The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-03-09

DOW went ashore TO peer ancau. he
hastily returned with the information
that the party we were in search of
was at that moment not quarter of
mile from us ON the same side of the
river, making his morning fire.
This was pleasing news, for 1t is
much more satisfactory to hunt for
person you see than for person you
do not see.
We had now only to go ashore, pull
the canoe up on the beach, lie down on
the point, watch his movements and
devise way to capture him.
The handouts and leg chains were
oiled and worked several times to in
sure rapidity in swapping them on.
She-ma-gan continued to crouch over
the new-made fire, evidently warming
himself before going to his fish net.
This we judged was his intention, as
we saw no pot on the fire for his break
fast.
From our position we could command
his every movement; and with five
pairs of eyes watching, nothing es-
capped u.s.
One thing in our favor was, he had
evidently made away with his dogs, or
they would have scented US ere now,
as the light wind that was gradually
clearing away the fog came from down
the river and directly from our place
of concealment to his camp.
Possibly part of his insanity was that
he imagined the dogs were human be-
ings and had killed and eaten them.
Quite suddenly, as if the thought had
at that very moment just entered his
brain, he got up, went down to the
beach, turned over his canoe. pushed it
out into the water, got in and padded
down stream.
Nothing could have happened more
OPPORTUNITY for us than this move on
his part, for he had not taken his gun
| or even an AK. We saw him enter the
canoe with absolutely nothing but his
paddle.
Two things we were sure of by his
leaving the way he did: First, that he
had gone to visit his net for something
to breakfast on; and second, the net
was not far away. And it behooved us
| to be up and doing.
at once detailed one man to re-
main at the canoe and await the signal
to paddle down to us; with the others
of the party 1 hurried through the
bush to She-ma-gans camp.
The distance from the waters edge
to the brow of the river bank upon
which the camp was pitched was fully
thirty yards, and on the upper side of
the beaten path, over which he went
to and fro to the beach, was a clump of
stunted trees and willows, carried
about halfway over the sands by a
spring landslide.
Here placed two of my men, with
instructions to move only after he had
passed their ambush and was on the
point of clambering the crest of the
hill; at that moment he would be with
in arms length of US above.
1t appeared to me that we had only
been a very few minutes in conceal
ment when our man hove in sight
around the point below us, and came
padding up to his landing-place, I'M
aware of the presence of those waiting
to receive him.
My man and 1 were lying, one on
each side of the path, on top of the
hill, well hidden in the wild tea and
BURBERRY shrubs We allowed She
magyar to be almost over us when we
sprang up. He made a motion to turn
and fee, but the men from the land
slide cache were already behind him.
To secure him between us was the
work of a moment. Poor fellow! He
looked at us with such hopeless ex-
preston when the handouts were ad-
justed; but he made no effort to resist.
A single pistol-shot was fred to
bring down the canoe, and we marched
our man to the camp, where he was
placed on log, with man on each
side to guard him.
On looking about, evidence was not
wanting to confirm the story of canni-
balism, for we saw the skull-bones of
his victims hung up on a pole in the
| same way the Indians do those of the
bear; the larger bones of the limbs
were picked clean and hid away in a
roll of birch-bark.
These several bones we collected
carefully and buried on clear knoll, a
short distance from the scene of his
orgies. On the grave we piled heavy
stones, both to mark the place as well
as to keep animals from digging down.
Everything of any value, such as his
gun, traps and bundle of furs, was
carried down to the beach and placed
in our canoe. His canoe and paddle
were brought up and placed on top of
the lodge. And after we were all as
sembled on the sands, prior to our de-
parture, one Of the men was sent back
to apply match to the inflammable
pile. In former days, before he had
lost his reason, She-ma-gan had been q
most iovial and tallSative Indian; but
during his first captive days we could
not prevail on him to utter word:
but the poor fellow was most obedient
to our commands, and we had not the
least trouble to convey him to the post.
The Indians, as soon as they saw
him safe within the stockades, left
with one accord for their lands, hav-
ing received Mr.. Clark's assurance
that he would IN no way be allowed to
escape.
Navigation was then about closing
up; In fact, 1t was only the main rivers
and larger lakes that were free from