II
WF.ST SIIOKK.
while we scramble a k-- n I l m k in more assuring, ami
though tin shaggy head rest iim if asleep in the warm
sunshine, iMiiething in tin expression ami attitude in
duced tin to utti-r a trial shout which elicited no reme
from llrcr U'ar. Instantly relieved, ami laughing at
our fear, we slid down I lie loie ami landed beside a
Imp' iefiutcn of tln most formidable of all the wilil
animal of tin' Itockies a silver-tip grizzly whose
long claw tt ml sharp teeth gave evidence of having
done good ncrviiv. Ah fit t iih butter, ami meing a
tlm k coat of fur tlmt would have Holil for a small for
tuiii' in a New York furrier', he seem ready for hi
long winter' nap. Rolling him over, we could liml no
bullet hole, no mark of violence; the only nignn of in
jury Is-ing a few ilro.H of hloo Itcncath his glistening
black now, Tlmt he had been dead hut a hurt time
wan certain, for there wr Hies, and the carcass wan
fresh and milurul liMikiiig.
How had h- met It in death ? wan the iit-ht inn we
asked each other, and at first it xecmcd ai, enigma.
Itiit, stranger still, Inside him lay the decaying rcniaiiiH
of yet another War, also grizxly, and alsive thin a few
yard up the gulch, the fur and honcx of other Learn,
live skeletons being counted, beside the rib and
shoulder hladenof an elk While looking at the strange
ight, reminding one of the death-chamber of the Chi
new or the hurial place of the I'arwe. we liml oiirselvc
faint and diiy. and suddenly realize our own danger.
Climbing iiti kly up the o.e until the fresh bnvzo r
store .iiir strength, (he mystery i ved. It in carlxmic
acid ga that had filled our lung, and, had it overcome
u. might have adde our skeleton to those of its vie
tin. now lying in the gulch. IVsccmling mn, we
risk .wihle asphyxiation to tent the gait with a strip
of liKht.l hht, which it quickly extinguishes-con-(Inning
our U lief an to it prewi.ee. AHlVl, ,. t.j k
U.e. we fmind wveral d. ad birds, a rock hare au.
i.umen.u lifeless hutterllien, M.idc H r., Hl,uirrel-a
pretty little fellow. ,uti;. tcd. ,ke the ..(hern, while
crowing lite gulch
The explanation i, ,, jm., Vfm
prmg which oihv U fn.t., thew ,o,., are
tiling, of the I'Ut leave their reofd j their debits
and the white slo,,-, of d.vo,,(i r,,.k . , i(,v
.u.vmW l.y invisible ei,1(,,m,io1,((f(!a, Ml!linlv
doubu.rWnic acid Thi.,a.i,W(.ktlrtI1 ihi;;..,r
than .r and .f emitted ahun-htntly. w, c,vt in hu
'""I-. iM nv animal
unwary cough lo venture ., ,. rvit,
..riMUlU.lMnll,,,!,',,,), hwaatl,,,,!,,!
the remain, of Mich m,flml). lM x
hr., iH.r. wlp. Mam. . rv,M itl lllfI ,
The guhh i, thth-fiirr, a vcrii.il, ;,. d.th
trap..,h.r,H hot,w, VMm
j I lastening from this scone of desolation to the beach
I hImivo, we are in thick pine tiniW, whose balnani odor
in refreshing to our lungs, while the shrill chirrup of!
squirrel, scolding at our intrusion of his estate, and the
noisy call of a Canada jay, assure us that we are be
yond the reach of the invisible hand of Death, and
again in the land of the living.
THE SALMON PACK.
Til V. salmon season on the Columbia came to an end
hy law at midnight on the .'list of July, and the
season's pack approximated IW(),(X)0 cases, the
smallest pack for many years. In several re
spirts this has been the poorest season known on the
river. The cost of a case of salmon tt) the packer lian
been in excess of any previous year, reaching a total
of M.ihi, being at least $1.(10 more than last year.
This has lieen caused chielly by the forced raise in the
price paid for lish, 11.40 each, the highest previous
price being $1.00. Notwithstanding this increase in
price, lishcrmcn have not done well, the average catch
for the season U-ing but MO lish to the boat. Neither
have the traps ami Hiund nets done as well as was ex
pn'tcd. Taken altogether, the outlook is not bright
for this industry so long as natural propagation is re
li' d iiK,n. Happily, this fact has been recognized hy
the state legislature and the ollicers of the U. S. lish
commission, and an appropriation made by the former
placed the Clackamas hatchery in operating condition,'
d this year millions of fry were turned into the river
hy the employes of the latter, who had charge of the
liatdiery. Preparations are being made to largely in
rcase the number f r,h hatched, and the indication
re that in a few years the Columbia and itH tributa
ry will nguin swarm with the ttrnthsome salmon.
Meanwhile, as the lish do not return to the river for
four r live years after Wing hatched, two or three more
w'asonsof,, linht run may reasonably Im anticipated.
l''"'rtH from Alaska are to the effect that more can
" nes are at work there than last season, and the total
l"''k iH probably reach oOO.OOO cases. (Juite a con
trast with the Columbia is Fraser river, where the run
"f lu,o s.rms to . the largest known for many
y-ars. and the canneries are literally swamped with
II"' pack will I. eary mm faH((, an,
,M,rr,'l' 'f Halt salmon. It js t,H, early in the season to
""Yth.ng ,i,tilliu RlHlllt th(l p;(,k on llu, (ithl.r
' H"""""l1 ,m.v" "f Oregon and Washington, where
lts until lte in the fall. Figures of tho
-k are (lt y,t nt lluI)(,t llllt i( ,VUM
iHthat ll... t..tHl,,!U.k of the coast this year will 8P
; """t;- eases, having a total value a,,
I'roMuiatmgr.iMl.iM).