Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1912-09-26

- most have passed be-
yond my ken. All
out TWO were chance acQuaintances,
with whom l spent an hour or so.
There was Helmslund for instance.
His line is birds-sea-b birds, although,
as far as that goes, anything wild and
unknown attracts Helmslund. | dare
say you never heard of Helmslund.
You would soon enough, though, if
you undertook to collect rare birds as
hobby, Helmslund is indispensable
to scores of collectors in this country
and Europe.
met him one Sunday afternoon at
the house of friend who possesses
really remarkable collection of
North American birds.
odd sort of fellow-Helmslund
our host later remarked. 1--WE known
MIN several years, now, and he's just
getting to the point where he gives
me a sketchy account of the main in
cldents of interest in his trips"
What trips?" asked.
AFTER Birds" replied my host.
That's Helmslund's work. He gets
birds, not for the feather people-he
would regard that as sacrilege-but
Tor collectors like myself. He goes
everywhere to get them. I don't sup
pose there's a country he hasn't been
to in search of some particular spe.
cimen"
And that was how l happened to
hear the story of Helmslund's battle
Tor life on the wrathy waters Of Lake
Klbushka, far up by the Arctic circle
IN the grim desolation of the Siberian
steppes. 1t had happened the sum-
mer before, on trip he had taken to
secure some specimens Of the rosy
gull for European collector.
With a single companion and a cou-
PIE OF dog-teams, he was working
around the country, paying especial at
tention to the marshy tracts bordering
several large lakes, which are the hab-
ftat of various species of water fowl.
There is probably no more desolate
country in the world than this portion
of the steppes.
Helmslund soon found that the rosy
gulls had deserted the shores of Lake
k1bushka, and he determined to cross
the lake, which was about twenty
miles wide, and try his luck in the
country beyond. Sc he secured a craft
which he called dingey and which
was large enough to hold his compan-
ion and three Of the dogs, besides
himself, and the party set out early
In the morning. They propelled the
craft by padding, and 1t was slow
work. At first, everything went we'll.
Then a 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 |
ed to quarrel among themselves.
Before they realized the danger, the |
boat had capsized and the two men
and three dogs were struggling In the
water. Helmslund kept his wits about
him and helped his companion to swim
to the overturned dingey. The dogs
had already clustered about 1t and
were fighting desperately in the wa
ter to climb on the bottom. but Helms.
Iund 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 1t to beat of the dogs.
crazy with fear as they felt the stead
lily increasing weight Of their heavy
water-soaked fur. Snarling fercely,
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 threats.
Early in the Afternoon, Helmslund's
companion tainted and dropped of.
MY friend said that the tears stood in
the little mans eyes as he told Of this
occurrence. He told it quite simply.
as he told the whole story, indeed
without any straining for effect. It
was only by direct questioning that
my friend discovered that Heimslund
lad fallen off the boat himself In his
'nortS to save the other man. who
lad sunk like a stone. When Helms.
und gained the boat a second time
lie was utterly exhausted and barely
'ble to crawl on to its bottom. He
lad lost his paddle and had no means
II directing his progress or even of
determining in which direction he was
;oing.
Fortunately for him, the wind was ,
'n-shore, and late in the afternoon
lie drifted within sight of land. The
light gave him renewed energy to ,
trip off his shirt and use 1t to signal :
% village Of natives. /,
Whenever l smell the sickly.sweet :
cent of South American orchids a !
ision rises before me of another one !,
4 the Ska fever-racked specter >
'hom / met toiling down the gang :
flank Of a fruit-steamer from La >
iuayra. His name was Grayson, and =
e belonged to that legion Of reck- \
ess adVenturers, the orchid hunters. T
Grayon had gone to Venezuela IL
ONE months before, with a vague de-
ermlnation to strike into the Jungle r
ountry in the direction Of the GUAM v