Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-06-22

| nOVeIlCut Ol bue LIdpptT. OH OE0 VI tnO
occasions when that picturesque individ-
ual, wearing a wolf-skin cap, with the
VOLTS tail hanging down between his
shoulders, presented himse at the door
of the cabin to crave some little courtesy,
Lindsey closed the front door and brought
out the articles asked for from the back,
like medieval chieftain guarding his cas-
tie. But all the time that poor Emilia
could hear the voice of the tall trapper her
heart beat two beats for one. For was it
not a human voice speaking her own Ian
guage? And the days on which he was
visible were accounted as the gates of par
adise, 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 enemies Every
half fbreed hunter took the old mans sus-
picious manner as a personal affront. " He
thinks we are horse-thieves," they said,
scornfully. And Jaques Bourbon, the
half who had " filed ON" the claim
alongside Lindsley's, and even claimed
unjustly forty" of Lindsley's town
plot, had no difficulty in securing the SYM
pathy of the settlers and nomads, who
looked on Lindsey as monster quite
capable of anything. He was even report
ed to have beaten his daughter, and to
have confined her in the wilderness that
he might keep her out of an immense for
tune which she had inherited. So Linds
ley grew every day in disfavor in region
where unpopularity in its mildest form is
sure to take. most unpleasant way of
making itself known. Emilia knew
enough to understand this danger, and she
| was shaken with nameless fear when
ever she heard the sharp words that pass
ed between her father and Bourbon the
half-breed. The resentment of the latter
reached its climax when the decision OF
the land office was rendered in favor OF
Mr. Lindsey From that hour the re-
venge of this man, whose hot French was
mixed with relentless Indian blood, hung
over the head of the old man, who still
read and wrote, and invented and theo-
rized, in utter ignorance of any peril ex-
cept the danger that some man, not fool,
should marry his daughter.
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 Canadians and
half breeds were there, mellcwed with
drink, singing the sensual and almost lewd
French rowing songs their fathers had
sung on the st. Lawrence. "Whiskey
Jim," the retired stage-driver, and Hans
Brinkerhof and the other German set
tiers, with two or three Yankees, COM
pleted the slender crowd, which COM
prised almost the entire population of six
skeleton counties And the over popular
Edwards was among them, his tall, grave
face and flowing ringlets rising above
them all. A man so ready to serve any
body as he, was idolized among frontier
men, whose gratitude is almost equal to
their revenge. Captain Oscar, the popular
politician, 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 dozen
votes apiece for him), made buncombe
speech, and then Edwards, who wouldn't
drink, but who knew how to tell strange
stories, kept them laughing 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 alligator creature, such as they read
of in the Beadle novels. l knew one
trapper who was a student fnumismatics,
another who devoted his spare time to
astronomy, and several traders and trap
pers who were men of considerable cul-
ture, 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
Gin civilization" were concentrated on
the pursuits of his wild life, and such
man always surpasses the coarsest
and duller Indian or half breed in his own
field.
After game of ball, and other sports
initiated from the Indians, the boas bruleS*
began to be too much softened with whis-
ky to keep up athletic exercises, and some.
| thing in their manner led Edwards to sus
pect that there were other amusements on
the programme into the secret of which
: he had not been admitted.
By adroit management he contrived te
Overhear part of a conversation in which
''poasdre canon" was mixed up with the
; name of Lindslee. He inferred that the
*Bois brules, "burnt wood" is the title the
half breeds apply to themselves, in allusion tt
their complexion.
r blowing up of Lindsley's house was tt
) finish the celebration of the national holi
day. Treating Bourbon to an extra glas
| of whiskey, and seasoning it with som'
l well timed denunciations of "the old mon
E ster," he gathered that the plan was tt
/ plant keg of powder under the chimney
, on the northside of the cabin and blow i
e to pieces, just to scare the monster out o
3 kill him and his daughter, il did not mat
S ter which Edwards praised the plan
7 He said that if it were not that he had t.
t go to Pelican Lake that very night, h
e would go along and help to blow up tn
:, old rascal.
e Soon after this he shook hands all aroun,
$ and wished them bon 0oyGge in their tril
l to Lindsleyville. He winked his eye
e knowingly, playing the hypocrite hand
e somely. Oscar and Bottineau left in dill
r ferent directions, the Germans had gon
e home drunk, and only "Whiskey Jim
p Joined the half-breeds in their trip The
a took possession of an immigrant team tina
e was in Gager's stable, and just after sunse
IT started on their patriotic errand. The
it were going to celebrate the fourth by blow
K ing up the tyrant.
l. Meantime, Edwards had taken lon
IS strides, but his moccasin-clad feet were nc
n carrying him in the direction of Pelica
d Lake. Half the time walking as onl
L "the Long Trapper" could walk, half th
II time in swinging trot, he made the bet
e possible speed towards Lindsleyville. ii
d. had start of the half breeds, but ho-
of much he could not tell; and there was n
re time to be lost. At the summit of ever
ot knowl he looked back to see if they wei
lie coming, crouching in the grass lest the
'e should discover him.
a Lindsey received him suspiciously
tx ever, and positively refused to believe h
Z, story. But by using his telescope EC
er wards soon convinced him that the par
as were just leaving Gager's. The dusk
u the evening was coming on, and Lindsey
ne fright was great as he realized his daug
as ter's peril.
az will fight them to the DEATH"
a. said, getting down his revolver, with &
ly air that would have done honor to Dc
:k Quixote.
'O If you fight them and whip them, the
I'D will waylay you and kill you. But the
er are ten of them, and if you fight the
u YOU will be killed, and this lady will
ed without a protector. If you run ava
ly the house will be destroyed, and you w
be killed whenever you are found. B
or what have you here! magic lantern ?"
he The old gentleman had, before Edward
q | fa1yo,, doyup ha ipc tn I