The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-07-07

visible were accounted as the gates OF
paradise, and the moments in which he
spoke in her hearing were as paradise
itself.
This churlish, inhospitable manner
made Lindsey many enemies in land
in which one cannot afford TO have enc
mics. Every half-breed hunter took
the old mans suspicious manner as a
personal atiront.
The fourth of July was celebrated at
Gager's. People came from fifty miles
round. Patriotism? No! But love of
human fellowship. The celebrated
Pierre Bottineau and the other Cana
dams and half.breeds were there, mel
lowed with drink, singing the sensual
and almost lewd French rowing songs
their fathers had sung on the st. Law
renee. Whiskey JIM" the retired
stage-driver, and Hans Brinkerhof and
other German settlers, with two or three
Yankees, completed the slender crowd,
which comprised almost the entire
population of six skeleton counties.
And the ever-popular Edwards was
among them, his TIL, grave face and
flowing ringlets rising above them all.
A man so ready to serve anybody a he,
was idolized among frontiermen, whose
gratitude is almost equal to their re-
venge. Captain Oscar, the popular poll
tician, who wore his hair long and swore
and drank, just to keep in with his
widely scattered constituents, whom he
represented in the Minnesota Senate
each winter land who usually cast half
a dozen votes apiece for HIM, made
dc
who wouldn't drink, but who knew how
to tell strange stories, kept them laugh
ing for half an hour. Edwards was
type of man not so uncommon on the
frontier as those imagine who think the
trapper always half-horse, half-alliga-
tor creature, such as they read of in the
Beadle novels. ! knew on trapper
who was student of numismatics, an
other who devoted his spare time to
astronomy, and several traders and
trappers who were men of considerable
culture, though they are generally men
who are little morbid or eccentric in
their mental structure. All Edwards
natural abilities which were sufficient
to have earned him distinction had he
been sin civilization" were concen-
trated on the pursuits Of his wild life,
and such q man always surpasses the
coarser and duller Indian or halt.breed
in his own field.
After game of ball, and other sports
initiated from the Indians, the 6OlS
JrtleS,# began to he much softened with
whisky to keep up athletic exercises,
and something in their manner led Ed
wards to suspect that there were other
amusements on the programme into
the secret of which he had not been adj
mitted.
BY adroit management he contrived
to overhear part of a conversation in
which poudre a canon was mixed up
with the name of Lindslee. He inferred
that the blowing up Of Lindsley's house
was to finish the celebration Of the ma
tional holiday. Treating Bourbon to
an extra glass of whisky, and seasoning
it with some well-timed denunciations
of "the old monster" he gathered that
the plan was to plant keg Of powder
under the chimney on the north side of
the ca in and blow it TO pieces, just to
scare the monster out, or kill him and
his daughter, il did not matter which.
Edwards praised the plan. He said that
if it were not that he had to 90 to
Pelican Lake that very night he would
90 along and help to blow up the old
rascal.
Soon after this he shook hands all
around and wished them BON voyage in
their trip to Lindleysville. He winked
his eyes knowingly, playing the hypo-
critic handsomely. Oscar and Bottineau
left in different directions, the Ger
mans had gone home drunk, and only
Whisky JIM joined the half-breeds in
their trip. They took possession of an
immigrant team that was in Gager's
stable, and Just after sunset started on
their patriotic errand. They were going
to celebrate the Fourth by blowing up
the tyrant.
Meantime Edwards had taken long
strides, but his moccasin-clad feet were
not carrying him in the direction of
| Pelican Lake. Half the time walking
as only the Long Trapper' could
walk, half the time in a swinging trot
he made the best possible speed toward
| Lindleysville. He had start of the
half. breeds, but how much he could not
tell and there was no time to be lost
! AZ lIlt SulllIlllO vi every hllOll llc lOOhtu
back to see if they were coming, crouch
ing in the grass lest they should dis
cover him.
Lindsey received him suspiciously as
ever, and positively refused to believe
his story, But by using his telescope
Edwards soon convinced him that the
party were just leaving Gager's. The
dusk of the evening was coming on,
and Lindley's fright was great as he
realized his daughters peril.
will fight them to the DEATH he
said, getting down his revolver, with an
air that would have done honor to Don
QuiXote.
" If you fight them and whip them,
they will waylay you and kill you But
there are ten of them, and if you fight
them you will be killed, and this lady
will be without protector. If you run
away the house will be destroyed, and
you will be killed whenever you are
found. But what have you here a ma.
gic lanternY'
The old gentleman had, before Ed
! tt-oY,l. - o,,r;,.o1 4n1, Tho ;,,ct