Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Falls City tribune. (Falls City, Neb.) 1904-191? | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1904)
8 . . TilE I FALLS Cl l'Y TrrD I i ; f\E : 1 FAbrtlary 12 t , I)04 - - - - - - - - - - S'l'Olty OFf TILE FUR (1lILAULf . . _ - - - - - - " . n' NOIUIAN nUNfAN. " ouldn't think ' t I'd been born on berry Hill , wOllld , you now ? " Maid City new aequaiJltal1ee. Aboard the Yil'g'iJlia JJHke. fiVl ) stiles off the coast of Labrador , \ and bound down , was far enough away from a Npw YOl'k tenement district to excuse ( 1IlJ' glance of 1m l'IH'isc. " ] . 'act ! " said he , with a 110(1. " ' 1'11111'8 where 1 was horn aUfl bl'pd. :111(1 do you know how I /'alllc / to IH up here ! No' ! " 'l'lI , I'm a fur h'adl'l' I'm the mall Ibnl t t bough ) Iw t skin of that sil wcr fox last winter for $3 ( ) and Hold it for $ 50. I'd [ rasher t be the titan thut. bought ' it from me told Hold it iu LondoJl for $6100. ( ) ( ) ( ) 13u 1 1'111 uot. " "And you'I'e bOllud for houw , IIOW' ! " I tlske(1. "Y't\ : \ , " be drawl < 'i "I'm bound I home for New York to see the t fol1 H. 1' , ' ( > been away for six . "CUI'H , aud t'ameneal'er t.o l heaving m.r bones up here in the t north , last spring t hau'CI' ( I did before ( , I've J lone some traveling in mr , tinH' You eau take mp at 111.\ , word ; I hayp. " I The l'adI' t ( laughed uproarious 1. . 1:1" : . . .1. . . - . . . .1 . . . " " , , t 411 J. . . . . J.:1l : - - Wit : - : gl'L'illl. - - ) 1"\(1"\-\1 lH sleet a mun front "I he RhttPA , " aJld ( hl' was in a yoll1hlp mood. I kul'w i that 'he needed hu 1 little t en'Ot\1' ( \ . agenleut t tot tell 111 l' the t story 1 of p { his cHeapp. "It makes mp think about that old l'iddlp of t liP corked ( hot t Ie , " he I\id. , "J n > I' hpl\l' it' ! , 'l'lIi is it : Ifon . had a bottle of ginger ale , how would , you get the sitllf t out without t hrcakbig the bottle 01' dr'lwilg ; the ( 'Ol'k ? ! ( fan you an- Swer.Ihal' t t ! " 1'hp answer dopsn't Ol'CUI' to tile , " 5111(1 I. "Tha1'Hjnst it , " lw burst out. " The ] ) ( way , to do it dOPfm't 'O'l'UI'to ( you. ' lint t if you had nIP hot t Ip in yolil' hand now and .waltpd the ginger ale , it- would Ol'\1l' ( to yon fast enough to push t hp cork in , \Yel1 I,1 thutwasm\"c'asp. t , Yoit think t of yourself on a little pan ) of ice ( . drifting I'aight ont to sea with 1 l strong oll' hol'p wind , wate a11 l round you and no puddle-jm think of yourself in that t t case. till ( 1 a wa.r of getting ashore alight not ' ' ' to . Iui' ' ' ' ' occur ( . you. once YOU'I't' ( thel'eonce.'OU'l' , ' right on that pan of ice , with the hand of dpu then 1 on'OUI' , eollar-\'ou'll think 1 tikI' lightning of all the things you eta l tlo. Yes , that was illy ( 'as ( ' , " I said nothing to interrupt ) tIll' stocky , hard . featnrel ( , il1-elud lit tIe man while he mnsed. ' " 'Don't you be fool ( ' 1)011gb to tL. , to the this ' , ' " ' try cross bay evening , 811rs , I to myself , " he went on. "Bnt I'm a hnndred.mi1 ( ' man , and I'd gone my hundred mile . T run carry grub on my back : to last me just that far ; and JU.