The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1911-03-18

prospect the country thoroughly and stake out ev-
erything In sight.
During the following winter the husband Of the
woman who to become a 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
Abitibi. They came
Boys" said he, Il guess I've got to die. I can't
go back with you In the spring stake the claims
want you to promise that IL die you will give
the old woman third OF what We found last year
The men promised. The wife heard them But
che 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 same place. In the course
Of a few weeks OF them told him that they were
going quit at 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 men to start
woodney quit his Job. packed his kit and started
for Lake Abitibi himself.
When he reached the lake he drew his canoe
from the water. hid It in the bush as Canadians
call a forest, and prepared to wait.
On the eighth day Of his vigil as he was peering
OF the bushes he saw the sight that he had
waited long to see. Down the placid river came
two canoes. cutting their ways through the cool
waters and leaving natiron wakes in the rear.
Late in the afternoon Bill the two specks
disappear in what seemed to be an inlet.
The first night there was no fire. but the next
day Bill saw a blue spiral of smoke curling from the
bushes back Of the lake
For fve days and nights the fires burned. Then
there was no 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 was hidden. put It 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 the inlet.
Bill 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 on the left bank-the two prospectors!
The next instant one Of them threw an at Bills
canoe that all it in two and sunk It quick
ly as a mine could sink battleship.
Woodney doesn't know yet why he is alive. He
seemed to have no chance to live. 1t two
against one and the one was 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 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 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 tho next day
and went down to see the claims they had staked
He didn't find q stick or sign Of claim. He
couldn't even ind anything himself that seemed
worth cl<ming.
The prospectors never returned Whether they
were upset and drowned in of the many rap
ids: whether they fell to lighting and killed each
other no one knows. Nor have they ever nled q
claim to ore bodies along Lake Abitibi