The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-09-20

mere was Helmslund for instance
Ills line is birds-sea-b birds, although.
as Tar as that goes, anything wild and
unknown attracts Helmslund. I dare
say you never heard of HeImslund,
you would soon enough, though, if
you undertook to collect rare birds as
hobny, Helmslund is Indispensable
to scores of collectors in this country
and Europe.
met him one Sunday afternoon at
the house of a friend who possesses
really remarkable collection of
North American birds.
odd sort of fellow--HeImslund 7"
our host later remarked. "T've known
MIN several years, now, and he's lust
getting to the point where he gives
me sketchy account of the main in
cldents OF interest in his trips"
What trips?" I asked.
After BIRDS" replied nv host
That's Helmslund's work. He gets
birds, not for the feather people-he
would regard that as sacrilege-but
for collectors like myself. He goes
everywhere to get them. / don't sup
pose there's country he hasn't been
to in search of some particular spe-
cimen."
And that was how I happened to
near the story of HelmsIund's battle
for life on the wrathy waters Of Lake
hlpushka, 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
gun for a European collector.
With single companion and a cou-
pie of dog-teams, he was working
around the country, paying especial at
tent1on to the marshy tracts bordering
several large lakes, which are the hab-
itat of various species of water fowl.
Ihere 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 it was slow
work. At first, everything went well.
Then brisk breeze sprang up, agi-
tating 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 t. swim
to the overturned dingey. The dogs
had already clustered about It and
We're fighting desperately in the wa
ter to climb on the bottom, but Helms
lund 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 off the dogs,
crazy with fear as they felt the 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 threats.
FaTIU In thA afE
companion tainted and dropped off.
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 Helmslund
had fallen off the boat himself in his
Efforts to save the other man. who
had sunk like stone. When Helms.
lund gained the boat a second time
he was utterly exhausted and barely
able to crawl on to its bottom. He
had lost his paddle and had no means
Il directing his progress or even of
determining in which direction he was
going.
Fortunately for him, the wind was
on-shore, and late in the afternoon
le drifted within sight of land, The |
sight gave him renewed energy to |
strip off his shirt and use it to signal
to village of natives.
Whenever / smell the sickly.sweet
scent OF South American orchids a
'is1on rises before me of another one
u the Ska fever-racked specter
vhom ! met toiling down the gang.
,lank OF frlit-steamer from La
1uayra. His name was Grayson, and
lie belonged to that legion of reck-
ess adventures, the orchid hunters.
Grayon had gone to Venezuela
ONE months before, with vague de.
ermination to strike into the jungle
country IN the direction of the CUBAN.