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TEAM LinG
 ® ®

ADOBEREVEALED
PREMIERE PRO 2.0

Chris Botello
Contributing Editor, Ann Fisher

TEAM LinG
Publisher and General Manager of PTR: Contributing Editor: Project Editor:
Stacy L. Hiquet Ann Fisher Cathleen Snyder
Director of Marketing: Acquisitions Editor: Interior Layout Tech:
Sarah O’Donnell Megan Belanger William Hartman
Marketing Manager: QA Manuscript Reviewers: Cover Design:
Heather Hurley John Freitas, Serge Palladino Steve Deschene
Manager of Editorial Services:
Heather Talbot

COPYRIGHT © 2006 Thomson Course For permission to use material from this other countries. Third party products,
Technology PTR. text or product, contact us by services, company names, logos, design,
titles, words, or phrases within these
Printed in the United States of America. Tel (800) 730-2214
materials may be trademarks of their
Fax (800) 730-2215
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 PH 09 08 07 06 respective owners.
www.thomsonrights.com
For more information, contact Thomson Credit
Course Technology, 25 Thomson Place, Trademarks All movie stills courtesy of Photofest, New
Boston, Massachusetts, 02210. Or find us Some of the product names and com- York, NY.
on the World Wide Web at: pany names used in this book have been
Disclaimer
www.courseptr.com used for identification purposes only and
Course Technology reserves the right to
may be trademarks or registered trade-
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this revise this publication and make changes
marks of their respective manufacturers
work covered by the copyright hereon from time to time in its content without
and sellers.
may be reproduced or used in any form notice.
or by any means—graphic, electronic, or Adobe® Premiere® Pro, the Partnering
ISBN 1-59863-028-8
mechanical, including photocopying, with Adobe logo, Adobe® Photoshop®,
recording, taping, Web distribution, or and Adobe® Illustrator® are trademarks Library of Congress Catalog Card
information storage and retrieval sys- or registered trademarks of Adobe Number: 2005929810
tems—without the written permission of Systems, Inc. in the United States and/or
the publisher.

Thomson Course Technology PTR, a division of Thomson Course Technology

25 Thomson Place ■ Boston, MA 02210 ■ http://www.courseptr.com

TEAM LinG
Revealed Series Vision Author’s Vision And those are just the highlights! I think
The Revealed series is your guide to Pause for just a moment and consider you’ll have a blast.
today’s hottest multimedia applications. how cool it is that you can edit your own
I want to thank Megan Belanger, who
These comprehensive books teach the video footage and create movies on your
shepherded the book through its many
skills behind the application, showing own computer. In the ten years since I
stages, and Thomson Course Technology
you how to apply smart design principles first began playing with Adobe Premiere,
PTR, for their vision and for their enthu-
to multimedia products, such as dynamic computers have become faster, hard
siastic and dedicated staff who faced the
graphics, animation, Web sites, software drive storage has become larger, and the
many quality control challenges of pro-
authoring tools, and digital video. ability to connect your video camera to
ducing this book.
your computer has become as easy as
A team of design professionals, including
plug-and-play. And so, with Adobe I also want to acknowledge the QA man-
multimedia instructors, students,
Premiere Pro, the fantasy has become a uscript reviewers for their input: John
authors, and editors, worked together
reality: You can edit your own movies— Freitas and Serge Palladino. Special
to create this series. We recognized
real movies—with transitions, titles, and thanks to David Rajter of Groovepod
the unique needs of the multimedia
effects. Experience for his great music and the
market and created a series that gives
song “Touch Another,” which was used
you comprehensive step-by-step instruc- This book is a series of exercises that will
for the audio component of many exer-
tions and offers an in-depth explanation take you on a fully guided tour of
cises. Last but not least, this book is ded-
of the “why” behind a skill, all in a clear, Premiere Pro 2.0—from basic concepts
icated to my friend, location manager,
visually-based layout. to complex techniques—all with a
camera operator, dog wrangler, and lead
hands-on approach.
It was our goal to create a book that actor, Bill Miltenberger.
speaks directly to the multimedia and I had fun writing this. I had fun shooting
design community—one of the most rap- the video footage that you’ll be working Step-by-Step Instructions
idly growing computer fields today. We with, and I had fun putting together the This book combines in-depth conceptual
feel that Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 exercises that you will follow. You’ll cre- information with concise steps to help
Revealed does just that—with sophisti- ate a colorful countdown video, edit you learn Premiere Pro 2.0. Each set of
cated content and an instructive book breathtaking footage of hang gliders fly- steps guides you through a lesson where
design. ing over the beach in San Diego, and you will create, modify, or enhance a
watch kids having fun at an amusement Premiere Pro 2.0 file. Step references to
—The Revealed Series
park. large images and quick step summaries
round out the lessons.

TEAM LinG
 Read This Before You Begin x LESSON 3
Explore the Source and Program Monitors 16
C O N T E N T S

Working in the Source Monitor 16

Working in the Program Monitor 17
Chapter 1
Understanding Preview Controls on the Source and
Getting Started with Adobe Program Monitors 18
Premiere Pro 2.0 1 Understanding Time Controls on the Source and Program
Monitors 19
Welcome to Premiere Pro 2.0! 2 Steps: Preview clips in the Source Monitor 20
Preview contents of the Timeline in the Program Monitor 21
LESSON 1
Explore the Premiere Pro Workspace 4 LESSON 4
Exploring the Workspace 4 Examine the Timeline Elements 22
Using Default Preferences 6 Defining the Role of the Timeline 22
Working in Premiere Pro 7 Working with the Timeline 23
Steps: Start Adobe Premiere Pro 9 Working with Frame Rates 23
Working with Timecode 25
LESSON 2
Entering Timecode 26
Work in the Project Panel 10
Zooming In 26
Defining the Role of the Project Panel 10 Steps: Work in the Timeline 27
Working in the Project Panel 10 Chapter Summary 28
Steps: Explore List View options 12
Explore Icon View options 14
Import clips into the Project panel 15

iv Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 Revealed TEAM LinG Contents

 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

C O N T E N T S
Working with Clips 31 Working with Transitions 59

LESSON 1 LESSON 1
Import Source Clips 34 Understand Video Transitions 62
Using the Import Command 34 Working with Video Transitions 62
Organizing the Project Panel with Bins 35 Setting the Default Video Transition 63
Assigning Label Colors to Items in the Project Panel 36
LESSON 2
Steps: Import files and folders 37
Add Video Transitions to Clips in the Timeline 64
Create new bins and store clips 38
Using the Effects Workspace 64
LESSON 2 Adding Video Transitions to Clips in the Timeline 64
Work with Still Images 40 Steps: Align a transition to the end of a clip 66
Changing the Duration of Still Images 40 Align a transition to the beginning of a clip and
Working with Parameters for Frames 41 between two clips 68
Setting the Aspect Ratio in Other Applications 43 Apply the default video transition using the Automate
Steps: Modify the default duration of still clips 44 to Sequence command 69
Explore frame parameters of a clip and view pixel
LESSON 3
aspect ratio of a still image 45
Modify Video Transitions 70
LESSON 3 Replacing Transition Instances 70
Bring Clips into the Timeline 46 Modifying Transitions 70
Adding Clips to the Timeline 46 Steps: Replace transitions in the Timeline 72
Inserting Clips between Clips in the Timeline 46 Modify video transitions in the Effect Controls panel 74
Adding Clips Using the Automate to Sequence Command 47
LESSON 4
Steps: Add clips to the Timeline 48
Set the Work Area Bar and Create Previews 76
Use the Automate to Sequence command 50
Generating a Preview 76
LESSON 4 Setting the Work Area Bar 76
Manipulate Clips in the Timeline 52 Steps: Set the work area bar and create a preview 78
Removing Clips from the Timeline 52 Chapter Summary 80
Moving Clips within the Timeline 53
Steps: Remove clips from the Timeline 54
Rearrange clips in the Timeline 55
Chapter Summary 56

Contents Adobe PremiereTEAM

Pro 2.0LinG
Revealed v
 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
C O N T E N T S

