Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-09-15
New York
Letter

Lake VIVA S~S~A@7
At first I thought that the silence
Of the wilderness hereabcuts had
been transplanted by some strange
magic Ito the humans who dwelt In
Il.
So quiet 1t was the night that the
gentle caress OF lake ripples against
small stones seemed amplified TO
the throbbing Of a surf. From some
point, far off In the solid mass OF
hemlocks and frs, a loon was utter
ing its dreary call across a purpling
shutdown and an answer was com
ing like the faintest Of echoes.
The group on the porch at Min
ards Lodge had been chatteTing
about some party from Connecticut
that had been out for eight days
with guides. 1t had either rained or
threatened rain for several days
previous. The womenfolk on the
porch we're wondering about the
fortitude Of the womenfolk on the
canoe trek.
well, anyhow" said Charlie Min
ard, zone things certain, they've got
two guides with EN- who'll never say
a word unless they speak first. Once
there was a fellow commented on
this. and Willie-one of our guides
said, folk don't come way up here
just to hear us CAB"
Some days later I heard more
about this silence-it may not be
the answer: IL Is a clue.
IL was around the camp fire on
Caledonia creek. We had pitched
camp for the night. Coffee was boil
ing In a huge pot. dangling from q
nail driven into q bent stick A few
Yards beyong water tumbled IN
musical rhythm ove boulders that
became visable during those in
stants when the fire blazed high.
NV guide had been talking about
moose hunting. This led him to the
subject of craftsmanship. A year
ago before he had won a canoe al
a guides meet for his expert target
work.
"A lot CT the guides around here
can shoot-they can shoot plenty
he observed. Most of EN- had q
chance to show how good they were
In the war. But that's something
you'll never get EN- to say q word
about. They never talk about 1t. Yet
Joe, the Indian guide. has more
medals than you can count. He vas
a sniperl A lot OF 'em were crack
snipers. This whole countryside gave
It's best marksmen to the war-but
they " say nothing. Bill has four
wounds in his body. And Joe, the
Indian, he's been cold-like ever
since"
remembered hearing a tale about
this hero guide. Someone had said
he might go with me on a fishing
trip.
but don't be surprised II he does
some trick shooting" I vas advised.
you know II he Is casting q line.
and his fly gets caught In a brush
or in the trees. he won't fish IL out
with his pistol, aim at the branch
and he'll shoot 1t off. And he'll hit
it every time, no matter where IL
IS. He'll never say a word TO you un-
less you speak first-and maybe not
then"
I heard OF another. who had been
carried from his snipe-'s nest badly
wounded. AS they were taking him
away he got word that his brother
had been killed. Before they could
get him to the hospital he had man
aged to shoot 1t out with half Of the
enemy, and landed four Of them
Then he collapsed.
I heard OF a man with a little
gully the size Of an egg In his head
from shrapnel: OF another who nad
stayed shipping from his tree TOT
three nights and two days without
food. and he had come down almost
exhausted.
". one after another. as the sparks
popped against the night. ! heard
of one and then another.
But they'll never talk about IL.
so We might as well never start
askin'." the voice went on.
And I never did.