The Forrest City times., 1911-03-17

prospect the country thoroughly and stake out cry ythng in sight
 During the following winter the husband of the woman who was so soon to become widow seriously Injured in a mill. In few days he realized that death was He for the two prospectors who had accompanied him to Lake Abitibi. They came
 'Boys," said he T guess I've got to die. I can't go back with you in the spring 10 stake the claims want you 10 promise me that if die you will give the old woman 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 men were He knew them. He knew where they were work ing. Bill hired out in the place Tn the course of few weeks one of them told him that they going to quit at certain time in the spring and take long canoe and hunting trip in the country far to the north
 That 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 Abitibl himself.
 When he reached the lake he drew his canoe from the water, hid it in the bush as Canadians call forest, and prepared walt.
 On the eighth day of his vigil as 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 fatiron 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 fire. but the next
 
 bushes back of the lake
 For five days and nights the fires burned Then there was no more fire. day night. Evidently the 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 "knucke" of the water fnger-a point wi are Ot han foot ufda he eitd. denly the left bank-the two prospectors The next instant one of them threw an ax at Bnls canoe that all but cut 1t in and sunk 1t as quick. ly as a mine could sink a batteshp.
 Woodney doesn't know yet why he Is alive He seemed to have chance live It was two against and the one was in the water So were his food. his weapons and his tools If he were not murdered during the next second 1t seemed certain that he would starve during the month Not that he thought all of these things while he was sinking. He thought out nothing. All he did was to act first and think afterward A few strokes with his hands and a 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. tences. 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 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 the claims they had staked He didn't find stick sign of claim He couldn't even find anything himself that seemed worth claiming
 The prospectors never returned Whether tbey were upset and drowned in one of the many ran ids; whether they fell to fighting and killed each other. no one knows. Nor have they ever filed a claim to ore bodies along Lake AbtibL