HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe East Huron Gazette, 1893-02-16, Page 2A Remarkable Oriental Experience.
A THRILLING STORY OF CHINESE TREACHERY.
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CHAPTER II.
It is now necessary to leave for a. little
the narrative gleaned, so far, from the diary
of Herbezt Vanscombe, and to tarn to events
which took place nearly a year before.
In the summer of 18-, exactly a year
previous to the day on which Herbert Vans-
combe landed in Shanghai, a man of elderly
appearance arrived in Yokohama by the
San Francisco mail. It was his intention
to proceed round tbe world at his leisure,
and thus it was that, after several months
in America, he landed in Japan. Whether
it be from the fact that his disposition was
a solitary one, or from the absence of in-
troductions, that he toured alone amidst
the georions scenery and the idyllic peace
of Japan, it is difficult to say. That such
was the case is the material point.
He was bent upon travel of a prolonged
nature, for, the reason which drives many
a man from the dear old home -an unfortun-
ate love. It had been a love affair ; that is
all with which we have to do.
tion necessary to maintain whilst traveling
in the cart, he wandered onwards in the
darkening evening, till it struck him that he
was sufficiently far from the only tie between
himself and civilization in this unknown
land -his Chinese guide. He turned and
began to retrace his steps.
Re -passing in a little time through the
gateway in the wall, he noticed for the first
time that the road here branched; and that
whilst it had seemed a simple matter to
gain the gateway from the inn, it now be-
came a different -question as to how to turn.
It was growing dark; which of the three
roads, he questioned, was he to follow?
Whilst he stood considering the point, a
number of Chinamen, in all about two doz-
en, who were seated upon the bank di earth
which had formed by time against the wall
on the left side of the gate, burst into uproar-
ious laughter ; whither from the fact of the
difficulty Norris apparently found himself
in, or at some remark regarding the Euro-
pean made by one of their number, it is im-
possible to say. Be that as it may, the
Further than this, he was one who, at laughter served to add to the annoyance of
the age ot twenty-eight, stood strangely the situation. "Yon fools !" Norris mut-
isolated in the world; for his father's death, tered, turning toward them, an epithet
months previous to his departure from which it was perhaps fortunate no one un -
home had left him at once an orphan, and derstood.
a wealthy idler to fill his time as he might One of the Chinamen leaped from the
pleasebank, a great broad -shouldered, strapping
Such was William Norris. • fellow -a Irian of iron muscle, as these
It was natural that the lonely traveler northern Chinese all are. "This way," he
should weary of the beauty of Japan. Thus pointed with his hand, "this way;" and
it came that he decided upon matting the Norris, fancying the man's disposition was
excursion to Pekin. Passing rapidly through friendly, followed him for a few eteps, when
----nee, Shanghai -for by chance he was in time to renewed laughter caused him to stop abrupt-
-Cheek a departing steamer for (Jhefoo and ly. No;dclearly this was not his way. He
Tientain-e-he set out for the north. Hard turned immediately. With what intent, he
travel he wished to have, and hard travel questioned himself rigidly, had this man
he believed he should have among the north- endeavoured to led him astray? His watch -
ern Chinese. He was right: there are but chain hung across his white coat; that was
few places in the world .where travel is at the only reason, so far as he could see, un -
once so rough and crude. less, indeed, the whole was done for jest.
For a moment he halted wheu he had re-
gained the gate. He had no fear a strange
absence of such feeling overcomes a ma,n
when he has most need that it should be so.
He stopped, that he might show those upon
the bank that he was as cool as they.
The would-be guide was by his side in an
and least used) in the mule litter, which is instant. Norris turned on being touched on
of the nature of a palanquin swung upon the arm. "This way," the Chinaman
the backs of two mules, one of pointed, choosing the second road; for an -
which precedes the other, -those who swer Norris raised his palm -he was unarm -
have been in Bombay may know a ed, perhaps it was just as well -and with
somewhat similar equipane borne by the back of his hand struck the Chinaman
natives in place of mules. In this the across the face. It was at onoe a dangerous
traveler may recline, lounging with a fair and a rash act ; but Norris did not, till
degree of comfort, for hour upon hour ;- long afterward, realize his peril, or the fact
secondly, some who have frequent occasion that he had then, for the first time, nearly
to make the journey, very often do so upon approacheda death made horrible by Chinese
cruelty and by the tortures which they
know well how to use.
There was a shout of derisive laughter
from the Chinamen upon -the mound: per-
haps -to that alone did Norris owe his life;
for the man whom he had struck turned,
with expletives upon them, and then, fol-
lowing the Englishman, contented himself
with walking by his side (whilst a crowd
surrounded the two), slapping the prominent
muscles upon his bare arms in attitude
of defiance'as though daring the other,
in childish fashion, to repeat his act. It
is more than probable that Norris had
recovered something of his common sense,
for he marched stolidly forward till, with
perhaps a sense of relief, he recognized the
mule -carts that stood in the court -yard of
the Chinese inn.
He passed through them to his rough
apartment unmolested.
