Blue Birds' Winter Nest

  CHAPTER XIII

  A WINTER IN THE FROZEN NORTH

  "For ten days that blizzard raged, and I began to think we never wouldget out again. Then one morning Hal called me to see the beautiful snow.I stretched and got up. Hal had managed to chop away some of the driftthat had piled against the door, and after some digging we squeezedthrough an aperture and stood without.

  "My, but it was grand! One great world of sparkling white, with driftedmountains of snow all over. Even our hut was but a smaller drift in thegeneral picture. While I stood and admired, Hal brought out two pailswhich we had had in the canoes, and told me how important it was to getsome water from the stream. We carried the water carefully to the hut,and then I watched Hal set a bear trap, as well as a trap for smallgame.

  "The dogs enjoyed being out once more and lapped the water greedilywhile we filled the buckets. We worked several hours taking wood fromoutside the hut and piling it up on our depleted stack inside. Longbefore we were done, I heard a distant howling, and looked toward Halfor its meaning.

  "'Wolves! They scent our meat,' he said laconically.

  "We managed to fasten our door again, and sat down by the fire while thedogs went over to their corner to sleep.

  "That night the thermometer dropped to thirty degrees below zero andstayed there for a week. Everything that could froze up solid, and thewild beasts could catch no more fish or small game, so took long jauntsaway from their lairs to find food.

  "Inside of forty-eight hours I heard every kind of a growl and howlimaginable, as bears prowled about the hut sniffing at the buried food,or scratching at our hut to get in.

  "'Wish we could get some of 'em in the traps,' I said.

  "'They'd be torn to pieces and soon et up by the other wild beasts,'replied Hal, as he made another notch in a log where he was keepingrecord of the days.

  "It wasn't very pleasant that week, for the room was small, and the dogsand meat began to make the air reek, so we were mighty glad, onemorning, to wake and find it warmer. Without delay, Hal and I choppedthe door out of the ice and snow and got out, followed by the dogs. Theair was still so cold that it felt like a knife going through my lungs,but it was sweet and fresh. The dogs, too, were glad to have a run.

  "The only thing to mark the hut from the other humps of snow round aboutwas the dirty spot where the smoke came out. While we aired the room wecleaned up whatever debris lay about and filled the pails with some icethat Hal chopped out of the frozen stream.

  "Meantime, the dogs were scenting about in the drifts and growling andyelping. Hal looked up and saw that they were off following some tracks.He ran after them for a few rods and then came back, calling them tocome in.

  "'Those were bear tracks,' he explained, as the dogs obeyed mostunwillingly. 'I wish I had some way to trap them without having the furruined by other animals.'

  "'Couldn't you set a trap right in range with the chink of the door, andif you hear other animals about you can shoot them,' I said.

  "'But it would waste a lot of valuable ammunition,' he replied.

  "He set the trap where I had suggested, however, and said he would waitand see what happened.

  "We felt better for that day's fresh air, but the storm settled downagain during the night, and it was several days before it stoppedsnowing. The cold held on longer, but we knew it was clear by the brightgleam of light that filtered through our smoke-hole.

  "'I wonder if we can get out to-day?' I asked, but at the same timehowls were heard coming from the pines.

  "'Guess you will do better to stay in to-day,' smiled Hal.

  "That night we found it impossible to sleep, for the wolves howled madlyjust outside the hut, and some of them pawed at the smoke-hole so thatHal finally picked up a red-hot firebrand and poked it up through theopening just as one of the beasts tried to nose down into the hut. Itmust have caught him well, for he set up a terrific howling.

  "The next night, as the wolves came back again to pay their nightlyvisit, we heard a new growl coming from a distance. I looked at Hal forinformation, and he chuckled with satisfaction.

  "'Ha! I thought so! I was sure a bear would come along before long.'

  "'A bear! Oh, I wish we could get him in that trap!'

  "'Will he attack the wolves?' I asked.

  "'He will come sniffing about that pit for meat, and if the wolvesbother him they will most likely get into trouble,' said Hal, laughing.

  "'Gracious, Hal! S'pose he gets our meat--what will we do?'

  "'We'll have to prevent him from gettin' it, that's all,' said Hal,looking at his rifle to see that it was in good order.

  "'How are you going to do it?'

  "'Shoot him while he's busy with the wolves, or try and get him while heis digging at the pit.'

  "'Wait and try the last plan. Let him kill off a pack of hungry wolves,and when he has driven them away he will come to the pit. Then is yourtime,' I said.

  "'Kid, you're comin' on fine! Another season in the north and you willbe a regular hunter,' laughed Hal.

