Evening star., 1926-04-27
THE MAN WHO LOOKED BE FORTY YEARS OF AGE,
WAS ACTU ALLY UNDER THIRTY.

three clumsy chairs, an oil stove and
a litter of guns, fishing tackle, cook
ing utensils and tins. For the rest
that is to say, for three-quarters of
the area covered by the low roof
the place was a branch store eStab-
lished by the Hudson Bay Co, mainly
for the reception of pelts brought IN
by trappers from fantastic regions to
the north and west. Its more re-
.lricted but quite important mission
WAS to supply the said trappers with
the simple necessaries of existence in
q country where existence was almost
phenomenally difficult.
The man, who looked to be 40 years
of age, was actually under 80. He
might own a we'll shaped head and
regular, clean-cut features; if he pos
sessed such pleasing attributes,
shock of untidy hair and q three
weeks-old stubble on cheks and chin
effectually concealed them.
The dog, owing to his thick coat,
suggested obesity. whereas he was
actually a lean hound of wiry muscles
and Super-canine intelligence.
But it was nature herself that wore
the most misleading mask. On that
fine morning Moose Lake was n mir
ror of FURNISHED silver set in a frame
of golden brown rock, white sand and
wealth of vegetation classed in gen
eral terms as green, but which liter
ally displayed every tint Of the rain
bow. AN earthly paradise" was its
fitting description-for the hour. But
summer is short and Winter is long in
the far North. Not even the Indians,
born and bred to polar cold, regard
Moose Lake as q health resort after
October. Yet there were not lacking
definite signs of continuous human
habitation. The uneven floor showed
worn track from the entrance and
around the table. On shelf were
few books, lop-eared by much use.
4 Shakespeare, in particular, was
broken backed and positively grubby,
IN rear of the main building We're two
great piles Of sawed wood. Close To
these, stoutly constructed, with pad
locked doors, was q small hut, obVl-
ously designed to hold stock of dried
fish and pemmican. the frozen and fat
protected flesh of animals and birds,
which in its allotted season has to be
cut out with an AK before being boiled
into an excellent stew. In effect,
some one lived there all the year
round Those who knew the social
amenities of Moose Lake during seven
months of the year needed no further
enlightenment as TO the why and the
wherefore. Even rare patrol of
canadian mounted police was not
unduly inquisitive. If any poor devil
chose to leave the outer world and
dig In there-well, let him.
The present tenant did not seem
greatly worried by his lot. He had
lust breakfasted and was rolling some
tobacco between the palms OF his
hands when his clear blue eyes-eyes
which at most times conveyed hint
Of Wist istfulness-discover a small
black speck 8 miles away at the
northwest end of the lake. The silver
changed to blue there owing to the
shadow cast by a great hill, on whose
northern upper slopes the snow never
melted. The log hut occupied clear
ing on q SouthWesterly spur which
thrust a wooded bluff we'll out into
he center of the lake. 1t was thus
admirably situated for its purpose
near the water, protected from the
full fury Of the worst storms, Yet
perched high enough to give a wide
view of the two only possible lines of
approach. that from civilization and
The south, represented by Edmon-
ton. 800 miles distant, and the other
from savagery and the immeasurable
North.
Dash it all said the man aloud,
this must be Mosquito Joe and his
Siwash, three days ahead of schedule
It's the fine weather, OF course. III
just be able to have 4 scrape before
they turn up
In justice TO the unshaVen one, ii
should be explained here that all the
seven raZorS he kept in q leather case
marked with the days of the week
had gone out OF service about the
same time. He sent them to Peace
River Landing, 80 miles away. by a
friendly Indian, about the middle Of
May, and they had been returned at
n ,ate hour the previous night.
The dog i',se. 1t was not his bust
ness to detect canoes at the top OF the
lake. But he could See smell or hear
timber Wolf when other huskies
would be engaged in the innocent and
healthful pactime OF catching fieaS.
Also, he coulG understand the slight
est infections of his masters voice.
1le not only kfew that Mosquito Joe
and a Siwash were approaching, but
took good care to keep out OF the way
when kettle tilted some of it's con-
tents into tin cup. He was inter-
ested in the shaving operations, too.
y smooth cheek was nicer to- lick
than bristly one.
The raZorS were packed in a piece
of soft hide, corded in such manner
that no water could penetrate in the
event Of canoe llpsetting. An
English newspaper, one of the really
useful weeklies which contain n digest
Of he week news for readers ahroad,s