It 'might be thought that such an incident
as this would have been sufficient to con-
vince the traveler that it is better to yield
to than face the enemy in their own coun-
try, -for enemies one and all, the Chinese
now became to enemies,
in his individual
mind, -but such was not the case, as will
be shortly seen, and as may be conjectured
from the fact of his summing up the whole
matter in the half -expressed determination,
"1 must have a pistol with me next time,
in case of such things occurring."
The following day was spent on donkey -
back up Nankou Pass to the great Wall,
and back, worn out with a long day's work
to the inu at Nankou.
The next (on donkey -back again,) to the
Ming Tombs with their wonderful approach,
the avenue of animals, huge stone creations
at even distances one from the other for the
space of half a mile; and then by cart to
Pekin.
There are several methods of traversing
the distance of some eighty miles which
separate the capital from its port: one by
the ri er, which, winding to and fro through
the flat country, approaches Pekin as it
flows onward to the coast; the others by
road. -firstly (to take the most luxurious
horseback ; and, lastly, there are the mule -
carts -one for the traveller, one for his
guide -small, cramped, and without spruigs
-instruments of the divinest torture, and
the most frequently utilized mode of tran-
sit between Tientsin and Pekin.
Traveling by the last-named by day and
night almost continuously for two days,
Norris arrived late upon the second after-
noon, and indeed just before the elosing of
the gates, at the capital, worn out, as who
could fail to be, with the prolonged jolting,
the clouds of dust, and the heat of the
Eastern sun?
At this pomt it becomes advisable to place
before the reader's mind something of the
nature of a sketch, however, in detail, of
the vast city of Pekin.
Pekin' consists of three cities proper -the
Imperial, the Chinese, and the Tartar -
each severed from the other, and again
from the world as a whole day by a wall
whose vast grandeur must be looked upon
to be conceived. Within the outer walls,
the main features are dust and ruins, and a
total absence of any thing in the shape of
order, amongst dwellings scattered here
and there, often at wide and irregular inter-
vals, and in streets whose vast width is en-
croached upon without let or hindrance by
the booths and stalls of the poor.
To be in Pekin is to be in another world
-a world which belongs to a far, far past,
where one could almost imagine that the
inhabitants have waked after centuries' of
'sleep, knowing nothing and conceiving
nothing :nye the desolation which has be-
come their home, and amidst which they
are-gontent to live.
There is one beautiful spot in Pekin,
-the marble bridge, where in summer
the still, lotus -covered surface. of the
lake beneath is broken only by the alight-
ing of some curious bird, a ruthless And now it was that Norris met with
shattering of the reflection of the ver- trouble.
dure and temples and castles of the Imper- After a day's rest, he decided, by his
ial Park. But nven here the atmosphere of guide's advice, to return by river to Tient-
a bygone age lingers in the air, sobering all sin. Having considerably shortened his in -
that is fair and beautiful with the silence of tended trip, he fixed upon this as more
the touch or time. pleasant method of travelling when rmirig
The ohief-part of the Imperial City is sa- to the coast than the mule cart.
red ground. The traveler -is a rash manvelio This programme being decided upon,
ventures by bribes, to enter its precincts Norris instructed his guide to precede him,
for the northern Chinese are a hard-, brutal as his frequ.ently done, by cart to Tupgchow,
a town several hours by cart from Pekin
and situated upen the Peiho where that
river approaches the capital. .
Thus the guide was to leave at dawn, to
proceed to Tungehow, and to have the
house -boat hired and in readiness: and
Norris, whose carter the guide instructed,
was to follow at a much later hour.
As he was finally dismissing the guide,
Norris recollected a certain curio -store to
which he was anxious to pay a second visit
before leaving Pekin.; and accordingly he
bade the guide instruct the carter to take
him first to this curio -store, and thereafter
to proceed to Tungehow. This command
was given effect to, and all was arranged.
The guide left next day before Norris had
awakened, and in due season the carter ap-
peared. -
The Chinese carter is e leaden -brained
creature; his heavy eyes and deadly stolid
leek seem , to convey an atmosphere of
opium'and heeis net of the clue of men to
whoseintelligence it would be advisable to
confide too much. However, notwithstand-
ing sundry doubts as to whether the man
was 'Capable ' of recollecting instructions'
given the. previous _eyening by the guide,
Norris -took his seat inside the cart, and,
_ race, not over -scrupulous in dealing with
intrusion upon their rights. It stands in
In the center of Pekin. For the rest, as
isolated spots -isolated in the sense of imp -
fixation from the encircling ruin -stand the
foreign legations within their several walls;
and, lastly, the temples of the Chinese.
Two days sufficed to prove to William
Norristhat sight-seeing in the capital
of China becomes tedious in the ex-
treme. Distances are so great that i
mosf of the traveller's time s expended
in the interior of the covered cart which-
eonveyshim at a snail's pace along the wide
and uneven roads. Thus the morning of
the third day found Norris leaving the city
upon his way to the Great Wall.
That traveling in the interior of China,
eevn at the present day, may be accom-
panied with danger few who know the
nation will refuse to admit, and what it
was not very many years ago those who
have lived in China for any length of time
will recall. Is there need to mention an
individual instance? - Let -us recall Sir
Harry Parkes; that -name alone may speak.