Exploring Essential Editing Working with Audio 113

Techniques 83
LESSON 1
LESSON 1 Investigate Audio Clip Properties 116
Trim Video Clips 86 Understanding Properties of Audio Clips 116
Trimming Video Clips 86 Working with Audio Clips in the Timeline 119
Setting In and Out Points in the Source Monitor 86 Steps: Work with an audio clip 120
Modifying Trimmed Clips in the Source Monitor 87
LESSON 2
Trimming Clips in the Timeline 89 Extract Audio 122
Steps: Trim video clips in the Source Monitor 92
Working with Audio Clips 122
Trim video clips in the Timeline 94
Previewing Audio Clips 122
LESSON 2 Trimming Audio Clips 123
Insert and Overlay Clips 96 Extract One or Multiple Segments from an Audio Clip 124
Inserting Clips from the Source Monitor 96 Trimming Audio Clips in the Timeline 124
Overlaying Clips from the Source Monitor 98 Steps: Preview and trim an audio clip in the Source Monitor 125
Working with Multiple Video Tracks 99 Trim an audio clip in the Timeline 128
Using the Razor Tool 99
LESSON 3
Steps: Insert clips from the Source Monitor 101 Unlink Audio from Video and Adjust Volume 130
Overlay clips in the Timeline 104
Working with Linked Audio and Video 130
Work with multiple video tracks 105
Using the Toggle Take Audio and Video Button 131
LESSON 3 Adjusting the Volume of Audio Clips and Audio Tracks 132
Perform a Ripple Edit and a Rolling Edit 106 Steps: Work with linked audio and video clips 134
Using the Ripple Edit Tool 106 LESSON 4
Performing a Rolling Edit 107 Apply and Modify Audio Effects 136
Steps: Perform a ripple edit 108
Applying Audio Effects 136
Perform a rolling edit 109
Working with the Highpass and Lowpass Audio Effects 137
Chapter Summary 111
Steps: Apply the Lowpass audio effect 138
Apply the Reverb audio effect 140
Chapter Summary 142

vi Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 Revealed TEAM LinG Contents

 Chapter 6 Chapter 7

C O N T E N T S
Exploring Advanced Editing Working with Titles 179
Techniques 145
LESSON 1
LESSON 1 Create and Use Titles 182
Edit Using Marker Menu Options 148 Working with Title Designer 182
Using Markers 148 Creating Text in Title Designer 184
Nudging Clips in the Timeline 150 Showing Video in the Title Designer Window 184
Steps: Set markers and align clips using markers 151 Sampling Colors with the Eyedropper Tool 185
Create an edit using markers 154 Adding Shadows to Text and Objects 185
Creating and Applying Styles 186
LESSON 2
Understanding Title Window Transparency 187
Use the Extract and Lift Buttons 156
Understanding Safe Title and Safe Action Margins 188
Using the Extract Button 156 Steps: Create text in Title Designer 190
Using the Lift Button 157 Add title clips to the Timeline 192
Steps: Use the Lift button 158 Create a drop shadow and a new style 194
Use the Extract button 159
LESSON 2
LESSON 3 Create Graphics in Title Designer 196
Change a Clip’s Rate 160
Creating Graphics 196
Creating Slow-Motion and Fast-Motion Effects 160 Understanding Opacity 196
Steps: Create a slow-motion effect 162 Creating Gradients 197
Create a fast-motion effect 165 Arranging Objects in Title Designer 199
LESSON 4 Steps: Create a shape 200
Use the Slide and Slip Tools 166 Adjust opacity and create a gradient 202
Using the Slide Tool 166 LESSON 3
Using the Slip Tool 167 Insert Logos into Title Designer 204
Steps: Use the Slide Tool 168 Inserting Logos 204
Use the Slip Tool 170 Steps: Insert a logo into a title 206
LESSON 5 Chapter Summary 208
Work in the Trim Monitor 172
Editing in the Trim Monitor 172
Steps: Synchronize and edit clips in the Trim Monitor 174
Perform an interactive rolling edit in the Trim View 176
Chapter Summary 177

Contents TEAM
Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 LinG
Revealed vii
 Chapter 8 Chapter 9
C O N T E N T S

Working with Video Effects 211 Animating Clips 247

LESSON 1 LESSON 1
Work with Video Effects 214 Animate a Clip Using Keyframes 250
Working with the Effects Panel 214 Identifying the Role of Animation 250
Applying Video Effects 215 Identifying Properties to Animate 252
Modifying Video Effects 216 Adding Keyframes to a Clip 253
Applying the Emboss Effect 219 Steps: Add keyframes to a clip 256
Modifying an Embossed Clip with the Levels Effect 220 Animate two properties of a clip 259
Modifying the Opacity of a Clip 220
LESSON 2
Steps: Apply video effects 222
Modify Keyframes 262
Modify video effects 224
Apply the Emboss effect and rename tracks 225 Modifying Keyframes 262
Modify an embossed clip with the Levels effect 226 Copying and Pasting Keyframes 263
Steps: Adjust keyframe locations 264
LESSON 2 Copy and paste a keyframe 266
Use Advanced Video Effect Techniques 228
LESSON 3
Understanding the Tint Effect 228
Animate a Video Effect 268
Changing the Order of Applied Effects 228
Understanding the Color Replace Effect 228 Working with Keyframes and Video Effects 268
Copying Effects between Clips 229 Using Presets 269
Changing Video Effect Settings in the Timeline 229 Steps: Animate a video effect using keyframes 270
Steps: Apply the Tint effect 230 Use a preset to animate a video effect 273
Change the order of applied effects 231 Chapter Summary 274
Use the Color Replace effect 232
Copy video effects between clips 233
LESSON 3
Use Keying Effects 234
Understanding Transparency Keys 234
Making Clips Transparent 235
Using Keys 236
Using the Multiply Key Effect 236
Using the Garbage Matte Effect 236
Steps: Use the Multiply Key effect 238
Make a white background transparent 241
Chapter Summary 244

viii Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 Revealed TEAM LinG Contents

 Chapter 10

C O N T E N T S
Exploring Export Options 277

LESSON 1
Export a Movie and a Frame 280
Exporting a Movie 280
Exporting a Frame 282
Steps: Export a movie 283
Export a frame 285
LESSON 2
Export an Edit Decision List 286
Exporting an Edit Decision List 286
Steps: Export to an EDL 289
LESSON 3
Export a Filmstrip 290
Exporting a Filmstrip 290
Steps: Export a Filmstrip 292
Chapter Summary 293

Glossary 295
Index 300

Contents TEAM
Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 LinG
Revealed ix
 Opening Data Files Working with a Complex Restoring Preferences
Premiere Pro project files have been sup- Timeline Preferences settings offer you options for
R E A D

plied for working with the exercises in The bulk of the work done in Premiere customizing your workspace and choos-
this book. Premiere Pro files work with Pro occurs in the Timeline. You will find ing defaults (such as default fonts or
source clips. Source files are video files, that Premiere Pro’s Timeline is well- default functions within a panel), among
audio clips, still images, or titles that are designed, straightforward, and intuitive. many other options. As you choose pref-
housed in the Project panel and can be However, as you create increasingly com- erences in Premiere Pro, those settings
T H I S

moved to the Timeline to be part of a plex programs, you may find it challeng- are recorded and saved in a preferences
video program. These clips are not them- ing to manage the contents of the file. Each time you start Premiere Pro,
selves the Premiere Pro file; they are Timeline. For example, as you add clips, the preferences file is referred to in order
imported into the Premiere Pro file. you will find that you need to scroll left to maintain your last settings.
and right to view all the clips in the pro-
B E F O R E

Every source clip for the exercises in this The easiest way to revert to default pref-
gram. As you add tracks, you will need to
book is located in a single folder—named erences is to press and hold [Shift] [Ctrl]
scroll up and down to see the multiple
Source Clips—on the CD that comes throughout the startup of the Premiere
tracks. There will be many times in this
with this book. Having every source clip Pro application.
book when you’ll be encouraged to zoom
in this single location should make it
in on the Timeline for a better view of its
very easy to locate source clips. Working with Preferences for
contents. To do so, drag the Zoom Slider
Still Images
When you open a Premiere Pro Data File, in the left corner of the Timeline panel.
Y O U

When a still image is imported into the

it needs to load all of the source clips Scroll bars are available to scroll verti-
Project panel, it is imported at a duration
used in the exercise. Most Data Files cally through the Timeline when multi-
that is specified by a preference setting.
already contain imported clips. To locate ple tracks are being used.
This setting is found by clicking Edit on
all of the clips used in a Data File, you
the menu bar, pointing to Preferences,
B E G I N

should navigate to the Source Clips

then clicking General. The default dura-
folder and select the first item being
tion of a still image is 30 frames. To
asked for. Premiere Pro will then find all
change the duration, enter a new num-
of the additional source clips in the same
ber of frames in the Still Image Default
location, if necessary. Click OK and the
Duration text box. This preference set-
Data File will finish opening.
ting is important when working with
titles. Titles are, by definition, still
images. Thus, when they are created,
their duration is that which has been set
in the General preferences window.

x Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 Revealed TEAM

Read ThisLinG
Before You Begin
Generating a Preview and Choosing the Workspace Working with Fonts
Render-Scrubbing The workspace is the arrangement of In Chapter 7, you will work with titles