\ grin was out. i'1'om what I knew of f wind and ice , I judged that the il'P ( would be four 01' five miles out 10 t sea by . dawn of the next daRe , 1 didn't start out t with the idea tint t - - - - - (1 ( - - - - - - - . - - - - - . - - file ( trip would hp HA easy aR l ' , promenade over BI'oold'n bridge of a Moonlight nig-ht. Oh , no ! i . knew what 1 was (101st. Bu t' if wins a question of taking the risk 01' dragging flu 'self into the t ( APt t Ip- mpnt at HU'ltI't I : ) ( HaJ'hol' ill three t ( ( da\'f lisle S lean 'aJ'-hOI'Rt' } itA ( HA u ( 8r - from Starwaiion. YOtls'c , it waS forty miles round t Ihal t hay and four across ; and-Ill\ g'I'nb was : ; 0111' 1\Ianya \ . man loses ( his life in these parts h.y looking ut the , quest ] ion in just t I ha t. way " 'Oh , no ! ' says I to m.rsplf. "Yotl'd mu'h ( hpt lei take ( your chance of' starving , and walk 01111(1. ( ' "I it t wasn't in human satin' t ( . thought 1 , 10 do it. Not when ( I saw that t t IWl'e t ' vats grub and a warm fire waiting for nu' ( at 'Hh'q1H't : Flarbor. Says I : ' I'll take t the long chance : l1H1 ( statuI to 1 will. ' ( Ioli't ) 1 you ( run way with I Ow ideal that t 1 the t ice ( was a level field stretching . iug' front ' shore 1 10 slue , H t t fag the rocks ( and keel as u ( > al as a :18phl1l1 : diamoJHI. It wasn't. Some day in the wintl'l' the ; find had jamJlwd ) ) nIP bay full ( .f big' ; rough e h lJ nks-t 11'y ( calf th.elll ) IH\JI ill this ( ( 'OUII t I'-aml , the t < ' frost had slack ( them t all tOg'p1hPI' . \v lieu the sl11'ingpump , of ( cones the sun hc'gnt ; io ' melt that ghll' , and the whole flop was just ready ' , . ft" . . _ . . , . _ to Jail apan W111I ( 1 11180 111p had t luck \ to slake the I ( 'OaRt. ) I was n l date too late. I 1lIpW it. And' kuew that ! hp t offshore willd would J sweep the ( ice to spa the minlltp it i t In'kp U/ ) / , ; .1 made till' first hnn(1re(1 ( 1.ra ) ] ' ( y in tl'n ( minntps ; the second in Ht' , Ieen t HI Ol'e. 111 half I till hoUl' I'IJ made half a Il1i1P The ] ice wa s rough enough and flillls\ enough ( l to take the nerve ont 01' any 111811 .B1It t that t wa-JI'I ; : ; nil' ( wont ; tIll. ( ' worst was t ha t hl'l'p t were gun dl'edR of holes cowered with a tail 1 ( 'I'usl 01' : : .mow-alll'ig-ht to look at . hnt tl' ( > ; ( ( .II'I'01lS. ( 1 knew that if' ( if'I made the mistake 01'At eppiug ) ) 011 n t I /'I'IISt / instl'ad of'otid ice , I'd go t hl'oug-h ' and ( clown "I I had four OtiC'I' skills , soma ' mal'h'us and tPH fin ( ' fox skins ill I the pttck ) 011 mha'k. , ; . To ] do tiny . thing- in nil' watel' with that Jute ' dica ; ) I' I was too m1'h for me. Ro I wa n't at all IHlI'tit.ttlul' aholll t slaking tulle ull1 iI I found that Ill t c night ; would c'ateh ti1e if I didu' 1 wag along : little fastpl' " .No , 511 I' , " the , I'adpl' t ; said , 1001\ ing lIIe deep in the ( ' , \'es. "I didH'1 I want to be caught out I here ill Ill e da'k. "By good loch , I stI'uek soul ( big pan abont : half-way o'e ] ' . l'hpn I took to a dogtrot ' , and left I the ya'ds Iwhind 111l' in a way , tha 1 t cheered mp nl. ] Just before dart I got near enough to the other Aid e to feel proud ) ' of myself , and I be gun to think 1 of what a fool I' d han been if I'd taken the ShOl'l' l'OIltt A minntp later I change Illy mind. I felt the pack moyiup ; ! \Yell , in a tlaRh I said goo(1 by to I ChPl'l'Y hill and the boys. Not many men aid ( 'aught twice in n place ( ( like tha L They newer hay e the spl'OHl 'hanl\ " 'PhPI'p I was , aboard a rotten flop