white and sharpen
his tiny willow harpoon. as after shooting
the dying beaver would dive and cnng
with the death grip Of it's jaws to the bot
tom. Carefully would he work the barb
o; that peeled willow around the hair OF
that same beaver and pull him ashore.
Cautiously would he steal down to the
meadow and sound his one evening call
where the twisted alders bespoke the
presence In that locality OF q bull moose.
Just q second would he stand upright
In his drifting bark ano and then run
an unknown rapid with q justified con-
f1dence.
Quietly would he sba-aah' in the mist
Of q September morning and his buck
would come trotting through tho bushes.
Quickly would he take the back track
Of a moose who had started to trot. to
meet him face to face.
Contentedly would he peel the bark
Of the spruce In the summer months,
when the sap was low In the trees.
With unerring aim would his pebble
strike the head Of each rufed grouse as
the sleepy bird thawed In the morning
sunshine.
Patiently would he stew the branches
Of an evergreen or swallow the zap OF the
spruce gum as mis- disordered stomach
demanded.
High from the ground would his sable
deep and lay long.
With great care would he trail the
scent Of the female fox along the line
where his fox traps lay.
searchingly would he glance at the new
moon to foretell the temperature Of the
coming month.
In a twinkling could he step out OF his
snowshoes when a large fall Of acorns
made the bears den late,
A hundred other secrets OF woodcraft
made the trails OF the forest an open
book to his mind. Many a tale OF his
feats did the titled hunters OF the old
days carry back with them to the trophy
draped halls OF Old England.
Now Abraham Peter was an old a
The advent OF the white guido had
swept away his only remaining source
OF income. True. the Christmas mails
occasionally brought a crisp bank note
OF no small dimensions from some Thought
full patron OF bygone days.
And so at the beginning Of this story
we And him drifting down stream with
a small bundle Of gum. the result OF .
months s~ojourn in the woods.
Toward evening as he rounded the last
bend Of an outlet bis dlmmed eyes noted
the CLEAN of a badly built campfire to-
ward which he turned the bow OF his
canoe, As the bow gently rasped On the
sandy beach the figures around the Ere
rose and approached.
It was q party from the city with nc
guide, poor tackle, but few fish and sew
eral cases OF questionable looking 'im-
perials.' For the rest OF the week
Abraham offered his services. His tales
helped pass the twilight hours. He
knew every pool in the lake. Finally he
departed with a few greenbacks and
a quart and a half Of the remaining Wills
key in his pack.
At noon he boiled kettle and toward
sunset turned his canoe down toward
the last piece Of fast water above the
settlemenA Under ordinary condi-
tons all would have been well. hut too
much whiskev and a 'softwood paddle for
which he had foolishly traded his own
OF maple sadly interfered with that last
s,aReo OF his journey.
The hand was unsteady. the paddle
snapped like a toothpick when he vainly
tried 10 snub the onrushing bow. the cano
reared on a sunken rock and her owner
remembered no more.
Luke Bedding lazily rose from his midday
meal, knocked the ashes from his pipe
and emptied the filled billing kettle
over the embers Of his fire.
For about four weeks he had been help
ing build new camps in a new ridge
country for that fall and welcomed the
return to civilization. Since early norm
ing he had been tramping steadily and
would now run tho river for home.
In a few minutes he returned with
a fifteen foot and sliding the pad
dies OF his shoulder quickly tried the
bottom OF the bark with his lips to see II
she still was tight. Satisfied. he raised
the stern gently from the ground, ran
her bow out into the water and steadying
himself with a paddle resting on the
beach gently showed Cd.
All afternoon the man padded. To-
ward evening he also ran the pisce OF
last water mentioned and. safely through
the right hand channel. he paused Just
below the white capped pool which boiled
and purred beneath the shadows OF the
Second Fall to cast for a few trout.
Tho fish procured. he was coming back
up stream to where his canoe rested on
the shore. Hardly had he reached II
when an upturned canoe shot rel the
falls and was lost to sight in the swirling
water below.
A second later. it seemed. something
dark followed the bark. Dropping the
alder carrier. Luke ran to the edge Of the
river and without a seconds hesitation
dived into the swirlinR current.
Now the DEVILS Eddy was a treaoherous
whirlpool. but Belding knew his ground
and was able therefore after diving several
times TO drag the limp form OF the I'M
conscious man ashore. For a few seconds
he lay painting in the shade and then.
realizing the seriousness OF the situation.
worked over the still figure.
sold Peter! Well I'll be damned! How
IA -1x - <ho laft honl ,honpalSs