It is unnecessary to follow Norris in his
- tourney, to alighs with him at Wan-iliou-
han,to stand with hint upon the, hill •
' Yu-chuan-shanior to enter with him the somewhat to his surprise, was conveyed to
Great, Bell Tower. Suffice it, that he the curio -shop„ as desired.
Saving- completed his purchase, he re -
seated himself in the cart, and, jolting along
the streets in what direction he knew not,
he came to the Temple of Confucius.
reached Naukou, -little of interest occur:
ring to -delay our naerative. Nankou 15
small village standing at -the foot of
the piss of the same name. Fifteen
melee upethe- pass isthe Great ;Walt separ- - Now itlad.chauceri that, one day, upon
at•mkAltem,ohae and- faunae a work, of won---,. firat. arrival in Pekin, Norris had ex-
-
-Understoodehand, indeed, having been in
Norris's employment for a number of days,
it Would' have been alstioseabstird to have
questioned the point, so; wIthoukrisgivin_A-1-
on this score, the Englishman hastened
away. An hour later cart and carter were
still standing in the road,- awaiting his re-
appearance. Three hours later the state of
matters was the same, save that the leaden -
brained driver had fallen asleep amongst
his master's pillows in the interior of the
cart.
Whilst the carter still slept, a Chietaman
issued from the outer gates of the temple,
and, recognizing the position of affairs, took
the small hand -bag, which was the sole rem-
nant of his impedimenta that Norris ha.d
retained in sending his baggage in advance,
and returned to the temple grounds.
Evening came ; and the carter, awakened
eh length from his heavy and prolonged
slumber, leisurely drove away, with what
impression it is almost useless to conjecture.
Perhaps he fancied that the day which had
passed had been a dream; perhaps he
thought he had done his duty? and.
need wait no longer; or perhaps he
did not think at all, which seems
most probable, judging from the fact
that he returned forthwith to his own
home, to disappear for many days upon the
proceeds of the tiaos which he had earned.
during the pass week.
Thus it came that the only connection
which had exiseed between William Norris
and the outside world at the time of his
entering the Temple of Confucius was silent-
ly broken and destroyed.
And the guide at l'ungehow?
He returned to Pekin two days after -
returned to find it impossible to trace his
master, and, after some days, to realize the
uselessness of his attempts.
The carter had disappeared. To find
such a man in such a city was almost an im-
possible thing ; besides, to the guide's
thinking, both master and carter had dis-
appeared.
Then he went to Tientsin, half expecting
to find that they had arrived there before
him but such was not the case.
And then, gradually, a whisper of the
story of the Englishman's cheappearence
with his carter went abroad, and as grad-
ually, but more effectually; the story died.
CHAPTER III.
The Temple of Confucius consists, as with
most of the temples of the Chinese, of sev-
eral buildings which are enclosed within
the sacred ground. •
That which fronts OM road has a fine
terrace, looking down upon an avenue of
grand old pines whose shadows beat hear-
ily•upon the ground.
Through this building Norris passed into
the precincts beyond. He was already ac-
companied by three Chinamen, whose at-
tentions were somewhat troublesome as he
did not uederstand their tongue.
These men were apparently desirous of
acting as guides.
Following his own pleasure, rather than
their will, Norris strolled onward in the
direction in which they would have led him. stood curiously regarding)be Englishman;
Having satisfied. his tourist spirit of and he in wonderment sat looking up at
curiosity in a measure, by entering and ex- them. This treatment looked favorable;
amining several buildings, he was about to what could it mean? Yee how could it le
return, when one of the Chinamen, whose favorable, if he were to be kept a prisoner?
numbers had by now increased to seven, He was at a loss what to think.
stepped somewhat roughly in front of him, Meantime the point as to whether he
barring his passage and giving him to un- should or should not eat called for immediate
decision. His hunger was considerable ,
but his hands were so numbed with their
recent bonds as to be quite useless for a lit-
tle time to come. When he reeained their
thrust aside thoughts of his nature. He
was ne coward, and it behoved him now to
Amain to the full his presence of mind ; yet,
without doubt, the situation was such as
might cause the bravest to despair.
Looking around him as far as he could,
for his neck was tightly secured to the
ground, as were also his feet, he saw that,
lying Wu) now was in the open air and
in the shade of a tree, he had arpar-
ently been carried some distance from the
sea where, in the struggle to escape, he
had lost consciousness in the end. He was
now -in a species of large courtyard, from
which, so far as' he could judge, there would
have been but faint chance of escape, even
had his bonds been removed ; for be was
shut in by buildings and by walls, high and
insurmountable, upon all sides.
It was Jere, thoughhe knew it not,
whilst he looked upoii death now as the
worst tbel cbildbe, that • he was destined
to come to longeto die in -the after -days,
and to lcieg in vain,
How long he had been lying thus bound
Norris was unable to say, enly that he must
have been unconscious for a very long
period, he judged roughly from two facts:
the first, that the sun appeared to be sink-
ing; and the see-ond, tha,t be. was alone,
for he -rightly conjectured filet had he re-
gained his senses at an early period, some
of the Chinaman would probably have
been with him, waitiag for his return to
life. As it was, t hey had possibly grown
weary of waiting.