  "I saw that I pleased the old man, and felt happy that I could do it soeasily. But my attention was attracted by the din of battle outside, ashowls and snarls mixed together so furiously that the dogs huddled downin a corner of the hut and showed their teeth at the doorway.

  "We couldn't tell from the sounds which was being worsted, but the factthat the wolves were so numerous led us to believe that they couldfinally tear to pieces any bear. Then, while we were checking off thehowls, quite a singular snarl came from the opposite direction.

  "We could tell from the noises that another bear had taken a hand in thefight, which continued for a long time. Then all was quiet.

  "All that night we heard something scratching at the door and climbingup to the smoke-hole, but a firebrand always met the inquisitive nose,for we could hear the snarl of rage as a hasty retreat was made. Onequeer thing, though, was the fact that we only heard one beast clawingabout.

  "When light came again, Hal placed his ear to a chink in the door andlistened. He seemed satisfied that the coast was clear, so we started tochop out the snow that bound the door on the outside.

  "We got the door open about an inch, and Hal peeped out, but could seenothing. Then we managed to push it open a little further, and stillnothing but snow was visible.

  "Then suddenly a dark shadow fell across the light from outside. I stoodrigid while Hal took a good aim.

  "'Why don't you shoot?' I cried, as I saw the largest bear I had everseen standing there scenting the air.

  "'He isn't in perfect range yet. I'd only ping him and make him run, ifI shoot now,' whispered Hal, still holding his finger on the trigger.

  "'If he'd only move a foot this way!' I sighed.

  "As if the brute felt my wish, he turned his head in our direction.Instantly a deafening report seemed to blow up the cabin, and powdersmoke hung thick over our heads. The dogs were so startled that theyyelped and rolled over on the floor.

  "There was not a sound from outside, and Hal smiled to himself.

  "'Bet I got him first try. Didn't hear any objections from him, didyou?'

  "'Gee! I wish we could open this door and drag him in before thosewolves come back,' I said, digging frantically.

  "'They won't get back straight off. They have been whipped for the timeand will be feared to try it again unless they get the scent of the deadbears,' said Hal, digging away at the top of the drift while I scoopedat the bottom.

  "We finally managed to open the door enough to get out.

  "The bear had dropped dead in his tracks. At his feet--but out of rangeof the chink of our door--lay the other, literally ripped to pieces bythe wolves during the night's battle. She had put up a fine fight,though, for the area all about her was covered with the bodies of thewolves she had slaughtered, and the snow was all trampled and red.

  "The dogs ran out, their hair bristling along their spines as theysniffed at the carcasses.

  "We heard the wolves' howls from the pine w
oods, so we hurriedly draggedthe bear Hal had shot inside the hut. We put the carcass in one cornerof the room, which left us scarcely enough space to move around in.

  "Hardly had the door been closed before the pack of wolves were upon it,scratching and tearing at the logs.

  "We had a difficult time skinning the bears and trying to cut the steaksproperly; the grease we kept for oil after it had been melted down. Iused to implore Hal to throw out the whole dreadful mess, but he knewthe value of bear-grease and steaks, so kept his own counsel and mindedme not at all.

  "Parts that could not be used, however, and refuse were thrown to thewolves, thus keeping a howling horde of them in our vicinity constantly.This, as it happened, proved our salvation.

  "We sat cross-legged one morning, figuring out by the notch calendar howmany weeks of winter remained. Suddenly a most startling sound roseabove the din of the snarling, fighting beasts outside.

  "A shot rang out, followed by a shrill yelp of pain from one of thebeasts; again a rifle cracked, and one more wolf was struck, judgingfrom the noise and confusion that ensued.

  "Hal and I looked at each other as if in a dream; then we comprehended,and almost choked with joy. The beasts outside slunk away as thestrangers who had dealt death so swiftly among them approached. Hal andI both raised our voices and shouted and called as loudly as we could. Ithought of his rifle, and brought it to him.

  "'Shoot through the rifle-hole in the door,' I said, excitedly.

  "'Sure thing!' he cried, raising his gun to his shoulder and shootingtoward the sky.

  "We heard an answering shot, and then voices approaching to within a fewyards of the hut. We pried the door open far enough to hand out thespade. The unknown visitors already had one spade, and between the twowe were soon excavated, the door was opened, and we leaped forth! Therestood an Indian squaw with a boy of about twelve.

  "Fancy our chagrin and sinking hearts! Hal said afterward that hethought a rescue party had started out to find us, although he knew thiswas practically impossible.

  "The squaw and Hal could speak, after a fashion, and he explained to methat she and her son were hunting the day before, and had been caught bynight's swift approach. They were forced to rest in a cave untilmorning. Here they had to keep the wild animals at bay, although theycould see them moving around in the shadows just outside the circle oftheir campfire, and heard them howling all through the night. When lightcame again, they started to find their way home, and had seen the beastsprowling around a hump in the snow from whence issued a thin stream ofsmoke. They knew immediately that some human being was there, and triedto drive away the animals long enough to investigate.

  "Hal explained how we had come to be there--and how grateful we would beto get away. The squaw managed to tell us that she would return to hertribe at once and find out whether or not we would be welcomed amongthem.

  "Hal made her understand how much money she would have if she would helpus reach Forty-Mile, where he had 'much money' waiting for him in thebank.

  "The squaw had heard of 'Old Hal,' the guide, and was evidentlysurprised to find him lost while so near the trail.

  "'With this kid, I couldn't take any chance at hunting for the trail anylonger,' he explained, 'but decided to follow the most sensible course,and wait until Spring!'

  "We offered the squaw the bear-pelts if she would return with help andrescue us. In the native manner of 'hearing without speaking' shestalked away, and we were not sure as to whether she would return ornot.

  "In a few days, however, we again heard the sound of a shot which camefrom the direction of the woods, and after forcing the door open wefound the squaw with two young men from her tribe.

  "'Trail--him all right,' mumbled the squaw.

  "We found the weather clear enough to enable us to travel, so we packedall of our belongings upon the sledge, leaving the canoe in thesnowbank, where it lay hidden against the house. The bear-steaks werealmost gone, but Hal showed the squaw where the other food was buried,and told her she could use the hut any time she liked. She nodded, andas soon as the dogs were hitched to the sledge, we proceeded on ourjourney, guided by the squaw and the two boys.

  "We had only a few hours in which to travel, but in that time we reachedthe cave the squaw had told us of, and there spent the night. Thefollowing morning, we continued the journey, reaching the village beforedark.

  "The settlement was small, comprising but a dozen families and about sixhuts, but it seemed like a town to us, who had been lost all Winter withnothing but wild animals and snow around us.

  "Our dogs were delighted at being able to join some of their breedagain, and, upon the whole, we were all treated as well as could beexpected.

  "We stayed there for two nights, then made an early start on the thirdmorning for Forty-Mile.

  "The faithful squaw and her two boys accompanied us a short distance,until Hal had gotten his bearings and said he would be all right.

  "We started on the trail at a goodly speed, and reached a smallsettlement by night-fall. The next day we arrived at the first realcolony of white people we had encountered since we left the camp, and aweek after we had left the squaw we came to the town of Forty-Mile,where we filed the papers for the claim Herrick and Dwight had stakedout.

  "Hal knew this was an important matter, and wondered if the rascal whostranded us had found his way to the land-office first.

  "I was sitting in the little smoking-room in the place they called'Hotel' one morning, while Hal was in our room sewing his gold-dust belta bit safer inside of his shirt.

  "I had changed so much in appearance--with a boyish growth of beard overmy chin, and my hair as long as a poet's--that a villainous-looking manwho came in and asked for whiskey failed to recognize me; but I knewhim at once as being the man who had escaped from our canoe.

  "I managed to get out of the room without being seen, and ran to Hal.

  "'What do you think! The murderer is downstairs!'

  "'Who?--Sit down and talk sensible,' said Hal.

  "'One of the Indians who got away from the canoe,' I cried in a hoarsewhisper.

  "Old Hal leaped to his feet. He strapped on his belt and swung his gunover his arm. After making sure his revolver was all right, he creptdownstairs. I was not going to be cheated out of anything as exciting asthis promised to be, so I cautiously followed him.

  "The tavern-keeper and by-standers knew Hal well, and, of course, wouldstake their all on his word; so when he entered the bar-room and cried:'Hands up!' to the Indian, everyone took sides with him, and we soon hadthe fellow safely bound.

  "'Now, let me see those papers you forged for our claims,' snarled Hal,fishing through the man's dirty pockets, but finding nothing.

  "The man's face showed too much elation for an old guide like Hal to befooled, and he ordered the boys standing about to help him strip theIndian, and there--fastened to his back with strips of plaster--werefound the drawings rudely sketched, somewhat like the set of surveys Halhad already filed.

  "They were ripped off and thrown into the fire and the villain waschained to a post out in the shed with the dogs, with his arms tiedbehind him to prevent his escape, until the Sheriff should come in themorning.

  "Hal told the crowd all about the treachery of the Indians, and theypromised to attend to this man after we were gone.

