The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-09-13

rE,uu'S s.sv.u.-.-.-, most have passed be-
yond my ken All
but TWO We're chance acquaintauces,
with whom l spent an hour or so.
There was Helmslund for instance
Ills Inc is birds -sea-birds, although,
as Ear as that goes, anything wild and
unknown attracts Helmslund ! dare
say you never heard Of He.mslund
You would soon enough. though. IL
you undertook to collect rare birds as
d hobby Helmslund is indispensable
TO scores Of collectors in this country
aLc Europe
Net him one Sunday afternoon at
the house of a friend who possesses
d really remarkable collection Of
North American birds
ODD sort of fellow-Helmslund."
our hos, later remarked. I've known
him several years now, and he's just
getting to the point where he gives
ne sketchy account of the main III
c.oents Of interest in his trips
What trips?" asked.
After birds" replied my host
That's Helmslunds work. lie gets
birds not for the feather people-he
woJlG regard that as sacrilege-but
Tor collectors like myself He goes
everywhere to get them ! don't sup
pose there's a country he hasn't been
20 IL search Of some particular spe-
elmer
And that was how happened 20
bear the story Of Helmslunds battle
for life on the wrathy waters Of Lake
Ki0ushka far up by the Arctic circle
Il The grin desolation OF the Siberian
steppes !; had happened the sum
uer before. on a trip he had taken to
secure some specimens of the rosy
gull for q European collector.
With q single companion AMI a cou-
Pie of dog-teams, he was working
around The country. paying especial at
teutlor 70 the marshy tracts bordering
seyera. large lakes. which are the hab-
fiat Of various species OF wate- fowl
There is probably no more desola.e
country in the world than this portion
oi tie steppes
Ae,nslgnd soon found that the rosy
guns had deserted the shores Of Lake
kibushka, and he determined to cross
che lake, which was about twenty
Ilies wide, and try his luck in the
country beyond. Sc he secured a craft
which he called a diugey and which
was large enough TO hold his compan-
ion and three OF the dogs, besides
himself. and the party set out early
In tie morning. They propelled the
craft by padding. and il was slow
work At first, everything went we'll.
Then q brisk breeze sprang Up, agi-
Eating the surface of the lake until the
waves became as large as those of the
open sea. To add to the confusion,
the dogs became frightened and start
&C TO quarrel among themselves
Before they realized the danger, the
Lca; lad capsized and the two men
and ,aree dogs were struggling in the
water, Helmslund kept his wits about
him and helped his companion t. swim
70 the overturned dingey. The dogs
had already clustered about It and
We're lighting desperately in the wa
ter to climb on the bottom. but Helms
lgLd pushed through them ruthlessly
and helped the other man to get a
seat. before he followed him. Luckily.
he had retained possession OF his pad
die and he used it to beat OF the dogs,
crazy with fear as they felt he stead
lily increasing weight Of their heavy
water.soaked fur Snarling fIercely, !
the beasts attacked the boat again
and again, swapping at the mems legs
and leaping out Of the water in wild
attempts TO seize their throats
Early in the Afternoon. Heimsluad's
companion tainted and dropped off. !
NJ friend said that the tears stood in !
the little mans eyes as he told Of this |
occurrence. He told it quite simply, |
as lie told the whole story. Indeed
without any straining for effect Ii |
was only by direct questioning that /
my friend discovered that Helmsluud /.
had fallen off the boat himself in his /
efforts 10 save the other man. who
had sunk like a stone. When Helms.
Juno gained the boat a second time
De was utterly exhausted and barely
able 10 crawl on to its bottom He
tad los, his paddle and had no means /
= directing his progress or even of .
determining in which direction he was
going
Fortunately for him, the wind was
oA-shorc, and late in the afternoon
be drltted within sight of land The /
sight gave him renewed energy to
strip of his shirt and use it 10 signal !
10 village of natives
Whenever l smell the sickly-sweet
scent Of South American orchids a
vision rises before me Of another one
Of the Ska fever-racked specter
whom l met toiling down the gang i
plank Of a fruit-steamer from La
Guayra. His name was Grayson, and /
ne belonged to that legion of reck. |
less adventures, the orchid hunters. |
Grayon had gone to Venezuela /
some months before, with a vague de-
termination to strike into the Jungle |
country in fine directinp ~ +bo g.. |