Some half-hour must hav• passed whilst
Norris lay still, reviewing the situation,
and giving vent to an occasional groan owing
to the pain of hisstiffened limhs, ere two of
his ea,ptors returned. •
Looking down upon him, they indulged
in a lengthy conversation which Norris
would have given much to have understood.
he one Chin,aanan appeared to -be endeavor-
ing to convince the other upon some point,
and the other to be refusing to be so con-
vinced. Probably, Norris grimly conject-
ured, the method by which his death was- to
he finally attained was the subject of their
discussion. Still -engaged in heated argu-
ment, they left him ; and in a little, whilst
Norris wondered. painfully as to what was
to be done, one of the two returned with a
dish in his hand and a pair of chopsticks.
Instantly a wild hope filled Norris ;
he was to be fed. Why? What did they
intend to do? Why give him the where-
withal -to support life, unless it be that he
was to be allowed to live? And then al-
most as suddenly came a wave of despair:
their would feed him strength to ine,et
their hideous lingering tortures: he had
heard of such things; it might be so.
The Chinaman unbound his neck and
motioned to him to sit up; then making
numerous signs thatescape was an impos-
sibility, and that Norris need make no at-
tempt in that direction, he unbound his
hands, placing thereafter the dish of food
-Chinese food, a filthy mess of rice and
greens -beside him on the grounder then
he stood stolidly to watch all that Norris
might do.
Three others joined them, and the four
derstand (as Norris conjectured from pre-
vious experience) that some few tiaos were
required as recompense for the petmission
to enter and examine the temple. He
chanced to have some Pekin notes in his use, should he eat this mess of Chinese food
that sickened him to look upon, hungry
though he was-? There were reasons for and
against. If he was to be kept prisoner, then
he must eat sooner or later ; and the sooner
he did so with a good grace, the sooner pos-
sibly would he succeed in conciliating his
captors. But if, on the other hand, he was
to be fed merely that he might be able to
sustain a lingering death, -he was but little
inclined to accept the attentions of those
who stood before him. Bah ! it could make
little difference, he thought: he would trust
to the future. Torture could net be greatly
increased by the return of his strength. So he
reached out and took the bowl in his weak
hands, swallowing a full half of its contents,
which he found to be not quite so objection -
tees, the next for five, for ought he could , able to the palate as he heel conceived them
say ; and the distribution did not appear to I to be. When he had finished, t1'; China -
be satisfactory. He now perceived danger ' man whiPhad brought the food made eign
very near, and calculated his chances rapid- I that he should lie down again ; but this he
ly. Two of the Chinamen were struggling I was unwilling to do, and endeavored to ex -
with each -other -his division of the spoil 1 plain gesticulations that he preferred a
had been unequal. Of the others, three sitting posture. The man seized him by
were in front of him, one on either side. ' the throat in answer, and thrust back his
In the first instance he determined to test head, knocking his head somewhat roughly
the matter to ascertain exactly how the and severely upon the hard ground ; for he
land lay. was now so weak he could make but faint
Making a few steps forward, he sought to resistance. A moment or two more and he
push his way through tne men. The result
of this yeas that one of -them immediately
turned, and, running rapidly ahead, closed
the doorway, the back entrance to the
building through which he had to pais.
This.was hardly done b.fore Norris, recog-
nizing his danger, and thinking that imme-
diate action could only avail; made a sud-
den bound forward, dashed two of the China-
men before him by the suddenness of his at-
tack, for they were all elderly men, and
eluding the others, Sprang forward and
possession, and producing a couple, he hand-
ed them to the man.
Instantly, a Babel of voices ensued, the
others crushing round him, each arguing
and quarreling with his fellows. On the
moment it flashed across Norris that
this niight prove an awkward affair.
He was unable to understand the language.
His guide was at Tungchow ; his carter was
outside ; what was he to do? And he re -
colleted suddenly that he had not yet car-
ried out his intention of adding the weight
of a pistol to his light Eastern dress.
So far as he now saw, the only thing to
be done was to distribute the remainder of
the notes in his possession. Re did not
know their value; one might be for two
lay as he had lain before bound so securely
that he could scarcely move.
And thus he lay through the entire night
-a night which Norris never forgot in after -
years -a night of clear cloudless sky,
whence the million of stale shone pitilessly
upon the man who could not sleep ; and he
lay looking up to them, groaning in his
agony of unchanging posture, and filled
with a darkness which seemed to give the
lie to his soul of the existence of a God, for
his thoughts had become as a hell of hideous
seized by the throat the man who now stood things.
at the door. And then, after hours of an endless night,
So unexpected was the attack, that the came the gray of dawn ; and at last the man
slept asleep whose images but reflected the
horror of his waking dreams. When he
awoke the sun was well up, though the
morning was still young. His limbs, from
the night's expoeure upon the cold ground,
'seemed to have grown --as a piece of the
eareh upon Which he lay, so cramped and
still and deadened did they seem to have
become: to move faintly was agony ; to lie
still the only chance of rest -of rest thatwas perhaps worst of ell.
