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.