The Detroit times., 1912-01-10
STANLEY WATERLOO.

STANLEY WATERLOO.
Well, boys and girls. Santa Claus
has been here again and not one OF
you have yet seen his RENDERS. l
wouldn't be surprised IL a very few
OF you heard the bells tinkling and
the frost painted windows that some
OF you saw Christmas morning may
be the moisture from the breaths OF
Prancer and Dancer and the rest OF
the dashing steeds that carry the OLD
man 30 swiftly over the earth.
But you haven't seen them and so
I'm going to tell you about another
reindeer a reindeer that | once met.
This RENDERS name was Skim MIX
and he lived away up north and was
owned by Highlow, an Eskimo You
: know that there are thousands OF
reindeers up in Uncle Sans Alaska.
Most OF them are tame and are USED
to draw sleds just like Santa Claus
RENDERS.
II seems that several years ago,
Skim Milks mother, who was called
Flora Highlow, went away from the
Eskimo settlement on quiet llttie
trim of her own and met Skim Milks
father who was a big, handsome,
strong reindeer They were married
and after awhile a splendid fawn was
born.
Hishlow saw that this wonderful
creature was no common deer ana ne
was delighted.
II was far lighter of color than
other fawns and somehow more
"rangy" in appearance. Inc VIII
cross had its effect. AS he grew, tue
fawn's coat increased in nghtness ana
when he had become yearhhg ne
was white as a polar bear SKIM Mlh
they named him at the station, Whlch
was not n very fancy name, out an
swered every purpose. Ana ne cou'p
go,
Never was young reindeer trained
NOV. faithfully 10 sledge and carry
ing. and never did one show more IN
-teiugence and spirited 'docility Inc
Growth of the stag had been some
thing exceptional. At the age OF
three wears his weight had reached
a full 800 pounds and there was not
4, oil the herd another as strong or
swtft az he. Long of limb and grace
ful In his stride, he covereu the
.ronnd AT a sometimes amazing pace
HE snlit hoofs, clicking In the trot,
Iika the continuous rattle OF tne cast
anets of the widest of brown DANCING
Il
girls ,,,-., GO
He was looked upon by Highlow as
tha Kentucky horseman looks upon
Tho ynride among his thoroughbreds.,
and often had he tested the speed ana
endurance of the great white deer IL
was not, however, until In the lnlu-
winter OF 1910 he made the return
trim from the nearest station across
the wastes that Highlow knew no"
great an animal was Skim MILK.
Eighty miles apart were the TWO
places and the road between them was
not a. road, but trail, as nearly
straight as might be. over vide pare
stretches and sometimes through
dense, stnnted forests. 1t was morn
ing when Highlow left the station TOT
the journey home and by O'Clock ne
had travelled 80 miles and reached
the entrance 10 the wooded region.
limo was of no importance to him
and here he rested awhile, for the
. double purpose of eating the dinner
which he carried and of giving Skim
Milk a little breathing spell. ).
The Journey was resumed in hall
an hour. II was when they had trav-
eled a league and more that High
low. looking backward down the track,
saw. far away, a dark object which
he could not fail 10 recognize and
which disturbed him nightly. he
knew what II must be. Only a wolf
could be alive and moving and visible
at such a distance, a full three miles.
Soon he could distinguish others;
there were 20 of them at least. High
low recognized his problem; the
dreaded pack had scented and was
after him. Thirty miles. almost, from
safety and about three miles OF mar
gin! But he had Skim Milk!
It is a pity that Highlow lacks edu-
cation. because, otherwise, he might
be able TO tell, informingly, in detail,
how, like a jockey, he speeded or re-
strained and generally nursed and
handled Skim Milk that fateful after
noon In the effort to maintain as far
as possible the distance between them
and the wolves.
The pack gained steadily-given
time and a wolf pack will run down
ANYTHING On legs-but II did not gain
I'm any hand-over-hand style on that
rangy white reindeer. There was not
much variation in the going, from
start TO finish, and at no time was II
slow. AS the pursued neared the rise
OF land which concealed the home
STATEN from sight. Highlow could see
the lolling tongues and hungry eyes
OF the pursuers. He feared but for a
, moment, then whooped detiantly as
they topped the rise and swept down
toward the buildings. ,
Beck TO it's forest slhnk the baffled
wolf pack. Eighty miles that day had
Skim Milk come with sledge and man.
and OF those miles the last 30 had
been accomplished In bare two
, hours! That is something they talk