(eo BE CONTINTTED).
Chinaman staggered for a moment. Exert-
ing his whole strength, Norris took advan-
tage of the momentary opportunity, and,
thrusting back his foe, stood a free mau-
ler half a secoed-had not the door been
closed. -
The others were upon him now; one
clasped. him around th-e neck, another held
him round the leg. The straggle became
that of the one against the many, the one
fighting desperately, hand, and foot -ay,
and teeth too -for dear liberty and life, the
others slowly crashing out his strength.
• Si *
-
.
When Norris came to: his seitsesea feeling - Travelers Who frequently patronize the
of utter .weariness seemed to have settled 7-maine Central Railroad read with pleasure
upon him. His brain Moved eilowlyh' the anouncemept that in consequence of.the
Recollection Was alificht entirely dimmed, closmg, fares would be reduced. There are
large basiness done during the year just
and it was some little time before he realized
the-pOilitiMr en Which , he was .tiow plaeede man)?
.other railroads that have the same
Slowly he began to recall the terrible strug-
.good reason for reducing fares; but will
gle through which he had passed; -.slide to they follow the example of the Maine Oen-
--
awake to the deadened pain in his wrists trill?
and ankles, for he W9.8 now bound hand and ' The body of Julia Reeder, a young lady
foot. He Sought to .. move, but found that of Booneville, Inch, was prepared for burial.
his 'neck and feet' Were secured, apparently .The sign of apparent death had succeeded a
to pegs which had been driven intcethe severe attack of typhoid fever. Her friends
ground. The horror of the situation flashed "were gatheredaround, and just before the
upon him. He . lay at the Mercy of final leave-taking, her. lover took her hand
the Chinese -a race. Of :whose hideous- in- to kiss it. The lover was astonished to feel
stinctselle had already seen something, and .
his fingers pressed by the -hand of the sup -
over tIttiitb3Mtt tW4ttine-tkerilk4W-getTen-t- preitherLa diiiiire to :Meter thir. tense& co
; but posed- corpse. . The joyous discovery was
its ilealittiiino aMenget thnmenmtams,
, ; -fillrettlidanleVit the eye 190 e - MOO -:Pf either from dseparated for eine limit -the outside world, latiese of tiMe, or the reason njectared iniere. Hee was their ceptive,
tints made that the young woman was alive.
- ,
.e, that. ' there.wergegreater -sightte.to see, hisPeevishness isgenerally the vice of narrow
.. -.: At litankaaetself there. iet a fragment 9e-9- 'de,. Ober stoPpingleir . a mottient, to 7in- unless, vain hope! his carter or iiis gnide-
minds and, except when it is the effect of
-.hotline; Will.atatitandingg themeglelhe -im oinaldne.hd; the -taniegale!B naine; bad: return- should summon aid And now what was to
- waked -Which -NtirrikOratiette lkifthek SO, -- een * - elate -14- tlitingiansiffon. -1 -. - bile Allowing the-possibilitynf , the: arrival anguish and disease, by which the resolu-
,
1 -8 tie . of assistance, eneh might come tort late. tion is broken and the mind made too fee-
dinner,- 414•4441de liaCt b-fe44-Pet°'. Coining- tilion it -ritiw - i ti - k Norris
-- hIStir_el$ fitridif4-..14.4WI Iccv-,01011Int-*- 2 2 , Hideotis tortures might be in reserve for hle tn hear the lightest addition to its :Pity
Emis-
tberies, proceeds from an unreasonable regard eth:.46- hi iiii_theiike*rjealati that it -4Av#0...;k„.1?.. lehere Pekin,r-,se en him. . Long , before release came, ,
king -a, •-•-:-***leeehei.-HneiliathMitat =Joni ,,Iitki-'portr 1fili--",;0010Veti- iii.111-0---driater-by. Mind exaggerated its fears; ind-len.lak-
le.,Pehttende '..110611-e'Achdertineadfately". stopping -Might have been Fiilently achonipslus death accomplished. His i
remedy against jt is to -consider the dignity
-st ' * -----Chinieta-ihnef''fle ' of the mportance of trifles. The proper
mayeV-OAS--, -sr*Act ii4raittye
• - sigus thatik 'Ivas)7410-04-tion to ,,griter, prostrate, tilled tilled with dread forebodings Of of human nature and the folly of suffering
'ing - - ' — *40: grounds -of temple04::.-",far;, a alicitt time. What niiiht be brettire.: .. - . perturbation and uneasiness from cause'
iirf Weekef MIs Iimbs fromt e„ -o ti doubb b4V,Ovit theater ' - -With an effort he sought aelength' to unworthy of our notice:
TRAOKING A OARIBOIT-
__
Snow -Shoeing and Crawling to Get at the
Big Game.
A glance over a sportsman's experience
will perhaps convey an idea of what still -
hunting elk and caribou means when the
animals have enjoyed the doubtful advan-
tage of a slight acquaintance with man's
murderous methods.
Now, first as to the caribou -a keen -
nosed, shy, fast -trotting, sturdy fellow, and
right worthy game for any man's rifle. Two
varieties of this species -the woodland and
the barren ground caribou -inhabit the
American continent. he woodland variety
is found in Nlaine and certain extreme
northern portions of the United States,
notably about the headwaters of the Missis-
sippi River and in the extreme north of
Idaho. The barren -ground caribou does not
geuerally range as far south as the inter-
national,bounaary. In Canada caribou are
much more widely distributed. They are
plentiful in Newfoundland, scarce in Nova
Scotia, more numerous in New Brunswick,
abundant in Quebec and Labrador, and fair
numbers of them haunt the wilds of North-
ern Ontario (especially the north shore of
Lake Superior) and portion e of Manitoba.
In British Columbia they abound among the
mountains, and not infrequently great herds
are seen defiling from some canon or moving
down some mountain side in Indian file, and
looking at a distance like a pack-traiu.
The best caribou -shooting may be had in
Newfoundlaaid and British Columbia, but
Quebec and North Ontario yet offer rare
good sport to those who like roughing it.
During the winter of '89, says E. W.
Sandys in Outing, I was temporarily locat-
ed at a point on the inagnificent north shore
,of Lake Superior, my companion being a
half-breed hunter who bore a resonant In-
dian title too long for insertion in these
pages. When he wanted to travel light he
bore the name of "Jo,' which will answer
for the present. It was cold up there in the
icy breath of the Great Inland Sea, but we
were snug enough in an old railway con-
struction log camp, and had fairly good
sport with grouse, filling up time attending
to Jo's lines of tramps. Between Superior
and the "height of land" is a perfect net-
work of lakes and streams, large and small;
the country is very rough and rocky, varied
with great barrens, muskegs, and beaver -
meadows. Vast portions are densely forest-
ed, and others carry only ghostly, scatter-
ed " rampikes," showing where fires have
swept. Our headquarters were the log
camp referred to, but we had a temporary
camp at the end of a line of traps some ten
miles inland, near the head of a chain of
small lakes, famous in- the annals of the fur
trade. From it westward extended an im-
mense barren fer mile after mile, bounded
by a gray -blue wall of forest.
One night, while we were at the little
camp a heavy fall of snow redressed the
hard -featured landscape, and Jo and I fell
to discussing the chance for caribou. About
daylight we turned out, and Jo stood for a
few moments reading the sky and sweeping
the barren with those marvelous aboriginal
eyes of his, which could count a band of
animals farther than I could see them.
Presently he grunted softly and exclaimed.
"Dar um car'boo !" and pointed west-
ward. I looked long and earnestly, and
at last made out a distant object moving
slowly over the snowy barren. Getting the
glass, I focused on it a,nd discovered that it
was indeed a caribou—a lone bull evidently
-as no more could be found.
After hurriedly feeding, we stuffed our
pockets with bread and meat, felt that
matches, pipes, and " baccy " were in their
places, donned our snowshoes and started
in the direction of our vanished game.
" Car'boo all right; teed day on moss
Bymeby find um more car'boo," said Jo, and
I guessed that he liked the proepeet.
It was a cold, gray day, a sharp breeze
blew directly across the barren, and now
and then a few snowflakes sifted down,
hinting of another downfall, though there
was already more snow than we wanted.
But there was little danger of anything
serious, and we didn't trouble about the
weather. After tramping for about three
miles, Jo discovered the tracks of the cari-
bou, but the beast itself was not in sight.
Jo decided that he would work across
the barren in case the game had doubled on
its course, snd leave me to follow the track.
"Me go cross, look long um tree. You run
track, bymeby mebbe you find um car'boo,"
and he waved his hand, indicating that he
would cross and then scout along the woods
on the farther side.
I moved ahead rapidly, while Jo was in
the open, being anxious to get far enough
in advance of him to forestall all possibility
of his wind reaching the game before I got
within range. 1 had followed the track
until it was nearly noon, keeping a sharp
lookout ahead, before I caught a glimpse of
the bull browsing quietly near the edge of
the woods. A long lohk through the glass
told me that he was a magnificent speci-
men, bearing a particularly- fine set of
antlers, and that he was feeding near cover
which promised a comparatively easy ap-
proaeh within certain range. To obtain this
splendid trophy was my firm relsolve, if
patient, skilful "ereeping " counted for
anything. Working carefully well to lee-
ward the shelter of the dense timber was at
last safely gained at a point some half mile
from the game. I had already put in a lot
of hard work and was half wearied, but the
golden prospect sustained me. Once safe in
cover the shoes were removed, and, gliding,
stealing. flitting, shadow -like, from tree to
tree, now crouching in the line of a bowlder
now crawling and wrgling painfully over
a snowy open patch of moss, I at last gaem-
ed the edge of the timber within 175 yards
of my meat.
He was standing with his rump to me,
and his nose occasionally sought the moss,
only to be raised in a moment and thrust
into the wind while the gentleman chewed
a mouthful. About half way between us
was a goodly clump of brush, overgrowing
some scattered bowlders, while the space
between my shelter and the brush, was filled
with little hummocks and hollows, showing
where the low growth, moss, etc., upheld
the snow. If I once gained the brush- and
nerves kept steady he should drop in his
tracks. I hesitated for a moment between
waiting for a broadside shot from where I
was, or attempting to crawl to the brush,
then got down on hands and knees and be-
gan the difficult journey. The hummoeks
were smaller and hollows shallower when
reached than they looked at first, and when
half way accross the dangeroas space it be-
came a question of wriggling along a la
serpent. In this position the caribou was
invisible, but 1 had faith in the wind, and
was wriggling doggedly forward when from
a clump of moss not twenty feet from my
nose a grouse walked quietly forth clucking
softly to itself in regard to my probable
business.
Here was a pretty position. Of course,
didn't dare flush the grouse for fear of
alarming the caribou, and for long, agonizieg
moments I lay there in the snow staring at
that infernal bird, while it eyed me dream-
ily and chuckled in an exasperatingly com-
miserating fashion, until the cramp -knot
in my leg grew hard as a baseball, and I
tamed and raged and groaned inwardly.
At last the fool bird satisfied its euriosity
and trotted demurely away, an when it
ad got to a safe distance I streightened
my cramp and wriggled on to the tuft
whence the grouse had come. Inch by inch
I rais.ed my head until a clear view was pos-
sible Of the bull's feeding ground -he had
vanished as though the earth had swallowed
him! Hastily glancing up the barren, I
caught sight of him walking smartV along
a good four hundred yards away. Lie was
not alarmed; he had neither heard, seen or
winded me. He had merely decided to
move along. It was one of those madden-
ing brute whims that checkmate the still
hunter. I examined the rifle cover to make
sure that all was right. Then' after a good
stretch to ease my crampedmuscles, I
watched the bull and nursed my hard luck.
But chance favored me in the next move.
The caribou, after going about half a mite,
suddenly turned across a barren and headed
for the timber on the farther side, at the
same time edging slightly in my direction.
This course kept him well to windward, and
when he iinally approached the distant
cover I started for him again. It was a
long, hard task to cross the barren in a
crouching position, but finally I managed ti
get behind him safely and followed tte
track. I was now very tired, for the shc e-
ing was heavy, but the chase was leading
homeward. I was mad all through and
came to fight it out on that line till dark-
ness dame. Presently it began to snow and
in half an hour the air was thick with soft -
falling flakes. This was in my favor, save
that I sometimes lost sight of the bull, only
to rediscover him walking steadily along
headed direct for the camp. My only hope
was that he might halt to feed. He was
going about as fast as I could, and so for
two good hours we reeled off the miles at an
exercising gait. At last the snow almost
ceased, but the air was darkening fast, and
I guessed we must be within short distance
of camp.
While I was endeavoring to figure out my
exact whereabouts the bull halted in an
open space, bordered on my side by clumps
of good cover, and began to feed. My
weariness was forgotten in a moment; luck
had turned my way at last, for he was in
perhaps the best position for me that he
could have chosen in the whole barren.
Sneaking rapidly on as far as was safe, I
once again doffed shoes and got down on
hands and knees and crawled, and crawled,
until the cover was gained, and my victim
stood broadside on, not eighty yards away.
He was feeding busily and had no more
idea that I was near than I had of shouting.
Carefully I raised to my knees and waited
one moment to pull myself thoroughly to-
gether for the shot that must needs decide -
the matter. A last glance at the distance,
and at the sight to make certain that it was
at the lowest notch and I thought to myself:
"Now, my son, I surmise I'll just nettle
for all this tramp. If I don't drop you.
" Whang !" the roar of a rifle sounded
from a clump to my left, a stream of fiery
smoke shot from the bush, the bull gave a
tremendous lunge forward, and went down
in a heap.
For an instant I was petrified with amaze-
ment; then leaped to my feet prepared to
do I hardly knew what. From the brush
near by rose a lank figure, a coppery face
peered forth, and an unmistakable voice
inuttered, "Gess I down um car'boo I"
"Jo! You blank, smoke -tanned idiot,
I've a blamed good notion to put a ball
through you!"
Jo started with as much surprise as his
kind ever show • then his broad mouth
speed in a diabolical grin, for he guessed
every incident of the story.
"Me no see you. See um car'boo cum
long. Me hide, tink mebbe kill um car'boo
You lynx, you creep -creep -me no tink you
chase um car'inoo.
And that was all the comfort I got, out- ,
side of the head and feet, which wert all I
wanted of the bull.
Later in the evening, when I told Jo of
the all -day chase and where I had been, he
grunted and said: "Chase um car'boo berry
long time- twen-too mile dat waq an
back."
"Y s, and I crawled a quarter of it con-
found you!"
"Um, dat so ? Me go two, three, font
look at trap, den run back to mend ahoe.
Me atop by fire, bymeby get um car'boo.''
"Yes, after -I chase him twenty-two miles
for you, you old squaw !"
A chuckling grunt proved that Jo realiz-
ed tha humor of the thing in full, and the
way his eyes twinkled and the wrinkles
curved round his silent mouth almost threw
me into fits, for there was no use in rao:k-
ing against fate.