R E A D
When you generate a preview, Premiere panels on your computer screen. There and be asked to choose fonts. If you do
Pro plays the contents of the Timeline— are four types of editing workspaces: not have the font or fonts available on
at the intended frame rate—in the Editing, Effects, Audio, and Color your computer, feel free to substitute one
Program Monitor. Depending on the Correction. The Editing workspace is of your fonts that would also work.
complexity of the program and the speed efficient when you are doing just that—

T H I S
of your computer, generating a preview editing. However, if you are working with
can be time consuming. audio, you’ll want to switch to the Audio
workspace. This workspace features the
Often, an exercise will call for the user to
Audio Mixer front and center above the
generate a preview along the way—
Timeline. The Effects workspace is great

B E F O R E
before the exercise itself is completed—
for adding and modifying video or audio
to preview an effect or an edit. If doing so
effects to clips in the Timeline. You can
requires 30 seconds to a minute, you
drag effects from the Effects panel on the
should go ahead and generate the pre-
left directly to the Timeline on the right.
view. However, if generating the preview
The Effect Controls panel sits directly
becomes overly time consuming, you can
above the Timeline so that you can easily
simply render-scrub to preview the effect.
make modifications to an effect over and

Y O U
Render-scrubbing is done by dragging
over. Throughout this book, you are
the Current time indicator over the
asked to choose various workspaces;
frames in the Timeline.
however, it’s best for you to work in the
Previewing is a memory-intensive func- one most comfortable for you.

B E G I N
tion. For that reason, the source clips
supplied for the exercises have been
saved at minimal file sizes. Nevertheless,
previewing video requires substantial
memory; if your computer is having
trouble when previewing, or if the pre-
view itself is choppy, the problem is most
likely insufficient computer memory.

Read This Before You Begin TEAM

Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 LinG
Revealed xi
TEAM LinG
 A D O B E
chapter

1
P R E M I E R E
GETTING STARTED
WITH ADOBE
PREMIERE PRO 2.0

P R O
1. Explore the Premiere Pro workspace.

2 . 0
2. Work in the Project panel.

3. Explore the Source and Program Monitors.

4. Examine the Timeline elements.

1 TEAM LinG
chapter

1 GETTING STARTED
WITH ADOBE
PREMIERE PRO 2.0

Welcome to Premiere Pro 2.0!

You couldn’t have picked a better time or
anybody who is into movies or video, it’s
pretty much a dream application. Premiere
place to develop your skills with digital Pro’s role—its function—is very focused.
video editing. Premiere Pro is a profes- Premiere Pro makes movies. As you learn
sional digital video editing application cre- its functions and abilities, you will come to
ated by Adobe Systems Incorporated. If this appreciate that it is dynamic in both its
name is familiar to you, that’s because role and its scope and can be a conduit for
Adobe is an award-winning producer of stunning visual artistry. Premiere Pro is a
graphics software for the personal com- place where you gather loose artwork—
puter. There’s a pretty good chance that video clips, bitmap images, and vector
you have already been introduced to other graphics—and bring them together to cre-
Adobe software products, such as ate a whole new video product.
Photoshop or Illustrator. Like those two
Premiere Pro brings your artwork to life.
products, Premiere Pro is smart, fun, and
boasts an intuitive workspace design. For

