Evening star., 1923-01-21

with little group OF. prospectors
to find their way over an unfrequent-
ed pass to the east Of Mount Kimball;
in the Alaskan range, near the head
waters of the Copper river, about 200
miles northwest Of the wellknown
Chilkoot pass. The trip was hard
one, involving greater heights and
more Of them than the Chilkoot trail;
but the mileage from salt water was
less and the journey supposed to be
shorter than by the usual route. This
undoubtedly counted heavily with the
gold seekers who had a baby to carry
and who, like all the others Of those
fevered days. were striving to push
in ahead Of the rest.
The little party, as was too often
the case then. had scanty knowledge
of the geography of the wilderness,
and even less of the stern conditions
they were to face. They evidently
did not dream Of the treacherous
weather they might encounter on
reaching the high mountain levels.
for the protection they carried with
them was most inadequate.
On reaching the large east fork
Of the Copper river the prospectors
lost their bearings and followed this
fork, instead Of pressing on by the
middle fork, which would have led
them to the pass they sought. The
east fork, which has its source among
the northern shoulders of Mount
wrangell, $4,000 feet high, took them
steadily up toward the base of this
huge mountain.
x * 4.
TT is probably to this mistake of
the travellers that Dave owes his
life, for the rigors of the trip on the
true trail would have been no less
severe, and there would have been
no Trapper Schmidt to step upon the
scene before death found the little
bundle IN the snow. s.a
1t was at a point on the river about
ten miles below Joseph Schmidts 8
cabin that disaster overwhelmed the
party. An unexpected August blizzard.
which IN those heights can rage as
plCIcEly eS d "lIIcE oSOi cwOOpCu
down from the north, and the ad-
venturers soon discovered that they
stood no chance against 1t. With the
unreasoning hope and self-sacrifice
of parents, the father and mother OF
the baby wrapped the little one In all
the coverings they had and lay down
In the snow with him between them,
sheltering him with their bodies even
after the biting wind had thrown its
last paralyzing clutch upon them
and their companions.
The one little spark Of life left in
the empty wilderness from the trag-
edy that had no witness owed Its
survival to a. mere caprice of~chance.
IF the trapper, Joseph Schmidt, the
day after the blizzard subsidized, had
taken another direction on the wide
case, there would have been no story.
Schmidt did not visit any locality
more than once a week, so that the
chances were greatly against his
finding the baby in time. Fate, how
ever. was working for little Dave and
brought the trapper. to the pitiful
mound before the deadly cold had
completed it's work.
To his experienced eye something
seemed queer. Why had the group
died with no apparent struggle?
There was a. bundle Of wraps and
blankets with which they could have
protected themselves. for time in
the vain hope that help would come
The trapper investigated the bundle
and found the baby wakening hungry
from his winters nap. A unique ex-
perience for an established bachelor
It's miles from civilization
X kNk
WoNDERING at the strange gif,
w that destiny had handed him
and cropping for some explanation OF
this mystery OF the north, the trapper
searched for some clue that would at
least establish the identity of the lit
tie helpless creature before him.
There was q letter on tho body OF
one OF the men, the man that appear
ed to be the child's father. Dear
David" 1t began, and told briefly what
day he was to meet the mother and
baby "on- the coast" It was signed
.Helsu." That short letter. which
: