East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-09-18
PIERRE BAPTISTE WAS HUNTING BEAR BUT
/. HE BROUGHT DOWN AN ARCTIC SlVERFOX
interesting Incident Shows Difficulties Attending Trapping
of Choicest Animals

Furs are scarce this season and the
high cost OF living Is to blame
willard Skinner, In the current issue
or Hunter-Trader-Tra of Colum-
bus, OHIO, says. II have not done so
Well In the trap line this year as
when furs were not 30 high. The rea-
son for this lies In the fact that musk
rats are scarce, coupled with the high
prices for fur. II may be wondered
why high prices would cut such a
figure but It is because everybody Is
out after skins. giving no one man
much of a chance.
ofrall fur bearing animals, none
Is so highly priced by trapper and pa
tron 1.-The silver fox of the Artic cir
Gle, SO rare are they that hunters do
not devote themselves exclusively to
their pursuit but the story of Pierre
Baptists of that far country is pecui-
ihrly thrilling as itsrecounts how one
OF these animals fell before his trusty
rifle, while he was on the trail OF
marauding bear which had been de-
Nastatins his traps. The current is
sut OF the er-Trader-Trapper of
Columbus. Ohio tells the story as
repeated by Robert L. Hewes.
When Pierre Baptist swore to
trail Silver Tip. down. he did so with,
a full realization of what he was
swearing to do. But the fiery blood
that ran in Pierres veins when arous-
ed knew no cooling till justice was
done, says Mr.. Hewes. "And so with
his lips set firmly and q light of de-
termination burning in his eyes, he
took UP the trail OF Silver Tip-the
sworn Nemesis of that outlaw OF the
north. -
1.-TWO hours later Pierre stopped.
The last blur of the timber line had
melted away behind him. and to the
north and on all sides stretched inter-
minable snow, Pierre was sweating
from his siiper-exertion and during |
the mementary rest. his clothes frose |
to board-like stiffness. His legs were |
doeweary and even the weight OF his |
rifle seemed tons, but stiii the bears |
trail led on and on into those God /
forsaken regions
"There was surely n reason for
heem goin SO far" muttered Pierre.
Why mus he come mp here so far?''
And strange. uneasiness began to
take possession of Pierre. but there
stili burned in his eyes that same light
After a while Pierre bagan TO lose
sense OF time. He Just piodded dog
sedly ahead, his eyes glued to the
hears trail AFe knew he was getting I
far, far into. the arctic regions. That
a bear should wander SO far-again
he marveled.
Pierre halted. dropped TO his
Knees and stared at something. Hairs
he saw that the jagged edge of the
ice had pulled from the bear as he
clamhered over-but they were
as the snow itself,
He. Pierre Baptiste was trailing a
bear that knew no boundary of snow
and ice. A child wind began to creep
over the snow wastes, and Pierre's
sn shoes seemed. to be tugging to
drag him down. But had he not sworn
to trail down Silver Tip?
with an eighth of a mile Pier
re saw something moving. lumber
ing figure plodding over the snow.
a figure brown haired and with a
Silver, Nose-and a splash of white on
the belly as though snow-dragged. A
smile of grim satisfaction cracked
Pierre's frosted features as he slip
ped off his mltten and raised his ri
fle to his shoulder
"As Pierre pressed his check
against the stock of his rifle he +;
thought he saw something out of tho '
corner of his eye that made him turn. s
He lowered his rifle and scanned the s
snow field on all sides. but as far as
his eyes could reach, there streatch- I
cd only the white barrens. The only {
living thing besides himself was that {
lumboring ball of brown. Something. | {
the barest fit of glimpse had drawn '
his attention. but he saw no moving !
thing other than the bear.
"Eet ees so var funny" muttered {
Pierre, and prepared to raise his RI {
fie determinedly. Then. on a ridge.
and the color of the ice it moved I
against. he saw something move. One |