2 TEAM LinG
 Another Random Document on
Scribd Without Any Related Topics
 I saw my first game when about a mile from my cabin—a sleek,
red fox—which trotted out of the woods ahead and stopped short
and gazed at me curiously as his keen nose caught my scent.
Hastily fitting an arrow to my bow, I drew it to the head and let
drive at Reynard, but at the twang of the bowstring he was up and
away like a flash of red light, and the whizzing, stone-tipped arrow
buried itself harmlessly in the snow. I was somewhat disappointed,
but I was also encouraged when I found the arrow had struck fair
and square exactly where the fox had stood, for I knew then that
there was no question of the accuracy of my weapons.
It took me a long time to dig the arrow out, for it had penetrated
several feet of snow, but I recovered it at last and resumed my
tramp. Soon after this I started a white hare from a clump of
drooping evergreen boughs and marked him down where he
squatted beside a fallen branch, a score of paces distant. Had I not
actually seen him stop I should never have been able to distinguish
him, for his white fur rendered him invisible against the snow, and
only by keeping my eyes fixed upon him could I be sure of his
presence. As the speeding arrow struck home there was a little
commotion in the snow and, hurrying forward, I found the hare
pierced through and through. It was really an excellent shot, and I
felt wonderfully proud of my skill as I slung the hare at my belt and
continued on my way.
I had traveled perhaps three miles from my cabin when the
woods came suddenly to an end and I found myself standing at the
edge of a large clearing. I was so absolutely dumfounded that I
could scarce believe my eyes, for scattered about the clearing were
half a dozen log houses. I cannot describe the sensations that swept
over me in the few brief minutes that I stood there, gazing
speechless at the tiny settlement. Mingled with my overwhelming joy
at sight of the buildings was a feeling of chagrin to think that I had
lived alone for months, had suffered agonies, and had endured
hardships and privations, when by an hour’s walk I could have been
once more among my fellow-men.
 With a loud halloo I hurried forward, and then, for the first time, I
noticed that no smoke rose from the chimneys of the log buildings,
that the smooth expanse of snow was unbroken by human footprints
or trodden paths, and that no yelping curs—invariable accessories to
outlying settlements—disputed my approach.
Before I reached the first house my spirits fell, for I realized that
the place was deserted, that no human being was there to welcome
me, and a sort of vague fear crept over me. There was something
unnatural, something “creepy,” mysterious, and weird about this
lifeless village in the wilderness, and as I reached the first building I
hesitated to push open the door for dread of what I might find
within.
But I had no need to fear; the house was empty, although
garments hung upon the walls, the bunks were filled with moldy
bedding, and utensils and rude furniture were scattered about. My
curiosity now overcame my groundless fears and I made the rounds
of the entire settlement, but in every building it was the same—not a
sign of life anywhere—and yet somehow I felt convinced that human
beings had been there not long before. Where they had gone, what
had caused them to leave, was a mystery, for the buildings were in
good repair, there was an abundance of timber all about, and a few
dry corn-stalks projecting above the snow showed that the former
inhabitants had cultivated the ground. That it was a permanent
settlement and not a temporary wood-cutters’ camp was evident, for
articles of feminine apparel were upon the walls of some of the
houses and a few cheap toys were in two of the dwellings.
The buildings were so much better than my little cabin, that for a
moment I considered moving my belongings and taking possession
of the place, but the thought had scarcely entered my mind when I
realized that I would feel far more lonely and depressed when
surrounded by the silent, deserted houses than in my own cabin in
the heart of the woods. But if I could not consider taking up my
quarters in the village, I could at least make my life far easier by
helping myself to the many useful articles the former inhabitants had
left. Thus thinking, I started toward the first house, determined to
make a systematic search of every building.
I was about half-way across an open space near the center of the
clearing, which I supposed had been cultivated land, when the toe
of my snow-shoe caught upon some object and I plunged forward
into the snow. Picking myself up, I glanced around to see what had
thus tripped me, and to my surprise saw a hewn timber, or plank,
projecting through the snow.
Curious to learn what this meant, I dug away the snow about it
and in a few moments disclosed a second timber nailed at right
angles to the first. There was no doubt about it—the object over
which I had stumbled was a cross! At first its import did not dawn
upon me. No doubt, I thought, the inhabitants had been French
Canadians and had erected the cross above a little shrine, and,
rising, I passed around it and was about to continue on my way
when I caught a glimpse of letters cut into the wood. Scraping away
the ice and snow which half concealed them, I studied the
inscription for a moment and a wave of deadly horror swept over
me, for, in rudely carved, misspelled words I read the following:
Joseph and Marie Bemis His Wife
Dead of Smallpox October 25
God Have Mercy on Their Souls
Instantly I realized why the village was deserted, why no human
being was there, why clothing, household goods, and even the
children’s toys had been left behind. The place had been swept by
the plague and those who survived, if indeed any had escaped, had
left the stricken spot to its silent dead.
And with the thought came terror; all unwittingly I had exposed
myself to the awful malady. I had entered the houses reeking with
pestilence, had inhaled the stale air within the buildings where men
and women had breathed their last, and had handled the very
clothes and bedding which had covered their bodies during illness
and death. Beyond a doubt I had already contracted the dread
disease; by now the germs of smallpox might be coursing through
my blood. Sick at the thought of what my fate might be and haunted
by the specter of loathsome death that stalked in the silent village, I
turned and dashed madly back along the trail.
From my path a flock of partridges whirred up and, perching upon
a near-by tree, gazed curiously at the fur-clad being stumbling
headlong through the woods. A hare leaped from the snow and
scampered to one side within easy bow-shot; but I heeded neither
bird nor beast, for my one thought was to leave the accursed
buildings behind, to regain my cabin, and to throw myself upon my
rude bunk to await the deadly sickness I felt sure would be my fate.
Breathless, exhausted, and panting I reached the hut, threw off
my outer garments, and huddled in my bed to spend an awful
afternoon and night, as, alternately shaking with cold chills and
burning with fever, I waited for the first symptoms of the malady.
To add to my misery the lynx howled in the woods near by, and in
its awful cries I seemed to hear a dire foreboding of my death; a
note of triumphant malice, as if the creature knew my plight and
realized that ere long I would be helpless, that, ill and dying, I could
offer no resistance, and that, tearing his way through the flimsy roof,
he could spring on me and glut himself upon my wasted flesh.
Like some terrible nightmare the long hours passed, for I was
more terrified than ever before in my life, and no savage creature,
no danger of the forest, not even the dread of losing my foot, had
filled me with such mortal fear as the thought of lying alone and
uncared for in my hut while dying slowly of the smallpox.
But toward morning sheer exhaustion compelled me to sleep, and
the day was well advanced when I again awoke. Then, feeling
strong, hungry, and as well as ever, much of my first fear left me
and, pulling myself together, I looked the matter squarely in the
face.
After all, I reasoned, I might not have contracted the disease. I
had been vaccinated a few years before, and even if this was no
longer efficacious I might be naturally immune to smallpox. And
then another cheering thought came to me. Perhaps the two who
had died were the only victims and the others had left before the
disease had spread. Moreover, I now remembered there was no date
other than October 25 upon the rude epitaph, and, for all I knew,
the cross might have been erected several years before and the
village might have been occupied for long thereafter by healthy
people. All these sensible thoughts comforted and cheered me and
revived my spirits greatly. I decided there was no use of worrying
over what might never happen and that if I had contracted the
disease there would be time enough to fear the results when
sickness came on.
Meanwhile I was busily preparing my breakfast, for I was very
hungry, having quite forgotten to eat during my fright the day
before. I was half through my meal when a new idea came to me.
I had found this very cabin deserted. Was it not probable that its
occupants had also been afflicted with smallpox? For an instant I
was quite overcome with the thought that I might have been
dwelling for many weeks where people had suffered or died with the
contagious disease, but the next moment I burst into a hearty laugh,
for I realized that if, as I suspected, there had been smallpox in the
cabin, the fact that I had not contracted it was proof that I had little
need to fear. Thus reassured and casting all worry aside, I gathered
up my weapons and went forth to search for game.
This morning I decided to take a new route and to cross the lake,
which, I felt sure, was frozen hard enough to bear my weight in
safety, for I still had a lingering feeling that the way to the
settlements lay across the lake, and I was anxious to explore the
farther side.
Traveling upon the smooth, unobstructed surface of the lake was
easy, and I soon reached the opposite shores. I found the forest far
heavier here, while rocky ledges, cliffs, and ravines made travel very
difficult. In fact, I found it impossible to penetrate far into the
woods, and in the hopes of finding some trail, pass, or opening I
skirted the shore of the lake from one end to the other. But
everywhere I found the same wild, impassable country, and,
becoming firmly convinced that the settlements did not lie in this
direction, I headed around the upper end of the lake toward home.
 I had seen no game during my tramp, although tracks of foxes,
