The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1913-09-27


Pierre could lay hand upon. nerce and
fearless as their master. he drove
with the killing cruelty OF a stampeder.
and they loved him.
"You say you have grub cached at
the old Indian hut on the Good Hopper
questioned Willard.
"Sure! Five poun' bacon. leetle
-four and rice. l cache n gum boot.
too. hal Good thing for make 6re
queeck. ehT"
"You betl An old rubber boot comes
handy when it's too cold TO make
shavings."
Leaving the coast, they assembled a
deep and tortuous river where the
snow lay thick and soft. One man on
snowshoes broke trail for the dogs till
they reached the foothills. IL was
hard work. but infinitely preferable 10
that which followed. for now they
came into a dangerous stretch OF over
flows. The stream. frozen TO its bed
clogged the passage OF the spring wa.
ter beneath, forcing II mp through
cracks till II spread over the solid ice.
forming pools and sheets covered with
%treacherous ice skins. Wet feet are
fatal TO man and beast. and they mnde
laborious detours. wallowing trails
through tangled willows waist deep In
the snow smother or clinging preca-
riously TO the oyerhanging bluffs AS
they reached the rivers source the sky
blackened suddenly aud great clouds OF
unnxu rraChaA Duar the HInuI hlINa hAfI
ING down into the valley with a furious
draft. They flung up their dimsy tent
only to have II iattened by the force
OF the gale. that cut like well honed
steel. Frozen spots leaped out white
on their faces. while their hands stif.
ened ere they could fasten the guy
strings.
Finally. having dashed the tent bot
tom TO the protruding willow tops, by
grace of heavy lifting they strained
their tapping shelter up sufficiently to
crawl within.
by garl She's blow hup YER
queeckt" yelled Pierre as be set the
ten pound sheet iron stove. It's pipe
swaying drunkenly with the heaying
tent.
Good ting she hit us In the brush"
He spoke as calmly as though danger
was distant. and n moment later the
little box was roaring with it's oil soak
ed kindllngs.
"NYill this stove burn green willow
tops?" cried Willard.
"Surel She's good stove. She'll burn
| hfaf.laa 80 .H.s rr.f ffu. atawt mo ffrtaag
See I'm get red?"
They rubbed the stin spots from
their cheeks: then. seizing the AK. VIII
lard crawled forth into the storm and
dug at the base OF the gnarled bushes.
Occasionally n shrub assumed the pro-
portions or a mans wrist, but rarely.
Gathering an armful, he bore them In.
side, and. twisting the tips into withes.
he fed the fire. The frozen twigs siZ-
zled n snapped. threatening TO fail
utterly. but with much blowing he sus.
tanned "A blaze sufficient 10 melt a pot
OF snow. Boiling was out OF the ques-
ton. but the tea leaves became soaked
and the bacon cauterized.
Pierre freed and fed the dogs. Each
gulped its dried salmon and. curling
I'm the lee OF the tent. was quickly
drifted over. Next he cut blocks from
the solid bottom snow aud built a bar.
ricade 10 windward Then he accumu.
lated a mow OF willow tops without
the tent fly. All the time the wind
blew down the valley like the breath
OF a giant bellows.
Support" shouted Willard, aud as
Pierre crawled into the candlelight he
found him squatted, fur bundled. over
the stove. which settled steadily into
the snow. melting its way downward
toward "A hrmer foundation.
The heat was insufficient 10 thaw
the frozen sweat IN his clothes; his