The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-04-22
LED TO FORTUNE
Pierre's Long Trail of Silver
Tip Rewarded.
Determined Hunter TralIed Bear Over
Miles Of Snow, and Finally Stun
bled On and Killed Valuable
Arctic Fox.


OF all fur-bearing animals, none is
so highly priced by the trapper and
patron as the silver fox Of the arctic
circle. So rare are they that hunters
do not devote themselves exclusively
20 the pursuit, but the story OF Pierre
Baptiste Of that far country Is pc
culiarly thrilling, as ii recounts how
one Of these animals fell before his
trusty rife while he was on the trail
of a marauding bear which had been
devastating his traps. The Hunter
TradeATrapper OF Columbus, o., tells
the story, as repeated by Robert L.
Hewes.
when Pierre Baptiste 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
Pierre's veins when aroused knew no
cooling till justice was done" says
Mr.. Hewes. "And so with his lips set
firmly and a light Of determination
burning in his eyes, he took up the
trail of Silver Tp-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 on the
north and on all sides stretched In
terminable snow. Pierre was sweat
ing from his superexertion and during
the momentary rest his clothes froze
| TO boardHke stiffness. His legs were
dog-weary and even the weight OF his
rifle seemed tons, but still the bears
trail led on and on into those God
forsaken regions
after a while, Pierre began to lose
| sense of time. he just plodded dog
| gedly ahead, his eyes glued to the
| bears trail. He knew he was getting
| 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, ne
saw, that the jagged edge Of the ice
had pulled from the bear as he clam
bered over-but they were white !
| white as the snow itself He, Pierre
Baptiste, was trailing a bear that
knew no boundary OF snow and Ice. A
chill wind began to creep over the
snow wastes, and Pierre's snow
shoes seemed to be tugging to draG
him down. But had he not sworn tc
trail down Silver Tip?
within an eighth Of a mile, Pierre
saw something moving, a numbering
figure plodding over the snow, figure
brown-haired and with q silver nose
and splash Of white on the belly a!
the snow dragged. A smile Of grim sat
Isfaction cracked Pierre's frosted fea
lures as he slipped of his mitten ant
raised his rifle to his shoulder.
"As Pierre pressed his cheek agains
the stock Of his rifle he thought h
: saw something out Of the corner
his eye that made him turn. He low
, cred his rifle and scanned the snow
field on all sides, but as far as eye
could reach there stretched only tn
! white barrens. The only living thinl
besides himself was that lumberini
ball of brown. Something, the bares
a.. bit of a glimpse. had drawn his atten
ton. but he saw no moving thing othe
| than the bear.
"'Eet ees so YER funny" muttere'
5 Pierre, and prepared to raise his rim
determinedly. Then, on q ridge, an
the color of the ice IL moved against
he saw something move. One momen
he stared, and his keen eyes distir
guished the silver fox from its ic
background.
with steellike steadiness Pierr
raised his rife and sighted. A spur
of flame cracked the frosty air an
shattered the white silence into mi
lion echoes. The next moment Pierr
was stumbling madly across the sno'
to where a growing red blotch Shove
! clearer than the fox The trappe
! fell to his knees by the dead anims
! and examined It most reverently. rur
! ming his fingers through the silky ~
: with the tenderness Of connoisseu
Fortune Of fortunesI There was nc
even a blemish; the bullet had passe
J. into the brain through the eye"