hares, and other creatures were numerous, and, reaching my own
side of the lake, I entered the forest and proceeded to seek carefully
for game. I had walked for some distance and was well within the
woods when I again felt the sensation of being followed and
watched which I had experienced when dragging home the deer. At
first I thought this was pure imagination, for I had seen no signs of
lynx tracks in the vicinity, but nevertheless, I could not resist the
desire to glance furtively about from time to time. Finally the feeling
became so strong that it got upon my nerves and almost
unconsciously I began to swing around on my tracks toward my
cabin. Presently I came upon my own trail, and then I knew for a
certainty that instinct had not played me false, for beside the broad,
oval marks of my snow-shoes were the unmistakable tracks of the
lynx. The beast was trailing me! At first I felt fear, but this quickly
gave way to anger at the lynx for daring to track me, and I became
possessed with the determination to slay him and be rid of his
presence once and for all.
To attempt to approach within reach of the lynx would, I felt, be
useless, and I knew he was far too sagacious to be caught in my
traps. I decided to match my own skill and cunning against his and
to bring him to his death through his own persistence in following
me.
Carefully stepping in my former tracks I continued on for some
distance and then, turning about, retraced my steps, still stepping in
the marks already made by my snow-shoes. Presently I came to a
spot where a low limb projected above the tracks and, grasping this,
I drew myself up, untied the snow-shoes from my feet, and very
carefully worked my way along the branch to the trunk of the tree. It
was leafless and bare and afforded no shelter, and I knew that the
lynx would see me long before I saw him and so, dropping to the
snow on the farther side of the trunk, I made my way to a near-by
evergreen and, climbing up, concealed myself among its thick
branches.
 With an arrow fitted to my bow I waited, peering forth through
the aisles of the forest in the direction whence I had come.
The time passed slowly. A great, scarlet-crested, pileated
woodpecker flitted to a neighboring tree and the forest echoed to
the resounding blows of his powerful beak. A flock of redpolls
twittered among the branches above my head, and crossbills
clambered, parrot-like, among the drooping cones, shearing off the
scales with their scissors-like beaks in their search for pine seeds. A
gray Canada jay alighted upon one of my snow-shoes and pecked at
the dry bear’s hide, eying me saucily meanwhile. From a treetop a
squirrel chattered, and from all about came the plaintive calls of
chickadees. The forest was full of busy life, each tiny creature busily
gleaning its livelihood and all unmindful of my presence.
Five, ten, fifteen minutes passed, and then at last I saw him.
Slouching along in a loose-jointed stride, the lynx skulked on after
me in the distance, keeping as much as possible behind trees and
fallen branches, sniffing at my footprints and ever and anon stopping
to peer about, while turning his head first this way, then that, as if to
smell the air for a suspicious scent. Presently he reached the spot
where my two trails met and instantly the creature became all alert.
For a few steps he trotted back upon the old trail and then, turning,
came back and went along the new trail for a few feet. Evidently he
was somewhat puzzled, for his every action betrayed the fact. Then
curiosity gave place to suspicion, and with a single lithe bound he
leaped into a tree and, crouching close to the trunk, peered about as
if striving to catch sight of me. But he could see nothing that
resembled the being he was hunting and, reassured, he sprang
down and, after a moment’s hesitation, came trotting toward my
hiding-place.
Already the wild things about had seen the great cat and had
scented danger in the tawny, threatening form. With a piercing cry
the woodpecker ceased his tattoo and winged his way swiftly out of
sight. The squirrels in the treetops ceased their chatter and hugged
the bark, motionless. The twitter of the redpolls and crossbills was
silenced. Even the bold whisky-jack, deciding that discretion was the
better part of valor, perched far out of reach and contented himself
with taunting the lynx with raucous cries. Only the chickadees
seemed undisturbed. Regardless of the approaching form, they
continued to flutter about and to utter their sweet calls, as if they
realized they were too tiny to attract the savage creature with his
lust for blood.
Now the lynx was within a hundred yards; I could see his baleful
green eyes, his half-opened mouth, and his keen, white teeth. Each
instant he was approaching closer. Never had I suffered from buck-
fever before, but now my hands shook, my teeth chattered, and a
strange, choking sensation gripped my throat. The lynx was within
easy bow-shot, but still I hesitated, striving to steady my nerves,
determined to take no chances, and watching with fixed gaze as he
came nearer and nearer. At last he reached the spot where I had
doubled on my tracks, sniffed about, raised himself on his hind legs,
and before I realized what he was about he sprang to the very
branch upon which I had drawn myself. Instantly he caught my
scent upon the bark, crouched low with bristling fur, and turned his
fierce eyes directly upon my hiding-place. By some supernatural
instinct he seemed to have divined my ruse and to have discovered
me. Perhaps he did not actually see me, perhaps it was mere chance
which led him to jump into the tree, but at the moment I felt
convinced that he saw me as plainly as I saw him, that he had
overcome all his natural cowardice and was bent on attacking me,
and that in another instant he would launch himself across the
intervening space and fly at my throat with those great, hooked
claws and gleaming teeth. Scarce a score of feet separated us. At
any moment he might crouch and spring. Drawing back the bow
with trembling fingers, I let the arrow fly. Even as I drew the bow I
knew the lynx detected the motion, and as the string twanged I saw
his great form shoot into space, I had a glimpse of the outstretched
feet and bared talons, I heard a snarl of rage, and the next second I
fell crashing to the snow as the lynx plunged through the screen of
branches about me.
 The force of my fall buried me under the snow; before I could
rise, even before I realized fully what had happened, something
landed on me with a thud that knocked the little remaining breath
from my body, and with a wild, frightened yell I struck out blindly
with fists and feet. What followed was the madness of nightmare.
Blinded by snow, frightened half out of my wits, dazed by my fall,
struggling, kicking, striking, I was whirled about like a giant
teetotum, while my yells and shouts mingled with snarls, growls, and
piercing screams. Glimpses of evergreen-trees and blue sky,
avalanches of snow and a brown, furry form, revolved in a
kaleidoscopic blur. Suddenly all motion ceased; I found myself lying,
panting but unharmed, in a crater of snow, and, sitting up, I rubbed
my eyes and glanced about. Instantly I realized what had happened.
The lynx had missed his mark, had fallen squarely on top of me, and
together we had fought and struggled in the snow, each more
frightened than the other, each striving to break loose, and both
scratching, striking, and screaming with all our strength.
No wonder I had been dazed and my mind turned topsy-turvy.
The marvel was that I was still alive and well and not minus eyes,
ears, and strips of flesh. My furs had saved me from the lynx’s claws,
and the snow had acted as a pad, but my clothing was in tatters,
bunches of lynx fur were scattered about, and all around the snow
was churned, tossed, and furrowed where we had spun hither and
thither like a mad pinwheel.
For a brief instant I was filled with dread for fear the creature was
waiting close at hand to resume the attack, and then, the humor of
the situation dawning upon me, I roared with laughter until tears
filled my eyes.
My bow was close at hand, where it had dropped from the tree,
my snow-shoes were lying half buried in the snow, and my various
other possessions were scattered about, but not a sign of the lynx
could I see. But as I rose and started to gather up my belongings I
saw drops of scarlet upon the snow beside the creature’s tracks. A
little farther on I picked up the broken shaft of my arrow, covered
with blood, and then I knew that my antagonist had not escaped
unscathed.
For a few yards I followed the telltale blood-drops, until both the
stains and tracks ended where the lynx had evidently taken to the
trees. I was not sorry; I had had my fill of adventures for one day,
and, turning on my tracks, I made my way back toward the cabin.
How badly the lynx was wounded I could not tell. Perhaps it was
merely a scratch from which he suffered little, or perchance the
stone tip of my arrow buried itself in his vitals and caused his death.
At any rate, he never troubled me again and his weird cry never
disturbed my slumbers in the future. This being the case, I cared
little whether through fright he had fled the country or whether he
had slunk away to die within his den.
 CHAPTER XIII
SPRING APPROACHES
For some time after my adventure with the lynx no event worth
recording occurred and I led a humdrum, lonely life. I had much to
be thankful for, however, for I had little difficulty in obtaining game.
With the disappearance of the lynx I again resorted to traps. I was
comfortably housed and I suffered little from the cold. No symptoms
of smallpox had developed, my foot and ankle were as well and
strong as ever, and I was in the best of health and condition.
There was little to be done save to hunt and trap, gather fire-
wood, and sleep and eat. To occupy my time I made a large number
of stone arrow-heads and numerous arrows, for I realized that I
would lose and break many, and that when I finally started away in
the spring I must be well provided with weapons.
I also tried fishing in the lake, cutting holes through the ice with
my knife and spear, and setting lines which would raise a signal
when there was a bite, as I had done when pickerel-fishing in my
youth.
On these lines I used hooks of horn which I made by grinding
down the forked portions of the deer’s antlers, where the prongs
sprung from the main branches. It was tedious work, cutting these
on the grindstone and with my knife, but the results more than
repaid me for all the labor, for I caught a number of pickerel, several
bass, and a few splendid lake-trout, and the fish proved a most
welcome change of diet.
There were many heavy snowfalls during the winter, and had it
