Oxford Democrat., 1915-06-29

We crossed the portage into Lac des
Mile Lacs and went some distance into
the first bay there.
We saw our first moose after lunch
con, but did not get . good picture Of
him. Around one of tho points we came
on dead moose, evidently killed the
day before by Indians. The sight has
haunted me since. for It was such wanton
waste Of life. It was huge cow, lying
partly under water, with just one hind
quarter taken-the rest left for crows and
gulls to feed upon. There was no ques-
tiou but that an Indian had killed II, for
the skin had been taken from the nose,
which is the part OF the moose used by
the Indians In their sign language.
We did not care to 60 far on Lac des
Mile Laos, but only to look out on 1t, 40
We went back to the "sign of the skull"
and cam ped there again that pigbt. Jack
shot another partridge on the portage,
caught another fish, and we had glori-
Gus time in spite of the rain-aud never
saw it rain harder. Believe me, 1t was
quite task to get the tent up In the
pouring rain, and Jack declares that II
the fire had not been protected by the
frying pan, while he fried the partridge.
it would surely have gone out. We were
wet and our blankets were even wetter,
but we put them down and slept like two
logs all night long. In the morning the
thickness next to our bodies had par.
TALLY dried out; but 1t is an actual fact
that we did not get those blankets thor
oughly dry until we put them on the
radiator in our room at Fort Frances
more than a week later. We had miser-
able weather all through the trip; only
three days did the sun shine; but 1t
would take more than little moisture
to dampen our good spirits and spoil our
good time. =.
The next morning it rained so hard
that we did not start out until after an
early lunch. That day we retraced our
steps and went down into Windigoostig-
wan, aud camped that night four or five
miles down the lake. That was the only
night on the trip when we did not have
bough bed, but We were too tired to
make one, especially as there was no
good material near our camping place. l
don't remember exactly what we had for
supper but know 1t was delicious, and
we ate and ate and ate, until We couldn't
get another morsel down. And that
same thing happened frequently. :,
The next morning was still gray and
dreary looking, but there was no rain.
This was the day We saw several moose,
once a COW with calf, to which we came
very near. There is no excitement like
stealing up on one of those big fellows
and watching him until he gets wind OF
the intruder and splashes up out of the
water and lumbers off into the woods.
About one O'Clock, after wearisome
two and half miles over the French
Portage, we came to the headqu arters OF
the ranger on the Quetico Game and
Forest Reserve on French Lake. There
We were royalty welcomed By Colonel
aud Mrs. Young, who wanted US to stay
week with them. On our way over the
trail we had noticed great log bear trap
which was sprung. As We started back
for our second load over the portage, the
Colonel called, "Did you happen to
notice II my bear. trap was sprung?"
Eyes, it was," Jack answered, I'VE spoke
of it as we passed along, but were too
heavily loaded to 90 over to look In"
"Well will you do 1t as you go back"'
We assured him that we should be glad
to find out what was in the trap, and set
out for another two miles and q half
over the trail. The bait at the trap
smelled to heaven as we drew near. Jack
went first and peeked through the cracks
in the logs. 20, come here" he called,
otis a wolf" With some trepidation l
approached, hardly daring to peer
through the cracks lest my face be
scratched by the claws of the beast. Sure
enough, there was wolf!
When we reported our find to Colonel
Young, he was delighted. The discovery
of the wolf in the trap made Jack decide
at once to accept the pressing invitation
of the Youngs to spend the night with
them, for he wanted to be ''in at the
deatb;" and as soon as possible after our
return, Jack and the Colonel and the
cook for the rangers, attended by the
black dog,-the Colonel carrying his
English army musket of the latest i'm
proved pattern that would kill man at
a distance of three miles-set out after
the poor little wolf. After short time
they came back in triumph, the cook
with the wolf in the packsack on bis
back.
wish had time to write more about
the Youngs, for they are among the most
interesting people 1 have ever met.
Colonel Young ia both military and Eng
lish from bis boots up, and some OF bis
British-isms had actually thought ex-
listed only in books. We spent delight
full evening, playing a little 'coon-can,"
which is found, only another name for
the Rham we play on this side of the
border, and listening to Colonel Young's
many interesting stories of his army ex.
periences in both England and Canada.
| For instance he told US of taking eight
hundred men into the Yukon country In
'9S, of living for thirteen months there on
rations for six, of the horrible cold, and
of the rotten condition of some Of the
rations when they finally did come. You
will remember that at the same time our
army in Cuba was having difficulty with
"embalmed beef" etc.
We slept soundly in ono of the
Colonel's tents, on bis pneumatic mat
tress, and Jack on another cot. In the
morning made pan. cakes for our break
fast, according to my promise OF tne
night before, and Colonel Young fixed
up some hard tack In true army style
and some lake trout that he had put In
brine some days before.
After breakfast we posed for pictures,
all of US, including the wolf, which the
cook had propped up very skillfully With
little sticks under his body so he did not
look very dead. Then, in spite OF the
protestations of the colonel and bis most
hospitable wife, we set out in the face OF
a heavy wind to cross French lake and
then 20 down the French river into Pick
erel.
1t was a hard battle with the wind
and waves across French Lake in our
little red canoe; but we came at last into
the quiet and peace of the French river.
Out of the fury of the wind the day was
beautiful and we, after good nights
sleep and with the memory of the cor.
diality Of the Youngs fresh in our minds,
we're ready to get the greatest possible
enjoy yment out of our surroundings. just
before the stream narrowed down, We
saw ahead of us-something-it might
be moose-it might be only stump ol
rock. Jack stood up in the canoe and
Il ~ks