Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-03-18

prospect the country thoroughly and stake out
erything sight
During the following winter the husband of the
woman who was to become widow was
seriously injured in mill In few days he
realized that death He sent for the two
prospectors who had accompanied him to Lake
Abitibi They came.
Boys said he. 81 guess I've got to die. 1 can't
go back with you in the spring to stake the claims
1 want you to promise that If 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.
The widow had told Bill who the
He knew them He knew where they were work
ing. Bill hired out in the place In the course
of few weeks of them told him that they
going quit a certain time in the spring and
take long canoe and hunting trip in the country
far 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
for Lake Abftibi himself
When he reached the lake he drew his
from water, bush" Canadians
call forest and prepared to wait
On the eighth day of his vigil, as he was peering
out of the bushes. he saw the sight that he had
waited so long to Down the placid river
two canoes, cutting their ways through the cool
waters and leaving fatiron wakes in the
Late in the afternoon Bill the two specks
disappear in what seemed to be inlet.
The first night there fire, but the next
day Bill 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 night. Evidently the
had gone Bill wanted to be sure SO he waited
three days Then he went down to the lake
took pains to observe that there was on the lake
no sign o human life, then slowly padded his
along the shore, looking for the inlet
Bill padding quietly as he could when, at
the "knuckle" of the water fnger-a point where
inlet than so feet wide-he sud
denly saw the left bank-the two prospectorsi
The next instant of them threw at Btl1s
all but cut 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 live. 1t
against and the in the water. So were
food, weapons and his tools If he were not
murdered during the next second it seemed certain
that he would during the next month. Not
that he thought all OF these things while he
sinking. He thought nothing An he did
act first and think afterward- few strokes with
hands and few kicks with his feet put him
against bank No rabbit took trail faster
than Bill took to the brush
The of this story be told in short
fences Hunger. within the next forty-eight hours
who would have slain him. He crept up them
late night, and stole their food He could not
steal much a a time, but stole enough keep
alive. He stole, not once, but three times The
next time went steal they not there.
They pulled up camp and gone, bag and bag
gage He took his life in his hands the next day
and down the claims they had staked.
He didn't find a stick sign OF a claim He
couldn't find anything himself that seemed
worth claiming
The prospectors never returned. Whether they
were upset and drowned in OF the many rap
ids; whether they fell fighting and killed each
other. knows Nor have they ever dled a
claim bodies along Lake <Abitbi.