not been for my snow-shoes I would have fared badly. Even as it
was I was compelled to remain indoors for days at a time as the
storms raged without, and by the time the days began to lengthen
and the worst of the winter was over my hut was completely snowed
under. Only the rude chimney and the tunnel-like entrance to my
door were visible, but the deeper the snow piled around the cabin
the warmer and more comfortable it was within.
But if the weather kept me much indoors I made good use of my
time, and during the long winter I made many discoveries and
accomplished many things which added wonderfully to my happiness
and comfort.
One of my greatest troubles was lack of light, for the winter days
were short, and within the windowless hut it was dark by mid-
afternoon, and I was thus obliged to cease work and sit idle for
many hours each day. The fire gave enough light to enable me to
see to cook and even to perform certain tasks which required little
care, such as cutting up fire-wood, whittling sticks to form triggers
for traps, and similar work, but the fitful, unsteady glare of the
flames was not sufficient to enable me to accomplish any fine or
delicate work.
I had often thought of making an artificial light of some sort and
had tried torches of birch bark, resinous sticks, and other devices,
but none of these was satisfactory. The bark burned brightly and
cast a fine light, but it flared wildly, sputtered, crackled, and soon
burned out, while the pine knots made the interior of the cabin
unbearable with their dense smoke.
Then it occurred to me that I might make tallow candles, for I had
an abundance of fine bear’s grease and deer’s fat stored away, and
this, I judged, would serve as well as mutton tallow. For wicks I
decided to use strips torn from the remnants of my civilized clothes,
and, having conceived the idea, I immediately proceeded to put it
into execution. I knew that I would have to melt the fat and cast it
in molds to form the candles, but I had now learned to make use of
the resources at my command, and birch bark at once came to mind
as suitable for making the molds. By rolling strips of the bark around
a smooth stick, wrapping them with sinew, and then withdrawing the
cylinders from the stick I formed the molds, but at my first attempt I
found the melted grease ran out between the edges of the bark and
from beneath the bottom of the molds as fast as I poured it in.
For a time I was greatly puzzled to devise a method of sealing up
the cylinders, and then a happy idea occurred to me, and stepping
to the door I dug a quantity of snow and packed it solidly in a corner
of the hut away from the fire. Slipping one of the birch-bark molds
over the stick, I pushed both down into the cake of snow, and then,
withdrawing the stick, left the cylinder of bark remaining in the
snow. By means of a small, slender stick I pushed one end of a
narrow strip of cotton into the snow at the bottom of the mold, and
poured in the melted tallow. Although the hot grease melted the
surrounding snow somewhat, yet little escaped from the mold, and
as soon as it commenced to thicken I moved the wick to the center
of the mass of grease and held it in position until the tallow
hardened. I could hardly wait until the tallow was fully hard before
withdrawing the mold from the snow to examine the result of the
experiment. By pushing on the lower end of the tallow with the stick
about which I had formed the mold I slipped the rude candle from
the bark, set it upright on the table, and touched a blazing stick to
the wick. Instantly it burst into flame and burned brightly, casting a
steady light about the room. I was immensely pleased, for with half
a dozen such lights I could see to work despite the darkness outside.
My joy was short-lived, however, for the wick burned rapidly, curled
over to one side, flared and smoked, and melted the candle away.
Evidently something was wrong, some small detail had been
overlooked, and, casting the remnants of my first candle into the can
of melted grease, I sat down to try and reason it out. Soon it came
to my mind that all the candle-wicks I had ever seen were twisted or
braided. I thought that with a braided wick my candles might
succeed, and, tearing a strip of cloth into narrow ribbons, I braided
it tightly. But I soon found the result would be far too coarse for a
wick, and again I was at a loss. Not for a long time did I hit upon
the plan of unraveling cloth and braiding the yarns together to
produce the compact, firm cord which I desired. When at last this
was accomplished and another candle was cast, with the braided
wick, it proved a great success and thereafter I never wanted for
light. But it was slow work making the birch-bark molds and casting
the candles in them, and I sought for some easier and more rapid
means of making them, and kept my eyes open for something better
than the birch-bark cylinders for molds. It was some time before I
thought of anything better, but finally I remembered that as a boy I
had often made willow whistles and had slipped the cylinders of bark
from the branches without splitting them. I had noticed willows near
the outlet to the lake and soon I gathered a number of smooth,
straight branches free from knots or sprouts. At first the bark
refused to budge, for the wood was frozen, and, moreover, no sap
was flowing through the bark, but I discovered that by steaming the
branches or by soaking them in boiling water the bark stripped easily
from the twigs, and thereafter I had little difficulty in casting my
candles rapidly and easily, without wasting tallow or requiring the
snow about the molds.
Oddly enough, my candle-making led me to two other most
important discoveries, one of which was soap, the other a method of
removing the hair or fur from hides without waiting for them to
decompose.
I discovered how to make soap quite by accident. While working
at my candles I upset a quantity of grease on the hearth, and this,
running down into a hollow at one side, formed quite a pool, which
remained liquid, owing to the warmth of the fire. In order to cool it
so I could scrape it up, I poured water upon it, but when I tried to
remove it I discovered that it was full of wood-ashes and was soft,
slippery, and stringy. Deciding that it was not worth bothering about,
I abandoned the idea of recovering it, and proceeded to wash my
hands. Much to my surprise, the water bubbled and frothed and my
hands became cleaner than they had been for months. Then, all at
once, it dawned upon me that I had made soap—crude, greasy,
imperfect soap, to be sure, but still soap which possessed wonderful
cleansing properties.
Any school-boy should have known that wood-ashes contained
potash and that potash or lye and water would transform fat to
soap, but during all my life in the woods it had never once occurred
to me.
Now, however, I lost no more time. By soaking fine wood-ashes in
water and then boiling this with grease I soon succeeded in
producing soft soap which served my purposes exceedingly well.
It was a great comfort to be able to wash myself thoroughly,
although the free potash in the soap stung and burnt my skin.
But of far greater importance to me than the soap itself was the
fact that in making it I learned how to remove the hair or fur from
hides both rapidly and easily. The first batch of soap which I made
was prepared with deer’s tallow, but I could ill afford to use this
material for such a purpose. I carefully gathered together all the fat
which I could obtain from the hares, partridges, and other game
which I secured. In addition I saved all the remnants of meat from
my meals, as well as the bones, all of which I boiled together with
the lye-water. Among the other odds and ends were small pieces of
skin, such as the feet of the hares, etc., and after the mass had
boiled thoroughly I strained off the clear, liquid soap. While doing
this I discovered that every sign of hair had been removed from the
pieces of skin and this fact led me to experiment, and I soon found
that by soaking hides in a mixture of water and wood-ashes I could
remove all the hair or fur without injuring the skin in the least.
Moreover, the action of the potash removed the grease from the skin
and left it clean and I was thus saved the tedious process of
scraping the hides with my knife. Of course the first few trials of this
method were something of a failure, for the lye was too strong and
the skins were weak, rotten, and worthless, but by gradually
decreasing the quantity of ashes and the length of time the skins
were allowed to soak I found that the hair could be loosened so it
was easily rubbed off without affecting the toughness of the skin
itself.
Now that I had learned how to remove the hair from the skins, I
was anxious to devise a method of tanning them without cutting
them up as I had been obliged to do hitherto. My only means of
tanning was to soak the pieces of hide in the iron pot. But the pot
was small and it was needed for many other purposes. I could not
use it while the skins were soaking, and I was obliged to cleanse it
most carefully after the tanning, yet there was no other receptacle
which would serve and I had no means of making any. I had already
thought of hollowing out a log to form a trough, but after several
hours’ work which resulted only in a cavity hardly large enough to
tan a chipmunk’s skin, I gave up in despair.
Birch bark seemed to offer the only solution, but I found that
pieces of bark of sufficient size for my purpose were always full of
holes and cracks. I pondered over the matter for a long time before
I thought of making a vat, or tank, after the manner of a birch-bark
canoe. I had often used Indian canoes and knew, in a general way,
how the pieces of bark were sewed together and rendered water-
tight by means of pitch and gum. While I had too little confidence in
my skill to attempt building a canoe, yet I decided it was quite
possible to follow out similar methods and make a good-sized tank
or basin.
My first step was to construct an oval frame about three feet in
length by a foot and a half wide, which I formed from light birch
withes. To this I lashed other withes, in the manner of the ribs to a
canoe, and then by weaving small branches in and out and lashing
them to the ribs I at last produced a sort of basket-like affair without
any square corners or straight lines. This form was not intentional on
my part, but was the result of necessity. As this turned out, it was
fortunate, for I ultimately discovered that to make a good, tight joint
at a sharp corner or a right angle was exceedingly difficult. The
framework being completed, I placed it upon a large sheet of bark
and by dint of a great deal of work and many trials I drew the bark
tightly over the frame and secured it firmly to the edges with strips
