Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-07-24

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| He Stumbled Upon Three Graves
rim OF an enormous pallsade. So thick
/ ly drove the snow that he could not see
the base Of the wall. nor dared he at
tempt the descent he rolled himself
| in bis robes and huddled the dogs about
/ him in the depths Of a snowdrift, but
| did not permit himself to sleep
In the morning, the storm spent, be
crawled out to investigate. a quarter
Of mile beneath him, beyond all mis-
| take. lay a frozen, snow covered lake
| About It, on every side, rose jagged
peaks. 1t answered the description.
Blindly be had found Surprise lake.
We'll named" be muttered an hour
later as be came out upon its margin
A cIump Of aged spruce was the only
woods. In bis way to 1t be stumbled
upon three graves, snow buried, but
marked by hand hewn headposts and
undecipherabe writing
On the edge Of the woods was a
small, ramshackIe cabin. He pulled the
latch and entered In a corner, on
what had once been a bed OF spruce
bOugh, still wrapped in NANCY furs
that had rotted to fragments, lay a
skeleton The last visitor to Surprise
lake. was Smokes conclusion as he
picked up a lump Of gold as large as
bis doubled fist Beside the lump was
a pepper can filed with nuggets Of the
size Of walnuts, rough surfaced, show
| Ing no signs OF wash.
So true bad the tale run that Smoke
accepted without question that the
source Of the gold was the lakes bot
tom Under many feet OF ice and in
accessible, there was nothing to be
done, and at midday, from the rim Of
The palisude, he took a farewell look
back and down az bis dnd
ITS all right, Mr. Lake" be said
"YUu Just keep right on staying there
I'm coming back to drain you--it that
hoodoo doesn't catch me. don't know
bow | got here, but III know by the
way 80 out"
In a little valley beside a frozen
stream and under bene6cent spruce
trees he bullt fire four days later.
Somewhere IN that white anarchy he
bad left behind him was Surprise
hke-somewhere, he knew not where,
for q hundred hours Of drifting and
struggle through binding. driving
snow had concealed his course from
him. and be knew not in what direc.
ton lay behind.
The storm had passed, and II had
turned clear and cold. The creek be
was ON was natural in appearance and
trended, as It should, toward the south.
west Haif days journey down the
creek brought him to the valley Of A
larger stream, which he decided was
The McQuestlon Here he shot a
moose, and once again each wolfdog
carried a full dfty pound pack OF meat.
As he turned down the McQuestlon
be came upon sled trail. The late
SHOWS had drlftcd over but under.
Meath It was well packed by travel.
His conclusion was that two camps
had been established on the McOues.
lion and that this was the connecting
iraih Evidently Two Cabins bad been
FOUND, and It was the lower camp so
DC headed down the stream.
10 was 40 below zero when he camn.
I'd that night, and he fell asleep won.
l'rlnt who were the men who had re.
discovered the Two Cabins and II ne
would fetch lt next day. At the arst
a.n' OF dawn he was under way. easily
Following the haIt oblltcmtcd trail
And chen It came the unexpected
'olllns out upon hlm on bond Of tho
FLYER lt seemed TO him that he heard
aal 'e.t simultaneously. The crack q,
'1e ride came from the right. and the
bullet tearing through and across tho
shoulders % bis drl parka and wool
.a 'oaI pIvo'cd him half around with
100 sl''k o' lts impact. He staggered
an -'s twisted ,aowshocs TO recover
llag'e and beard q second crack ~
ih' r.se This time II was A eloon
u.'' he ga not wait Tor more. but
Fa0rsd across the snow for the sbel.
away '''u''u ''''
ie climbed the bank. the dogs eopn.
-1ns behind, and dodscd IN anon,
ne '7rc' and brush Slipping ont q,
sn1vsh7es be wal'owed forward
az 'al length aHd peercl cautiouslv
. N'ia.ns was 20 be seen. Wboey.
" a'd shot az him was Wing oulet
ms iae tres o. the opposite bank
t ams,hlas doesn't happep prettv
De u.tic7ed tt The end o, hal,
On a.'' -iT' hlve to sneak away and
i t'e or frytre my teetr
as r1Tiei back few yar,s n,cs.
.a .lWN pro aHvv. t.-.a