and hound out t to tw big , ton e ' . - . - - - - - I } ' ocean ! , ; al the rite of four miles an hottl . " 'Oh you might aR well get ready to g'o , Jim , ' hinkA I I. But I didn't' give liP J ) , 1 loped ) ) ] along ( Hhol'l'Wal' ill i a way : flint didn't tal\ ; snow J'l'UAt OJ' 8it' . holes into IU''OIllI1. And I lI1ulp : the t ( edge of the t flop 'I'OI'P 1 ( Iltc t hln/'k hour of Ilse 1 night had 'omC' . J'hpl'l' waH U l'ouplp of Il1Jncll'ed 'l i'JS of ( ( ' 01 ( , ] wa /(11' / ( hphYPPII 111 ( ' and t hp shol'l , " ' J'his iH. nIP lime yon think more of your lift , Own your far , , hinkH t l. " 'I'IIPI'was / a siraw . pan 01' 1 two -lit-tIp rafts of th " . . ' ' , ' things-Iviug . : ; oil the ( edge ( of hp 1 I1oc ; and ( beyond I hem , Scattered t t bet wepn I1i'Sho1'l' t ( end time , half a doe11 ot hl'I' IHIJIS Wl'l'P lion ting- . How to get to 111/ / other side was n : puz ) % le. TIIPY were 50 01' ( iO ; yards ; apart , JIIof1 of thPIII , and I had 110 paddlt' It ( t wnf foolish lot think of making n shift with 1IIY jn'kl'1 ( for a sail l l : t lip wind was out 1 , nol ill , alld J had no rudder. " \ \ 'hathad I' ! Nothing that j /ttld / think of. It- didn't' 0/111' ( / to tile , es rOil say. 1 wish it had " 'Anyllow , ' SII"S , I to iIiVSOlf , : ; , 'I'll . get aH fal' as I ( 811. ' "It was a shott leap 1'1'0111t11l' flop to I tllP first pm. I made ( if paf-- ; ily. The second pall Ivan fal'tJll'l' . . n' . . _ _ 1 . " . . . . . . _ au , out J i oougnl ' 1 I ( 0111(1 ( dump rue water bpt wpen. Ro I took offnly pack ; tad t - 6rety it on the ice b1' idt'11IP , It a111l0 t bl'okpmy.lIPal',1 to do it , for 1 'd walked : fOO ) Miles in ille t lead , of winter for that fm' ; I'd I h ! ' { ,11 ! 11'111'11' Ft t aJ'\'pd ( 1111(1 fl'O % PII , IInd I'd 1)81(1 ) out hard'earne(1111011- ( 11'y. I I put down my pack , took n ; shol'l I ran , and jumped like a stag for t lIP p'OIH11H1Il ( , "I [ In tided ] on flue spot I'd picked . out. J ( can't /'olllplaill / ; of I" r : is-il\g : : \ the mark , bat instead : of staying there , I1101' I : ; clear through alH1 dowlI into Ihp walpl' "RIII'pl'h\l' \ ! I tv11S verse than that. t J w11S dend Rl'm'pd 1"01' a , Minute J thoug-ht J ryas going to rise under tIll' 1 ice / and drown right thPI'p. 'Flow it h11pencd ) ( ] j dot\'j' \ know ; hut I 'amp ( ; up J'i1w'll ( nIP ! puns , and slnick ( out for lIP t one / ( I'd Ipft. I got to the IHIJI all right , and l'limlJt'/l / abo111 ' d. 'l'hPl'p I was 011 n lit t Ie pan of ire , beyond t hp I''a'h ( ( of till' flOl' and leaving the shore : ; behind HIP and cold and ' ' ' , PI'ptt'\ well discour11gcd. ' "l'lwl'p's 1lw t riddle of the l'OI'kp , ] bottle , " aid the t ( 11'adPI' : , int(11" ruptin his nar1'atlye. "Xow , how do I happpn to lit' Hit ring t 1Il'I'p' ! " "I'm sure I 'an'l ( ( fell , " said J. "No more you shollll ( , " I.aid III' , "for yon don't know what I 'nl' . vied in my pact ; ( BII ; t you Sec haul I the bottle in ill } hands , and ( 1 wanted the g-ingPI' ale had ; so I thought fast and h11rd. , "It stench ' me ) thai I might do something wit h my line ] and jig. ' gel' . : \ jipgPI' : , you l\IIow , is a It'atl , . tislJ , about three inches long 1 which spreads ) into two big IH11'bp(1 ( steel hooks 111 onp end ; thc other ' end is tied ( to about t 40 fathoms of stout , waxed fishing