of moosewood bark and hemlock roots. Other kinds of bark were
then secured over the frame until the whole was covered, and then
came the most difficult work of all, which was to sew the
overlapping edges of the various pieces of bark together. Despite
every care, I found that holes made by my file-awl would tear out
when I drew the root-threads tight, and it was not until I hit upon
the plan of burning holes through the bark with the hot awl that I
met with any success.
But practice makes perfect, even when one labors with primitive
tools in the heart of the wilderness, and before I had half finished
with my work I learned to bore holes with a deer’s-horn awl and to
run the roots at an angle, or crisscross, from hole to hole, so that
the strain did not come with the grain of the bark. It was slow,
tedious work even then, however, and several days’ steady labor was
required before the last seam was closed.
Rude and uncouth as was this great, bathtub-like affair, I was
greatly pleased at my handiwork and I was in a great hurry to patch
up the seams and holes with pitch and to try it.
There was an abundance of pitch and gum to be had with little
trouble, and I gathered a great quantity of it. This I melted and
smeared over the seams of the bark, and when at last I had daubed
every crack, seam, and knot-hole with the sticky mess I felt that I
had successfully accomplished a great undertaking.
The birch-bark tub held water, only leaking slightly in a few spots,
which were readily closed up by daubing on more pitch, and I at
once started in to prepare enough tanning liquor to fill it. Then I
almost undid all my hard work by my own stupidity, for as soon as
the first potful of liquor was ready I poured it into the bark tub and
the hot liquor softened the pitch and the tan ran out over the floor.
Fortunately it opened up only one seam, and this I soon repaired,
but it served to teach me a lesson, and thereafter I cooled each lot
of liquor by placing it outside in the intensely cold air before pouring
it into the vat.
It must not be supposed that all this was accomplished in a day or
in several days. I was obliged to attend to my traps, hunt for game,
cook my meals, cut and gather fire-wood, and do many other
necessary things meanwhile, and, moreover, I found that a great
deal of time was required to gather the oak and sumach bark. As I
could only boil a small quantity of bark at one time and as I was
obliged to use my pot for other purposes betweentimes, the work
progressed very slowly, and fully two weeks elapsed from the time I
finished the birch-bark tub until I had filled it with sufficient liquor to
tan a large skin.
Long before the tub was quarter-full I commenced to make use of
it, however, and after removing the fur from the skins, by means of
wood-ashes and water, I had placed several hares’ hides in it. The
result was all I expected, and while the thin, papery rabbit-skins had
little strength, yet I was greatly elated at being able to remove the
hair and make leather. My intention was to attempt tanning the
deer’s hide as soon as I had accumulated enough liquor to cover it.
Since I really had no need of a second fur robe, the bear’s skin
serving all my purposes, I determined to try to remove the hair from
the deer-skin.
To be sure, I had no second receptacle in which to soak the hide
in wood-ashes and water, but by stringing up the hide by its four
corners and filling it with water I softened it, and then, turning it
over, I filled the hair side with the potash solution. I was in some
doubt about the success of this experiment. I watched the skin with
great care and frequently tested the hair. At last I was rewarded by
finding that it came away readily. As soon as this happened I drained
off the solution, scraped and rubbed off the hair, and placed the hide
in the tanning liquor.
Each day I turned and soused it about and gradually it assumed
the texture and appearance of leather. When at last it was drawn
out, drained and worked and rubbed until dry, I possessed a fine,
large piece of excellent buckskin which I knew would make splendid
moccasins and strong, durable garments for use in the spring, when
my furs would have to be discarded and I started on my journey to
the settlements.
My success was so great that I longed to tan the bear-skin with
the fur upon it, for it was a stiff, ungainly thing in its plain dried
state, but I could not spare it while cold weather lasted, and I was
compelled to continue using it as it was.
Now that I had the means of making leather, I was most anxious
to secure hides to tan, and I made long trips into the woods,
searching for larger game than hares and partridges. But either the
larger creatures had migrated to some part of the country where
there was less snow, or else they had seldom been in the vicinity,
for, despite every effort, I found few signs of their presence and
secured still less. Only twice did I see where deer had passed, and
one raccoon, a fox, and two martens were the sole results of all my
hunts, aside from the hares and partridges which I had little
difficulty in obtaining.
At first I was greatly puzzled by this scarcity of big game, for I
was in a wilderness where deer, moose, bear, and even caribou
might be found, but after giving the matter due thought I came to
the conclusion that it was, no doubt, due to the proximity of the
deserted settlement I had found.
Ever since I had first devised my simple calendar I had kept
account of the days, weeks, and months, and now I knew that the
worst of the winter was past. With each day spring was
approaching, and before many months were over I would be on my
way toward civilization and my life in the wilderness would be a
thing of the past.
With the thought I was filled with pride and happiness to think
that I had overcome all obstacles which had arisen, that the long
winter—which I had so greatly dreaded—was nearly over, that, after
all, it had not been such a terrible experience, and that I had
managed to live in comparative comfort and in plenty by my unaided
efforts.
Strange as it may seem, I really felt rather sorry at the thought of
leaving the cabin where I had lived so long, for I had become so
accustomed to it that it seemed quite like home, and the woods
about, the friendly jays, the twittering redpolls, and gray-clad
chickadees, and even the dainty little wild mouse that crept forth
from its hiding-place to share my meals, all seemed like old friends.
Even without my calendar I should have known that the backbone of
winter was broken, for each morning, when I stepped forth, the rays
of sunlight were brighter, the sky held a softer, warmer hue, at
midday the snow upon the cabin roof melted and trickled down in
little streams that turned to great icicles at night, and the snow was
covered with a crust each morning.
Slowly, imperceptibly, the height of the drifted snow about the hut
decreased, the roof and walls rose above the surrounding surface of
white, and stumps and bushes long hidden from view jutted upward
through the snow.
Great cracks spread across the vast, white plain that marked the
lake; a few days later broad, black spaces spoke of open water, and
when, one morning, I heard the honk of geese, and, looking up, saw
a great, V-shaped flock of black specks winging swiftly toward the
lake, I knew that spring was near at hand.
 CHAPTER XIV
I FIND A COMPANION
Impatient as I was to start on my journey, I had no intention of
taking any risks, for I well knew the treachery of spring weather, and
that a belated snow-storm might yet arrive.
I therefore determined to wait until the weather was
unquestionably settled and there was no further chance of a
snowfall, which I knew would not be for several months.
This enforced period of waiting seemed to pass more slowly than
all the time I had spent in the wilderness, and I strove to keep my
hands and brain busy. Already the spring thaws had set in, the lake
was free from ice, bare patches of earth showed here and there
upon exposed hillsides, and brooks and rivulets were transformed to
roaring torrents.
The weather had become so warm that I was glad to discard my
fur garments, and in their place I donned trouser-like leggings and a
loose, shirt-like blouse which I had fashioned from deer-skin. They
were roughly made, devoid of fit, but strong, warm, and
comfortable. In this rude garb, with my face hidden under an
untrimmed beard, and hair falling to my shoulders, I was a veritable
Crusoe of the wilderness.
With the breaking of winter game became more plentiful and I
found many deer tracks in the woods, and while following one of
these I made a great discovery which, had I known of it sooner,
would have made my life in the woods much more bearable.
The track I was following led to a portion of the forest which I
had not visited before, and soon it was joined by numerous other
tracks, until I found myself walking along a well-beaten path or trail.
 It was evidently a much-traveled runway, and, feeling confident
that I would find deer close at hand, I moved forward with the
utmost caution, stealing through the thickets, taking advantage of
every bit of cover, and peering from behind trees at each turn or
twist in the trail. I had thus proceeded for fully half a mile when I
came in view of a small, open space, bare of vegetation, and,
standing near the center, with head bent to the ground as if feeding
upon the mud, was a splendid deer.
Here indeed was luck, for the creature was unaware of my
presence and I was within easy bow-shot. Raising myself cautiously
above the fallen tree behind which I crouched, I fitted my best arrow
to my bow, drew it to the head, and aimed at the sleek, brown body.
At the twang of the string the deer tossed up his head and leaped
forward, but the speeding arrow was swifter than his muscles; it
struck fair behind his shoulder-blade, and he plunged forward to the
earth, killed as quickly as if by a rifle-ball.
Much as I needed his hide and meat, I could not help regretting
that it had been necessary to destroy the life of such a splendid
creature, and I marveled that I had ever been able to hunt and kill
such harmless, beautiful animals and call it sport.
While bending over the deer I noticed for the first time that the
spot whereon I stood was covered with little patches of white and
that the deer’s muzzle was coated with the same white substance.
Wondering at this, I stooped, scraped up a bit of the strange
material, and touched it to my tongue. It was salt.
Instantly I realized why the numerous tracks had led hither, why
the deer had been so intently licking at the caked, muddy ground;
the place was a “salt-lick,” the first I had ever seen, but of which I
had often heard.
 “I AIMED AT THE SLEEK, BROWN BODY”

