The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1910-12-02

river. where fiat boats and canoes are
taken and the trip to the fur country
begins In earnest. The route lies
downstream all the way.
The traders come back to Edmon
ton more heavily laden than wher
they went away. The pelts obtained
by barter direct from the trappers OF
collected from distant posts are
packed In bales weighing about loo
pounds each and loaded on the canoes
and fiat boats. Then the fight against
the current all the way back to Atha
basca landing is commenced.
Hard Work Of the Trapper.
But II the men who do this part Of
the work have a hard task, the lot oil
the trapper is infinitely harder. He
must pursue the sources Of his live
lihood with the utmost cunning. vary
Ing his methods. from lodging q bull
let In the vitals Of a bear or othe,
large animal In such way as will
not injure the pelt. to setting the
subtlest OF snares for such wary ones
as the little ermine. only the jet.blach
tail OF which Is visible as II whiski
across the binding snow. The ermins
Is very shy. and 1t must be specially
dealt with In order to avoid injury "a
Its delicate skin. Even the smallest
OF the steel traps are too heavy for
the best specimens. which the trap
per must catch In snares OF tender
boughs or In some such way. Some
times he puts a little grease on his
hunting knife and lays II across the
succession Of dots and dashes in the
snow which show that an ermine has
passed that way. Along comes the
little white form on its erratic course
again.
The grease appeals to II and 1t DO
gins to lick the blade OF the knife; but
alas! that piece OF steel Is Icy cold ant
the tiny red tongue is instantly frozer
to 1t SO tightly as to render futile al
the frantic struggling. The knife II
too heavy for the little animal te
carry away and In his good time the
trapper comes and finishes his work.
II he manages to take silver fox
the trapper Is In great luck. for the
pelt OF prime specimen of that AMI
NAL Is worth $500 to the man who
buys 1t down at Edmonton. and the
very best will bring tho buyer az
much as $2.500 But the trapper geti
few silver foxes. and for these he re-
ceives price much smaller than the
figures at which the white trader will
eventually make the sale. The AMI
NAL of which the trapper will probably
capture most IL the lynx. One firm oil
traders brought 5000 lynx into Ed
monitor last summer and these formed
only a part OF the total receipts. 9th
ers which are taken In large numbers
are beavers. bears, offers. wolverines
minks. martens. muskrats. musk-oxen
fishers, weasels and white, red, black
and cress fox. Tens OF thousands are
trapped during the course OF a season
The hunter or trapper must carry
traps and supplies into the remotesi
regions. where even lumbermen are
unknown. He builds q low. wide sled
holding 800 pounds. and loads THU
with pork. -four. underclothing and
steel traps. And when the ice on
streams and lakes will bear his weight
he starts into the wilderness. there tc
lead o hermit's life for seven months
Arrived at o point many miles from
the nearest habitation. the trappei
tries to md two parallel streams run
ming near each other. Here he pitch
es his home-camp. setting traps along
both rivers. The work OF taking game
from the traps Ii varied by catching
fish. sharing rabbits and capturing
muskrats for bait and food. Now and
then the hunter may kill q wandering
bear-an event which may lead him
to q big store of wild honey In . hol
low tree.
Solitude Of Northern Wllds.
In this utter solitude lives the ad
venturer. perhaps forgetting the day
of the week or the month Of the year
He flxes the date for breaking uy
camp and turning back to civilization
by the condition of the fur on the AMI
mails he takes or by the effects O,
sunlight n. the snow. Now and ther
he will shoot q deer. or even a moose
for the sake OF the raw-hide. meat and
fat. which latter keeps his traps from
rusting. A file serves him instead Of
grindstone to keep axes and kniye,
keen; and he washes mis- own clothe,
through hole In the ice. drying then
by an open IRE. The dazzling glare
Of February often brings snow-bIind
ness: and q month or two later the
fastthinning fur on his prey shows
that further work il improbable. He
then secretes his traps In hollow logs
ready for the next season. packs hia
load Of pelts on the wide sled ant
trudges Oh through the forest u the
nearest post or settlement. On arr1