The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1911-03-15

prospect the country thoroughly and stake out ev-
erything in sight.
During the following winter the husband OF the
woman who soon to become a widow was
seriously injured in a mill In a few days he
realized that death was near He sent for the two
prospectors who had accompanied him to Lake
Abitibi. They came.
Boys" said he q 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 found last year"
The men promised The wife heard them. But
she didn't believe them.
Tho widow had told Bill who the men we're
He knew them. He knew where they work
ing Bill hired out in the place. In the course
Of few weeks one OF them told him that they
going to quit at n certain time in the spring and
take long canoe 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 to start
woodney quit his job. packed his kit and started
fo- Lake Abitibi himself.
When he reached the lake no drew his
from the water hid 1t in the BUSH" as Canadians
call forest. and prepared to wait.
On the eighth day of his vigil he pecrng
out OF the bushes. he saw the sight that he had
waited long to see. Down the placid river camo
two canoes. cutting their ways through the cool
waters and leaving natiron 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 no fire. but the next
day Bill a blue spiral Of smoke curling from the
bushes back OF the lake.
there more fire. day night. Evidently the
men had gone. Bill wanted TO be sure. he waited
three more days. Then he went down to the lake
where his canoe hidden. put II into the water
took pains to observe that there the lake
no sign OF human life. then slowly padded his way
along the shore. looking for tho inlet.
Bill padding as quietly as he could when. at
the "knucke" of the water fnger-a point where
the inlet was not more than so feet wide-he sud
denly the left bank-the two prospectorsi
The next instant of them threw at Bits
canoe that all but IL In and sunk quick
iy as a mine could sink battleship.
woodney doesn't know yet why he is alive. He
seemed to have no chance to live. II two
against one and the in the water. So were
his food his weapons and his tools II he were not
murdered during the next second II seemed certain
that he would starve during the next month. Not
that he thought all of these things while
sinking He thought out nothing. ALI he did to
his hands and few kicks with his feet put him
against the bank No rabbit ever took trail faster
than Bill took to the brush.
The rest OF this story be told in short SEN
fences. Hunger. within the next forty-eight hours
drove woodney into the very camp of the men
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. 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 find a stick q sign of a claim He
couldn't ind 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. one knows Nor have they ever filed a
claim to ore bodies along Lake Abtib.,