Throughout my life in the woods I had missed salt terribly, and

while I had become accustomed to going without it, all my old
longing came back to me as I tasted this muddy, bitter salt. I
regretted deeply not having found it before. But I intended to revel
in it now, and that night I ate meat with salt for the first time in
many months, and it tasted wonderfully good.
A short time after this I again bent my steps toward the salt-lick
to obtain a fresh supply of the precious material, and, while I had no
immediate need of more venison or of additional hides, yet I
approached as cautiously as before, for I was curious to see if more
deer were at the spot.
I had almost reached the old tree behind which I had hidden on
my former trip when my ears caught a most unusual sound. It was
low and faint and resembled the moaning wail of a sick child, and
yet there was a whining note to it which did not sound human.
At first I could not locate it, but, by turning my head and listening
intently, I decided it issued from a thick clump of brush beyond the
salt-lick. No living creature was in sight, and, rising, I moved toward
the sound with bow and arrow ready for instant use, for I had no
idea what danger might lurk within the thicket. As I drew near I
noticed that the bare earth was torn and that the salt and mud were
reddened with blood, and I halted as it flashed upon me that the
thicket might conceal a lynx mouthing a deer which it had killed. But
as I hesitated the sound again issued from the bushes, and its
wailing, sobbing sound was so unmistakably the cry of some
suffering being in mortal pain that I cast fear aside and pushed into
the brush.
The next instant I stopped short and drew back, for lying upon a
blood-stained bed of dead leaves was a gaunt, gray wolf! I had no
need to fear, however; the poor creature was absolutely helpless,
and at sound of my footsteps merely turned his eyes inquiringly in
my direction, unable even to lift his head from off the ground. A
great gash in his neck and innumerable cuts and tears upon his body
showed how badly he was wounded, and my first thought was to
step to him and mercifully end his misery. But as I bent above him
and drew my knife his dimming eyes gazed at me with such a
pleading, wistful expression that my heart revolted at the thought of
killing him and I sheathed the knife, determined to do my utmost to
ease his sufferings.
He was pitifully weak from loss of blood and was emaciated from
lack of food, and I doubted if anything could be done for him, but he
seemed to read my thoughts and, instead of snapping or growling,
licked my hand in dog-like fashion as I tenderly examined the gaping
wound in his throat.
It was such a strange, friendly act that my heart was won, and I
vowed that if the creature did survive his hurts I would strive to
make him my companion. I felt that at some time he must have
been partially tamed. I soon found that none of his wounds were
really serious in themselves, for no vital organ had been injured and
only loss of blood and his hunger-weakened state had brought him
so near to death. As I bathed his wounds and poured water from a
near-by spring into his parched mouth I wondered what woodland
tragedy had resulted in the wolf’s condition, and came to the
conclusion that he had attacked a deer and, being weak with hunger,
had been beaten off, gored, and trampled upon by the victorious
buck.
The water seemed to revive him greatly. To stop the flow of blood
from his wounds I bound them up as best I could with strips of bark
and salt. Although I knew this must smart and burn the raw flesh
terribly, yet the wolf scarcely uttered a sound of complaint, but bore
the torture stoically while watching my every motion with his tawny
eyes. As I worked I smiled to myself to think what a strange sight
we presented—a wild man of the woods, clad in rude, uncouth
garments, with unkempt hair and beard, ministering to a shaggy,
wounded wolf in the heart of the wilderness.
And when at last the creature’s wounds were dressed and his
moans had ceased, I realized that he must have food, and, speaking
to him as I would to a child, and cautioning him to lie still and to be
patient, I left him and went into the woods in search of game with
which to feed him.
Birds were abundant and the saucy Canada jays, or whisky-jacks,
were very tame, and while I had always left these feathered
creatures unmolested, I felt no hesitation in killing one or two of the
jays for the sake of my wolf-patient.
Returning with these, I cut them up and fed them to the wolf,
who devoured them ravenously and heaved an almost human sigh of
satisfaction as he licked his chops over the last bit of raw flesh.
The question now arose as to what I was to do with the poor
beast. He was too weak to walk, and to carry him to my hut was out
of the question, for to lift or move him would again open his wounds
and start the blood flowing afresh. On the other hand, if left here
unprotected in the woods he might succumb to the chill night air or
else some prowling creature might kill and devour him. Perhaps I
was sentimentally foolish to waste time and thought over a wounded
wolf, but to my lonesome mind he was a fellow-being in distress,
and already I had found great pleasure in attending to his wants and
talking to him, and I was as anxious for his safety and comfort as if
he had been a faithful dog.
There seemed to be but one thing to do, which was to build a
shelter over him, provide him with food and water, and leave him
alone until the following day, and I at once set about to erect a lean-
to above him. When the rude protection was at last completed I
filled a birch-bark dish with water and placed it within reach of his
head, cut up another jay and laid this close by, and then, covering
him with soft fir boughs and carefully placing others between his
body and the damp earth, I left him gazing gratefully after me.
The next morning I hurried to the wolf as soon as I had eaten
breakfast, carrying a quantity of meat with me, and to my joy found
the creature much stronger than on the previous afternoon. He was
now able partly to raise his body, and ate the venison and drank
water eagerly, and apparently recognized me as his friend, for when
I approached he thumped his brushy tail upon the leaves in welcome
—an act which pleased me immensely and which also surprised me,
for I had never heard that wolves expressed their feelings in this
dog-like manner.
I had brought materials with me with which to dress his wounds
properly, and while I was in some dread that he might snap at me or
might resent my acts while doing this, I soon found I had no cause
for fear. Throughout the tedious and, no doubt, painful process of
washing the cuts, smearing them with bear’s grease and arnica and
bandaging them, he lay almost motionless, only now and then
uttering a low moan or a subdued growl to indicate an unusually
severe twinge of pain. He was still very weak and lame, but despite
this he made a brave effort to rise and follow me when I finally left
him, but, finding it impossible, he sank back upon his bed of fir
boughs and howled dismally as he saw me depart.
The next day I found the wolf well on the road toward recovery
and sitting on his haunches, awaiting me. He greeted me with
thumping tail and short yelps of pleasure, fawned upon me as I fed
him, and, much to my satisfaction, limped along behind me when I
started toward my hut. Knowing how lame and weak he was, I
walked very slowly, stopped often to let him rest, and when at last
we reached the clearing he seemed little the worse for the trip. At
sight of the cabin the wolf drew back, as if suspecting danger or
treachery, but when I entered the hut and returned with a junk of
venison, which I held toward him, his hunger overcame all scruples
and he trotted to the door. For some time he sniffed about
suspiciously, with tail drooping and the hair on his neck bristling, and
then, apparently convinced that he had nothing to fear, he entered
the cabin and threw himself down near the fire.
I was genuinely surprised at this behavior, and in fact had
marveled at his tameness and dog-like manner from the first, for it
was quite at variance with all stories I had ever heard of wolves.
Long afterward I learned that a pet wolf-cub had been kept by one
of the inhabitants of the plague-stricken village I had found, and I
was then convinced that Lobo, as I called my wolf, was this same
semi-domesticated cub who had been left to fare for himself when
his master died of smallpox.
One who has never lived alone in the heart of a wilderness for
many weary months cannot appreciate the comfort which Lobo was
to me. Day and night he was my constant companion and I talked to
him as to a fellow-man, telling him my plans, asking his opinions on
every question or problem that arose, and consulting him on all
matters, to all of which he replied by wags of his tail, low growls,
sharp yelps, or by licking my hands or face as if he actually
understood all that was said to him.
He soon recovered completely from his injuries, grew sleek and
fat and, if the truth must be confessed, rather lazy, for he had plenty
to eat without the trouble of hunting, and he much preferred the
easy existence he led to the wild life to which he had been
accustomed.
With Lobo for a comrade the time passed rapidly, and, the snow
having all disappeared and the “pussies” commencing to swell upon
the willows by the lake, I began making plans for leaving the forest
and setting out on my tramp to the settlements.
 CHAPTER XV
THE END OF THE TRAIL
I had thought the matter out many times already and had decided
to set forth well provided with food, with all my weapons, my
necessary utensils, and a supply of tanned skin, for I had no idea of
how far I might have to tramp or how long I might be on the
journey.
Few as were my possessions, yet I found that to carry them all
would be impossible and that many things which would be of great
help to me would have to be left behind. Among these were the pot
and the grindstone and the bear-skin robe, and as I thought with
regret of abandoning these a scheme came to me of utilizing Lobo
as a pack-horse. But tame and good-natured as he was, the wolf
would have none of this, and snarled, snapped, and bristled
threateningly when I started to strap a load upon his back by way of
experiment.
After all, the objects I must leave were not essential, and without
them I would be far better off and more comfortable than during the
early part of my wilderness life. The bear-skin, to be sure, would be
a great comfort during the chilly spring nights, but I was well clad
and a hare-skin undercoat would keep me warm enough, while I
could broil my food, or even boil it in birch-bark dishes as well as I
could cook it in the pot. The grindstone would be utterly useless, I
knew, but I had grown to depend upon it so much and by its aid had
been able to solve so many problems that I dreaded to think of
being without it. However, it was useless to fret over the matter; the
less I carried the sooner I would be out of the woods, and I had now
become so self-reliant and so accustomed to overcoming difficulties
that I had little fear of suffering on the way.
 When at last I was sure the weather had settled and when the
soggy, water-soaked ground had dried sufficiently to make walking
possible, I gathered up my weapons, shouldered my packs, closed
the door of the cabin which had sheltered me so long, and, with
Lobo trotting beside me, bade good-by to my wilderness home.
At a turn of the old trail I stopped for a last look at the little hut
and a lump rose in my throat at thought of leaving the place forever.
It had served me well, the woods and waters had been kind to me,
and I was about to turn my back on the only home I had known for
many months and to start into the unknown.
It was a bright spring morning; birds were twittering among the
swelling buds of trees and bushes, the sun was warm, and all about
were signs of nature springing into life and beauty once more.
The broad green leaves of skunk cabbage spread above the black
peat by the lake, jack-in-the-pulpits reared their straight stems and
unfolding leaves beside rocks and fallen trees, pale pink and
lavender hepaticas peeped through the fallen leaves on sunny
slopes, and trailing-arbutus vines were rich with odorous, waxen
blooms. It was a day to make one happy and light-hearted, to fill
man or beast with the very joy of living, and Lobo gamboled and
frolicked about, chasing imaginary rabbits into the thickets, yelping
at the red squirrels who mocked him from the branches overhead,
and betweenwhiles trotting back and forth with keen nose to earth
as if seeking for some trail to follow.
I also felt that it was good to be afield on such a glorious
morning, and, laughing at Lobo’s antics, talking to him as to an
intelligent being, whistling gaily, and filled with happiness as I
realized that each step was bringing me nearer to the end of my
trail, I swung rapidly ahead through the forest.
It was not long before we came in sight of the lonely, deserted
buildings I had found during the winter, and as Lobo saw them he
bristled up, howled, and, placing his tail between his legs, slunk at
my heels. Although I knew that I must pass this spot on my way, yet
I dreaded to approach it, and Lobo’s actions added to my
unreasonable fear and gave me a sort of “creepy” sensation, for
somehow I could not shake off the foolish idea that he saw or heard
things which were invisible to me.
Perhaps it was the shadow of death which hung over it, perhaps it
was the contrast of the lifeless gray buildings with the bright
sunshine and joyous spring air, or perhaps it was pure imagination
on my part, but somehow the place seemed uncanny and unnatural.
In the little space between the buildings the gaunt, bare cross rose
upward, sharply outlined against the dark background of the distant
woods, and now I saw that round about it were many smaller boards
projecting from the ground. For some minutes I hesitated, standing
within the shelter of the woods, while Lobo whined cringingly beside
me, for I could scarce bring myself to step forth into the clearing, to
pass that tiny graveyard, and to run the gauntlet of those blank,
staring windows and doors. But pass them I must if I was to reach
the farther side where the trail led into the forest, and finally,
summoning up my courage and calling myself a fool and worse, I
started forward.
I had never believed in haunted houses, I scoffed at ghosts and
everything that savored of the supernatural, and I had no patience
with superstitions, but, ridiculous as it seems to me now, I could not
help glancing furtively to right and left as we walked through that
deserted village in the wilderness and gave the pitiful little graveyard
a wide berth. I tried to argue with myself, to pooh-pooh my own
foolishness, and to try to make myself believe it was merely the
dread of smallpox that troubled me, and in a measure I succeeded.
We had passed the graveyard, had left most of the buildings behind,
and were approaching the entrance to an old wood road on the
farther side. I breathed an involuntary sigh of relief to think that in a
moment more we would be in the woods with the village behind us.
Suddenly, as we came abreast of the last house with the patch of
dead corn behind it, the door of the building swung open with a
bang, and the dried stalks of corn swayed and rustled as if some
object was tearing through them. In my heart I knew it was but a
sudden gust of wind, but as Lobo uttered a melancholy howl and
dashed past me I lost all control of myself and, taking to my heels,
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