The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1936-11-12
Caught
in the
Wild :
BY Robert
4 Ames Bennett
wNU Service
Copyright by
Robert Ames Bennett
CHAPTER vi
Hell in the Muskegs

Scraped the raw sides of the six
caribou skins and rubbed them with
the tanning mixture of fat, liver and
brains Garth had told them they
could either tan the skins, or wait
for him to do it. Until the tanning
had been finished, the trip out
would not begin.
Ramin was so keen to start
back for civilization that he went at
the disagreeable task with energy
and determination. Lilith not only
worked as vigorously as her father,
she showed a real interest in the
tanning.
Hubby took no part in this prepa-
ration of the skins. When he came
down to the camp from the platinum
placer, the sight of his fiancee's do
ing such squaw work struck him
speeches.. He stared in blank
amazement. When at last he found
his voice, he stared to threaten
Garth:
you've gone a bit too far, you
roughneck. Stand up, or I'll kick you
up. am going to"
The girl broke in, with cool scorn:
''Tune off, old dear. You're set on
static. It's not inference we want.
Dad and I are giving this perform
ance under our own direction. You
see, it's a bargain. Alan agrees to
start our trip out just as soon as
these skins are all tanned"
The mining engineer drew back
$50 soon as that? My dear girl, if
ho,c 10 off I01N'f
how I can spare any time here in
camp. I haven't yet sampled all the
area of the placer
You'll have two more days for
it," Garth told him. "Only don't for
get that an alloy of platinum and
gold weighs more than lead You'll
be toting my go per cent, along with
the 40 for yourself and Mr.. Ramil1.
If you hide the loot in your pockets,
you'll go down like shot, first time
you slip into musket pool or quag-
mire. Think of the all-around calam-
ity that would mean You'd lose your
life, Mr. Ramill would lose his Man
Friday, Miss Lilith her fiance, and
I'D lose my go per cent"
Mr.. Ramill interposed: "It's no
joke, Vivian. I've seen a strong
swimmer sunk by the gold in his
money-belt. A bag can be thrown
off the shoulders. Another thing,
Garth is to receive his three-fifths
of whatever you have PANIED out.
That is understood"
cit was his bargain" Hubby re-
piled.
He went to gorge on the leg of
caribou that Garth had roasted over
the fire on a twist-thong Of rawhide.
When he could eat no more, he hast
ened back to the placer trough to
resume his panning.
The others had already feasted
upon the tender venison, that was
Self-basted in its delicious fat. Lilith
and her father had helped Garth
pack it, with more meat and the
skins, down the long slope from the
glacier.
Before shutdown, Garth set several
rawhide snareS, each attached to a
pair of downbent saplings. For bait,
he used raw pieces of caribou flesh.
The beast of the valley had never
been trapped. When, at sunrise, he
went the rounds of his snares, he
collected a lynx, two red foxes, a
wolverine, and a wolf.
Garth did not reset the Snares. He
had more skins that he needed. From
the wolf-hide he made knapsack
for Hubby. The fox skins furnished
smaller baks for Mr.. Ranill and
Lilith.
At the second sunrise, Garth bum
died the lynx and wolverine pelts
and a quantity of catgut with the
caribou skins.
Hubby eyed the bundle ironically.
'Mr Ramill told me about your car
ibou parka talk. I take it, you aim
to go back and live among the Eski-
mos"
81 might do worse" Garth replied.
Heres your wolf packbag. Load our
metal, and slant up from the placer.
Well meet you at the glacier"
At Mr.. Ramilps nod, the engineer
took the knapsack and started off.
Garth put the small aluminium pot
and the tin cup in the millionaire's
bag. He drew his blanket from the
leanto to strap it on his blackboard
with the bundle of skins.
Lilith Ramill crep into the leanto
for the last time. She came out with
the pouches of salt and tea. Neither
had been opened since Garth put
them in her care, after the wasteful
eating up of all the sugar.
Her worn boots lay at the foot of
the leanto. She had on her moose
hide moccasins and lynx-skin leg
gings. AS she backed from under the
low roof she picked up the boots and
eyed them with amused contempt.
They had been fit only for show,
not for USE But when she flung
them down. Garth added them to his
pack, along with the last small pieces
of the moose hides.
I've might sew on rawhide soles,
he said. 'Now-all set. How about
you, mates? Ready to hit the trail?"