  "A public sledge was about to leave for Dyea in a few days, and Halengaged seats for himself and me. He paid the tavern-keeper to keep thedogs until he returned.

  "I had refrained from asking Hal about my future while there was anydoubt of our getting to the Coast, but this seemed to be the best timeto speak of it.

  "'What you going to do with me?' I asked.

  "'We'll skip right down to Juneau, and see if there are any lettersthere. It all depends,' he replied.

  "In a few days more we reached Dyea, where Hal secured some trustworthymen into whose charge he could commit the mining work. Then we took theboat and started for Juneau.

  "After a rough
voyage of more than ten days, we docked at the wretchedlittle city, and went to the post-office for our mail.

  "Three letters awaited me--but every one of them were from chums to whomI had sent cards from Seattle. My mail had been forwarded to me fromSeattle to Juneau, but there was no word from my parents.

  "As Hal and I stood reading our letters, the postmaster--ashrivelled-up, little old man, peered at me over the rim of hisspectacles, and called out:

  "'Be you the one thet jist got some old letters from the East?'

  "'Yes, sir,' I returned, going over to the counter.

  "'Waal, heah's one thet cum a long time ago, an' I meant to send itback, but somehow fergot it. I cum across it yistiddy, and made up mymind to do somethin' with it sure, so heah ye aire.'

  "With relief I recognized my father's writing, but the letter was datedtwo months previous.

  "I opened the letter and read it through with intense emotion. First, Ilearned that my Mother had died after a brief illness. Next, my Fatherhad lost his fine saw-mill by fire. Third, my oldest sister had married,and the home was broken up, Father having gone to live with her in NewYork.

  "I wondered where I would go if I went home. There was no Motherwaiting, no home, and my Father was in a strange city with hisson-in-law.

  "I turned and handed the letter to Hal. He read and comprehended.

  "'Guess it's Alaska for ye, Kid. Want to go back with me?'

  "Did I?--well, I just guess I did, and I fairly jumped at the hand thatwas held out to me.

  "'Glad myself, Kid, to have you. I sure would have missed you tol'ableef I saw you sailin' away from me, headed for Seattle.'

  "'Hal, will the bosses think it is all right now?' I asked.

  "'Sure thing, when they read this letter, Kid. And, say, I never toldanyone this, but seein' thet I am to be your 'dopted father, now, I mayas well tell yeh--I am to have a tenth-share in the claim up there, and,as my 'dopted son, you come in fer a part of mine--see?'

  "'Hal, do you mean you will take me under your wing?' I cried, allforgetful of the goldmine.

  "This pleased the old guide so much that he laughed as he retorted, 'Iknew I wasn't wrong on the stuff you're made of. That was a lucky daywhen my horse stumbled, eh?' and he slapped me kindly on the back.

  "Well, we went back to Dyea, and waited for a caravan to start on thetrail. We joined the very first one out, and Hal earned our passage andkeep all the way, as guide.

  "We found the camp in excellent condition, and the new miners we hadchosen in place of the villainous Indians proved to be all that could bedesired.

  "Some machinery was purchased by Hal at Dyea, and as soon as it wasdelivered at our camp, all hands set to work.

  "I stayed at that camp with Hal for three years before we sold out ourinterests and took a vacation. The bosses had only remained until thegold was panning out well, then they sent for experts to come and valuethe entire mine.

  "Hal had filed some property claims for himself and me adjoining theDwight mine, and after the experts had rendered their verdict on theproperty we were able to sell them at a big price.

  "Hal and I decided to go to Seattle for a while, and then travel a bit;if we found the life too lazy we could easily get back to Alaska.

  "We put in a year of pleasure-seeking together, but the life and climatewas too mild for the old guide who had always been accustomed to workand cold, and one night I found him breathing hard, and he complained ofpains in his chest. In a week he had passed away, leaving me with all ofhis wealth to add to my own.

  "I had written father, and sent him some money several times during theyear, and now I wrote to tell him I was coming home.

  "Needless to say, we were overjoyed to see each other again, and then Itold him I was going to take him on a little trip.

  "We went straight to our old home town, and to his surprise I took himto the old homestead where I was born, telling him that I hadrepurchased it from the folks who had bought it from him. He trembledwith happiness as we entered the door and found all of the familiar oldfurniture there, too. Above all, there stood his maiden-sister, in thedining-room door, smiling a welcome!

  "I explained how I had found Aunt Delia, and made her promise to keephouse for him, and how we had collected the old furniture that thevillage-folks bought when mother died. I was always thankful that mymoney enabled me to make his last days happy."