PEARLS or TRUTH.
Man pardons and forgets ; woman pardons
only.
The wine belongs to the master, but the
waiter receives the thanks.
Every one of our actions is rewarded or
punished, only we do not admit it.
Women love themselves as much as they
can; men as much as they wish to.
Hate enters sometimes into great souls ;
envy comes only from little minds.
Probably there is no quality more efficient
in dispelling ignorance than the courage
which dares to confess it.
The intellect of asceptic, though he culti-
vate it till he is in his grave, will never
produce a prayer for the guidance, or en-
durance, or delight of the day that is about
to be his. Reason aud faith must work to-
gether.
Death not only beautifies our bodies when
the soul has fled, but even in life the
thought of death gives new beauty to our
lineaments, and new strength to the heart,
as rosemary both winds as a garlaud around
the dead and revives the fainting spirit le)
its cordial essence.
Mr. 41takin tells us that even in the paint-
er faults of character reveal themselves it
the artist's work. Now the Christian min-
ister's entire work demands life in Christi
if this is absent, then no ardour of physical
excitement, no elaborateness of intellectual
effort no mere play of genius, can take its
place ; all will be but as the play of phos
pnorescence on the face of the dead. True
preachers have always been men of vitality.
-[Rev. W. M. Sta.than.
Orders are to be issued, under a decision
of the Russian Senate, that Jewish artisans
may in future only live at places outside the
pale where there are official trade boards.
These exist in only 10 to 15 per cent. of the
towns, and the carrying out of the orders
will enable further great hardship on the
Jews.
A bridegroom in chains was recently mar-
ried in Se Petersburg. Alexander Petro-
vitch had been tried for murder, and sen-
tenced to death; but the sentence was after-
ward commuted to ten years' banishment in
Siberia. He was married in coavict garb,
and, his chains clattered over the church
floor. His bride an -1 he ate a wedding
breakfast, and she will accompany Ptha to
Siberia.
treeetiv
HERM.
Jona'
Sott flaxen haii
Adorns 111;c da.
Rarely has such a W
Along our path wai
With tresses ravishl
Of flaxeL
Sweet eyes of
A gliiripse to u
Beam on through ell
You little dream thzt
Cauc broken hear0
Sweet eyes of
Teeth like he
Befit niy queer
While stern ex periei
The lessons she pre
Guard Lima her pur
Teeth like Llie
Wee dimpled
Ofttime impat
On the broad battle
With every form of
May you be victors
Wee dimpled
Twin fairy fe
Tripping each
That you may neer
Or falter by the nar
We ever fervently
Twin fairy fe
My lassie dea
Brief is the th
Swiftly the golden
All that is mortal s
Improve the monle
My lassie dea
Ye
Long before the
lisp their first int -
mind will have
between "Yes'
important monos
mother's lips, M
the very first, ne
you mean it; and
ing persuade you
the shining blade
a bright pair of sc
ice, the little one
to possess the d
" No, no, baby m
that the desired o
may be, too fragil
wee hands. The
and disappointme
lowed by an outb--
Too often does
to the pleading
is given over to
learns two impor
mother's " No"
secondly that if
badly, the best
Now, I admit
if not impossibl
that the article
is not fit for a -to
easy to teach it th
fused it is no use
This can be done
lovingly, aud the
never be forgc,tten.
A Chap
There is nothi
peace of a pretty
covery of the first
(;ray hairs may be
framing softens th
and adds new de
eyes that flash b
pretty women ar
untii they are ero
sliver tresses. To
kept and smooth s
artifices that every
a wrinkle is an olo
gressive witness,
age in most unpict
vincing as the recoi
or the testimony 01
mother's web is
that you are "just
Johnny,' when pei
younger.
There is no such
wrinkle or coaxing
sions, no dressing i
gauze and frills; n
ed its curves or v.oH
no one ever rea..11v
sucoeeded in banish
it comes uninvitec.
and settles more ed
as you fume and fr
Many remedies
wrinkles have be
writers On the sub,
but the best and s'
not to gct, them,
more easily than
not always the si,
indices of a poorl
vous ternperarnen
habit of excessive
study, and someti
the race. Italia
years often have m
faces than a won-.
possess.
A skin that is
bathed in warm
rubbed to a glow a
soft flannel or tne
ticity and is less
The modern woma
plexities and worri
ed of. If Alexan
average nineteen
manage he would
worlds to conquer,
would have awa.
B t these cares a
ameliorated by ex
with countless gri
feature that invar
vivacity anl swift
in bright, sparkli
ly wrinkled and d
Much of this viva
elevated brows is
1 the more cond
Another habit
ing their faces in
positions when ex
light, all of which
effort, can be con
. -
A very heautif
society woman, t
skin is remarked u
says that whenev
evening she prepa
ception of her dr
out of as hot
smooths it out ov
every part of it,
face for half an h
, it, every wrinkle
An English lad
her lack of wrink
ber having used v
which tightens th
the lines.
Ar other celebr
preservation to ha
cloth or towel on
ways washed it g
ing it off with a s
a soft cloth, and
with a flesh -liras
and very want w
een