The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-08-12
CHAPTER vi


oned the north, receded, leaving in its
wake the great inland sea of Hudson's
bay with its long arm piercing the
hinterlands TO the south, among the
many islands scattered in it's track, by
far the largest was Akimiski. And
through the centuries Akimiski came
to be known as a favOrite haunt of the
black, the black-cress, and the silver
gray foxes. And each winter, the Hud-
sons Bay company sent hunters there
to seek the precious pelts. Then came
the Revillon Freres, and they also sent
men to winter on the island, for the
spoil of it's wind-harried tundra, which
paralleIed the west coast for sixty
miles, was priceless
And now to this land of the little
foxes of the glossy black and silver
pelts, for which fair women would pay
fabulous prices in the markets of the
world, had sailed the schooner of a
stranger seeking the loot of the Aki-
miski barrenS-a man of daring, who
had sailed straight to the course, and
whose little schooner already lay
locked in the shore ice of Seal cove.
Here, while the tides, freighteG with
broken ice, still patroled the strait,
barring the birchbarks of daring hunt
ers, cutting off the shore posts from
all trade, Mcdonald Hal Ha! was
prepared TO welcome the trappers of
Akimiski with his flour and sugar and
gaws.
Garth Guthrie sat in his trade-room
with old Saul ana Etienne, in council
| of war. For days after their return
from up river, the wind had made the
| strait impossible to tile York boat,
which had been left at its summer an
chorage in the channel for this USE
The tiGe had kept the lower river
open and with the right wind the
| thing could be done, Garth had rea-
soned. But the Indians had shaken
their heads. 1t was sure madness not
| to wait for the cold, which would set
| the ice far out from each shore.
| As for Joe Mokoman, he had spent
the days in whimpering over the sud
| den death which awaited him in the
attempted crossing But Guthrie had
message for Mcdonald, which Moko-
man was to carry. 1t was the penalty,
| Garth told him, with twinkle of the
eye, for throwing gun on Hudson's
Bay factor
But the severe frost might hang off
for weeks, until after Christmas, in
fact; and the hunters would take their
fur to the schooner, Guthrie argued.
and the man who had lived for four
years with risk in each breath he in
hailed, in every measured minute, in
sisted that the attempt be made to
/ cross the strait at once So one
morning they put out with a westerly
/ wind and by much rowing ana batter
ing and lodging of drifting ice, landed
Saul with his dogs, and Mokoman, on
The shore ice of Akfmiski, ten miles
across the strait from Elkwan point.
Saul set out with his dog team for
the camp of his sons, while the Ojib-
wa started down the coast with Guth-
rie's letter to Mcdonald, which ran:
"Mr. Mcdonald,
Schooner Ghost, Seal Cove, Aki-
miski Island.
Dear Sir:
THE bearer of this letter, Joe Moko-
man, the Indian you sent up river to
steal the trade from me, is returned
TO you with thanks. He tried to am
/ bush me at Elkwan lake, and it is
solely owing to the fact that 1 could
use him as messenger, that you look
| upon his handsome face again.
| THE purpose of this communication
Is to announce that, as you intend TO
hog the trade of Akimiski from your
strategic position at Seal cove, I shall
use my position on the Elkwan to in
sure that trade going to me alone, so
you may spare yourself the trouble of
sending any more Indians up river,
for you'll never hear of them again.
As TO the island trade, was here first.
and I'm going TO fight you for ii.
| GUTHRIE, ELKWAN."
Then the two men started back in
the leaking York boat, and after a
day of slavery ar the sweeps, with
the help of the northeast wind and the
tide, reached Elkwan, and warped the
craft up out of harms way to her
winter berth on the high shore.
The fight was on, but the saving of
their share Of the Christmas trade in