linp. The fishermen of the coast use t hem to jerk big cud out of the water when , - - - - - - there is no bait. "Don't you see the chance ( ( the 1 barbed-sieel hook 111)d the 40 ( ) fathom of line gave me ( ! \"lwn 1 s thought of that jigger , I felt just like the man who is told 10 ) lush the cork in wlll'u lie l'Hn'dl'aw { it out. ' - . "I'd got back : ( ( } to nIP pan where ' _ . I'd thrown down my pack ( , you know ; so hl'I'c t waS the jiggPI'I'igh j at hand. "It was getting dark by this time-II'pttin dnl'k fast , and the . . pins [ were dl'iftingf'al'tlwr and faJ' - hpl' t ala I't. , . .It was PHSY to hook the jigger ) . . . in the lu'al'PHt pnn HtHl ( draw my pap 0"1' ( " to it ; for thnt pan ) way : ' live timps the ( weight of lie I 011 ( ' J was on. 'I'hc onp beyond was about the HHJI1P / size ; thp'amp , / together . getlH"I' Ht 11H' haf ; - wily point. Of 011l'8e ( thiH tooI timp I could ( ' hardly see the Shore hen t , and it struck / Ill/ / that I I ought not : : be ahle i ; 10 filld it at all , when / I t'am near enough (0 ( cast my jigger for iL "Ahon 50 ) I'ds ofl' ytlrIS ( ofl'was a big - . pan. 1 swuug- the jigger rouul ] Hlu1 'ound : 1(11(1 ( s1Hldt'lIly ( let ( t the 1 lin ( ' ' - spool t hl'oug'h my tin pl's. \\h'JI r 1 hauled ( it iu the jigger 'auu ( too. for it hadnt : taken hold. 'I'ha [ t : made : ale feel bad. I felt WOl'8" ( whpn it 'a ( 1lIl' hack niP second i imp. Lint I'm not oile of' the t kind tint r h' ! _ _ _ _ _ _ . . . _ , g-ln's ii p. 1 Iepl ) ( 1'lgll1' ' on ( ' sting- I that , jigger nnt-iI it lauded in the right : spot. "l\ly.puu \ crossed over as : 1 halllt ' in the lice. I ' 'I'ha t w11s 1111 right t ; r ! but their t wag uo pile belwceti nw ( i/ . and the t shol'p. ' " ' \11 lip ! ' thinks I. "It waH dII'k. : I could see ( nei- t her pall IlOI' hI'p. I31'for1' long I 'onldll't See H ; 1 thing in the pih'hy 'h'lmI.'H ) ( " . . . \ 11 l I t lie time I could feel tht pan hmnpiflg' along towal'd Oil' OpPII spa. J didn't- kilohow f11r , , 011' } the shore waH I was in clollh1' about just whpl'p it was. " 'Is this 1 ' - ' ' ' - pan turning I'ound ! t ' t'hink I. \\'pll , I 'ouldn't tell ; hut I thought : ; l l' t1 t lake a fIi e I' at hooking rock 01' a tree t I with Ilie t ( jig'g"p ] ' . The jigger mdn't tak ( hold. I tJ'ipd a doz1'n 111118 t , amt every time 1 heal'd it splash nIP wa tPI' . Bu t I kepi 011 tJ''iug-all/l / would have kept ) . Oil till t morning if I'd lieede l to. You ( 'a 11 ) Iti t Iw Meat my word , Fill ) not tlw : kind of fool tha1" gives up-I'n' ) bppu in tOil . many tight t places for tha t. So , at Iasi 1 gave the jigger a [ ling Ihal ( landed it 80111\\'hI' ( ( where it held I fast ; but whether fee 01' shore I 'ouldn't ( tell. ! If shore , al I right ; . if ice i , all wrong ; ; and that's all I t could do about it. . . , " 'X ow , ' thinks t I , nit : I I I began to ) haul in , 'it all depends 011 the fish- ingline t - . 1\111 it break ] , 01' tt 0n't it ? ' . " 1-"r "It ( idn't. ( Ro t hp next morning , . with my pact ) on my hack , J tratupel t ronnd the t point to .1a c ( . I net HH'hOl' : . " I " \\That was it' ! " was my foolish upstion. 8hol'p or ice ! " "If it hadn't- peen " ' shore , said [ the triider' ' , "I wouldll't be hel'e. " hel'eupon ) Ill' went below , for the dinner bell was ringing.-- Youth's Companion.
