The Wrangell sentinel., 1939-03-10

all manner of living creatures to
seek some secluded shelter.
Twice I ventured out only to be
driven homeward soon after fully
realizing the futility Of battling the
elements.
Then after seemingly endless days
there came the aftermath In the
wee small hours of the morning the
veil was lifted from over the face
of the earth and the stars came
winking through.
Not unlike the wild creatures, I
was up and away with the early
light for when the soul becomes
restless there is nothing quite like
a good long hike to relieve pent-upI
emotions Later the sun came peep
ing around the distant mountain
grinning like some mischieYous
boy who has been hiding away,
playing pranks. Once more this be
came a land of blissful memories
and all the wild creatures seemed
alive with the joy thereof.
Wolf Trails
straight back inland, I found my
self enyeloped in q maze of heavy
forest. So dense and SO large was
the timber. that only occasionally
was I able to see the blue sky
above and one must necessarily
keep a strong grip on his men
talities in order TO keep his bear
large stream, the heavy timber indi-
Gated Soon I picked up the trail
of an enormous wolf. So unusually
large were his tracks that 1 became
curious and followed on his trail.
For If we would learn the ways of
the wolf, We can do no better than
to follow on his trail. This trail led
me out to the waters edge, ordinar-
lily a large creek. but now a roaring
river of high water.
Following along the shore line TO-
where an obstruction of logs lay
across the river with a ten-foot
leap down a sloping bank. the wolf
landed upon the nearest log. Out
over these rolling, boiling waters he
went, jumping from log to log as
nimble as a squirrel to land safely
on the opposite shore some 40 yards
away.
Not Taking Chances
Standing there gazing at that
little feat of skill and courage. Il
was not long in making UP my mind
that I wasn't taking any such
chances. Somehow I had the feeling
that I didn't really need an icy bath
especially four miles from camp.
Those logs were denuded of any
bark and about as slick as creased
lightning.
Perhaps, this skittish feeling OIL
ours may have been brought about
by the fact that only a few days.
previous I was feeling a little frisky
and took a similar chance. But,
somehow, those logs have a habit Of
becoming covered with ice along
in January. Consequently, when on
ly about half way over, suddenly
very suddenly there was a slip and
I found myself wading out of hole
of icy water up to my waist. Cold
Oh, no, just a little slush ice inI
my boots, a few icicles forming
around my waist and two miles
from camp.
Trout Fishing
Having decided to keep to my own
side of the river, I passed through
some more heavy timber and camel
out from under the low hanging
branches of a giant spruce, 1 step-I
ped down upon an old beaver DAM
at the lower end of a large pond of
water. About one-half of the pond
is frozen over, the other side being
open water. The instant that l came
into full view, l put on the brakes
in hurry and back up until l am
half concealed by low hanging
boughs, for out in that open water
an awful commotion is going on.
The water is bubbling and rolling
as though there might be some sort
of a submarine having little trial
spin down in the reeds at the bot
tom of the shallow pond. Suddenly
a little brown head followed by a
long slender neck pops up out of the
water. Its nose points straight up
and in its mouth a trout is dan
Cling. There comes the sound of
crunching bones and that trout dis
appears not unlike a sea-gull swal-
lowing a herring, but much more
swift and graceful.
Soon more heads pop up in a
similar manner and oounf fbraa NJ
them and they are all having trout.
No sooner do they swallow their
fish than with a sudden duck of
the head the back arches up and
down they go again. The water rolls
and boils but only a few seconds
elapse until up those heads pop
again and always they hold their
trout. Occasionally a trout comes
sailing up out of the water to land