The new era., 1911-03-23

prospect the country thoroughly and stake out ev-
erything in sight
woman who was so soon to become widow was
seriously injured in mill. In few days he
realized that death was near He sent for the two
prospectors who had accompanied him to Lake
Abitib. They came.
Boys" said he, 81 guess I've got to die. can't
go back with you in the spring to stake the claims
want you to promise me that II die you will give
the old woman a third of what we found last year..
The men promised. The wife heard them. But
she didn't believe them
The widow had told Bill who the were.
He knew them. He knew where they were work
ing. Bill hired out in the same place. In the course
of few weeks one of them told him that they were
going to quit at certain time in the spring and
take long and hunting trip in the country
far to the north
That was good enough clew for Bill Two weeks
before the announced time for the men to start
Woodney quit his Job, packed his kit and started
for Lake Abitib himself.
When he reached the lake he drew his canoe
from the water. hid 1t in the Fbush.' as Canadians
call forest, and prepared to wait
On the eighth day Of his vigil. he peering
out Of the bushes. he saw the sight that he had
waited SO long to see. Down the placid river came
two canoes. cutting their ways through the cool
waters and leaving hatron wakes in the rear.
Late In the afternoon Bill saw the two specks
disappear in what seemed to be an inlet.
The first night there was fire, but the next
day Bill saw blue spiral Of smoke curling from the
bushes back of the lake.
For five days and nights the fires burned. Then
there more fire. day or night. Evidently the
men had gone. Bill wanted to be sure SO he waited
three more days. Then he went down to the lake
where his canoe hidden. put it into the water.
took pains to observe that there was on the lake
no sign of human life, then slowly padded his way
along the shore. looking for the inlet.
Bill was padding as quietly as he could when. at
the 'knuckle" Of the water fnger-a point where
the inlet was not more than SO feet wide-he sud
denly saw the left bank-the two prospectors!
The next instant one of them threw an ak at Bills
canoe all but cut it in two and sunk 1t quick
ly as mine could sink battleship.
Woodney doesn't know yet why he is alive He
seemed to have no chance to live. 1t was two
against one and the one was in the water. So were
his food his weapons and his tools. II he not
murdered during the next second it seemed certain
that he would starve during the next month. Not
that he thought out all of these things while he
sinking. He thought out nothing All he did was to
act first and think afterward few strokes with
his hands and a few kicks with his feet put him
than Bill took to the brush.
The rest of this story be told in short
tences. Hunger, within the next fortyeight hours
drove Woodney into the very camp of the
who would have slain him. He crept up to them
late at night, and stole their food He could not
steal much at time, but he stole enough to keep
him alive. He STOLE not once, but three times The
next time he went to steal they were not there
They had pulled up camp and gone, bag and bag
gage He took his life in his hands the next day
and went down to see the claims they had staked
He didn't And stick sign Of claim. He
couldn't even nnd anything himself that seemed
worth clAiming.
were upset and drowned in of the many rap
ids; whether they fell to fighting and killed each
other, no one knows. Nor have they ever filed Q
claim to ore bodies along Lake Abitibi.