The Red Cloud chief., 1912-09-12

A~ about channels, but |
SsSnsxurm most have passed be- |
yond my ken. All |
out TWO were chance acquaintances, |
Win ~hom l spent an hour or so.
There was Helmslund for instance. |
His line Is birds-sea. 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. II
you undertook to collect rare birds as
O hobby. Helmslund is indispensable
to scores Of collectors In this country
and Europe.
l met him one Sunday afternoon at
the house Of friend who possesses
a really remarkable collection of
North American birds.
"Odd sort Of fellow-Helmslund,
our host later remarked. I've known
him several years, now, and he's Just
getting to the point where he gives
me sketchy account of the main In.
cidents Of interest in his trips"
what trirs?" asked.
AFTER BIRDS" replied my host.
That's Helmslund's work. lie 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
hear the story Of Helmslund's battle
for life on the wrathy waters Of Lake
Kbushka, far up by the Arctic circle
in the grim desolation of the Siberian
steppes. It 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.
ple 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.
fiat 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
Sulls had deserted the shores Of Lake
Kibushka, and he determined to cross
the lake, which was about twenty
miles wide. and try his luck in the
country beyond. Sc he secured 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 WELL
Then brisk breeze sprang up, agi.
tating the surface of the lake until tho
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 1t and
were fighting desperately In the wa.
ter to climb on the bottom, but Helms.
lund pushed through them ruthlessly
and helred the other man to get q
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 the stead
fly increasing weight Of their heavy
water-soaked fur. Snarling flercely.
the beasts attacked the boat again
and again, swapping ct the mems legs
and leaping out Of the water In wild
attempts to seize their throats.
Early In the afternon, Helmslund's 9
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 1t quite simply,
as he told the whole story. indeed
without any straining for effect. Il
was only by direct questioning that
my friend discovered that Helmslund
had fallen of the boat himself in his
efforts to save the other man, who
had sunk like stone. When Helms.
lund gained the boat second time
he was utterly exhausted and barely
able to crawl on to its bottom. He
had lost his paddle and had no means
CT directing his progress or even OF
determining in which direction he was
going.
Fortunately for him. the wind was
on-shorc, and late In the afternoon
he drifted within sight of land. The
sight gave him renewed energy to
strip ofY his shirt>an use 1t to signal
to village OF natives.
Whenever I smell tho sickly.swee,
scent Of South American orchids a
vision rises before me OF another one
OF the Ska fever.racked spectel
whom ! met toiling down the gang
plank Of q fruit-steamer from La
Guayra. His name was Grayson. and
he belonged to that legion OF reck
less adventurers, the orchid hunters
Grayon had gone to Venezuela
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