The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-05-30

tails and fascinating possibilities OF
camp life must be explained to the
newcomers.
The first few days were days oil
learning and preparation, days of mis-
hap and misadventure, of joyous
laughter over plumbers in getting set
| tied, or learning the mysteries of roc
and line, or becoming hardened ano
acclimated The weather proved per
! feet: It was late October and the
nights were very cold, but there was
no rain and the bright sunny days
were invigorating and exhilarating tC
! the last degree. They had huge fires
and plenty of blankets and the colder
! 1t was in the night the better they
slept.
| It was an intensely new experience
| for the girl from Philadelphia, but she
| showed a marked interest and adapt
ability, and entered with the keenest
zest into all the opportunities of the
charming days. She was a good sports
woman and she soon learned to throw
q fly with the best of them. Old Kirk
by took her under his especial pro
lection and as he was one of the best
rods in the mountains, she had every
advantage.
She had always lived in the midst
of life. Except in the privacy of her
own chamber she had rarely ever
been alone before-not twenty feet
from man, she thought whimsically
but here the charm of solitude at
tracted her. she liked to take her rod
and wander off alone. She actually
enjoyed 1t.
The main stream that flowed down
the canon was fed by many affiuents
from the mountain sides, and In each
of them voracious trout appeared. She
explored them as she had opportunity,
sometimes with the others, but more
often by herself. She discovered
charming and exquisite hooks, little
stretches of grass, tie size perhaps OF
small room, flower decked, ferny
bordered, overshadowed by tall giant
pine trees, the sunlight filtering
through their thin foliage, checkering
the verdant carpet beneath. Hrge
moss covered boulders, wet with tle
everlasting spray of the roaring
brooks, lay in midstream and with
other natural stepping stones hardly
invited her to cross to either shore
Waterfalls laughed unsteady In heI
ears, deep still pools tempted her skill
and address.
Sometimes leaving rod and basket
| by the waterside, she climbed some
particularly steep activity of the
canon wall and stood poised, vino
blown. a nymph of the woods, upoT
some pinnacle of rock rising needle
! like at the canon's edge above the
sea of verdure which the wind waved
to and fro beneath her feet. There IL
the bright light, with the breeze blow
ing her golden hair, she looked like
some Morse goddess, blue eyed. ex
hilirated. triumphant.
She was perfectly formed womal
on the ancient noble lines of Mill
rather than the degenerate softnes
of Medici. She grew stronger of lim
and fuller of breath, quicker an
steadier of eye and hand, cooler o
nerve, in these demanding, compellin
adventures among the rocks in thi
i mountain air. She was not tal
woman, indeed slightly under rathe
4 than over the medium size, but sh
was so perfectly proportioned, she cal
ried herself with the fearlessness OF
young chamois, that she looked tale
than she was There was not a
ounce of superfluous flesh upon hel
yet she had the grace Of Hebe, tn
strength of Pallas Athene, and tn
swiftness of motion of Atalanta. Ha
she but carried bow and spear, ha
she worn tunic and sandals, she nigh
have stood for Diana and she woul
have had no cause to blush by con
parison with the finest model c
Praxiteles' chisel or the most spler
did and glowing example of Appelle!
brush.
Uncle Robert was delighted wit
her; his contribution to her wester
outfit was a small Winchester. Sh
| displayed astonishing aptitude unde
| his instructions and soon became wOI
| derfully proficient with that deadl
weapon and with a revolver also
There was little danger to be apprt
hended in the daytime among tn
mountains. the more experienced me
thought. still 1t was wise for the gil
always to have weapon in readiness
so in her journeyings, either the VIII
chester was slung from her shoulde
or carried in her hand, or else the Col
dangIed at her hip At first she too
both. but finally 1t was with reluC
lance that she could be persuaded t
take either. Nothing had ever hal
pened. Save for few birds now an
then she had seemed the only tenan
of the wilderness of her choice.
One night after camping exper
ence of nearly two weeks in the mouI
tains and just before the time TO
breaking UP and going back to civil
! ization. she announced that early tn
next morning she was going down tn
canon for a days fishing excursion.
None of the party had ever %
lowed the little river very Far, but
was known that some ten miles beloy
the stream merged in a lovely gem
like lake in sort OF crater in tn
mountains. From thence by serie
of water falls it descended throug
the foothills to the distant plains be
yond. The others had arranged t
climb one especially dangerous an
ambition provoking peak which tow
| cred above them and which had neve
| 1>aa-a hoo., s,,r1nn nntad SO far q