The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-10-13

who had not AT some tlmo uauCeu u
long winters night away, in lively jigs
ing melody OF his fiddle, who had not
listened spell-bound as he sang, In hall
recitatiye, some old-time legend OF La
Belle France, or laughed, till they
cried, at his droll stories reeled OIL
over the camp fire, on the march, or In
some snug winter post.
Louis was q gOod-for nothing, as even
those who loved him had to acknow-
lodge. He was a wanderer OF wan
dercrs : here to-day, away tomorrow,
over on the move; tripping, trading,
driving dogs, fishing, hunting, freight
ing, trapping, a handy man in camp, In
the woods, In boat or canoe, or on the
plains, at home-everywhere. A fear
less rider, o skillul dog-driver, a trusty
guide, an expert gambler, an lnlmlta-
BILE raconteur, q r good fiddler, a
tippler on occasion, and withal q jovial
poor soul whose abundant good quail
ties outnumbered the bad in his oddly
equipped personality. The men pre-
tended to despise him when removed
from the influence Of his irresistible
good humor, the women scoided and
petted him by turns, the girls admired
him In secret, and the children wor.
shipped him. The hero of many an
uuSnNldUl6 GAplOlU vi uublOo hSS iCSpOo
or promises forgotten, but never guilty
of the meanness OF theft or criminal
untruth-there came q day when Louis
found himself in sad disgrace.
He had joined the autumn brigade Of
buffalo hunters that started westward
from the Red River every mid-sum-
mer and-just as their hope of secur-
ing a winters supply of meat and q
rich booty OF robes was on the point OF
fruition-had committed an act which
in Its very thoughtlessness, transcribed
all his past sins and called for condign
punishment.
The laws of the half-breed hunters
Of the plains were contained in an I'M
written code, whose " shalt not's" were
few and easy of comprehension, but
their observance was vigorously en-
forced, and punishment for the infrac-
tion was immediate and severe. The
penalty varied With tho degree OF
guilt, and ranged from the loss of the
Offenders saddle, bride, C. coat, to
logging, and, in extreme cases, Danish
ment from the brigade. Louis crime
tell within the last category.
One evening the scouts reported a
great herd Of buffalo three hours
ahead Of the advancing brigade. Camp
made at once, sentries posted, and
strict silence enjoined upon all. Then,
after long hours of nervous alertness,
the hunters sped swiftly and silently
away, before dawn, to the mighty deed
OF slaughter, which was to mark the
birth of the new day. The riders
spread out in a long line to right and
left as they advanced, and at length
crested the summit Of a range of low
lying hills that bounded n side OF
the valley, in which the unsuspecting
prey were grazing peacefully. From
the height they overlooked u broad
depression whose further limit of en-.
circling hills was already made glorious
by the opalescent tints Of the rising
sun beneath them nOated q cloud OF
%quivering, undulating, snowy mist
that hid the valleys bottom aud shut
from their view the thousands of wild
Y. cattle, whose presence was, neverthe.
less, made certain by the mufied
snorts and low believing that reached
their ears through the evanescent cur
tain.
A sign from Pierre Delorme, the
captain, brought the line to a halt
the hunters made hasty preparation;
for the grand cbarge-loosening theil
powder-horns, filling their mouths
with bullets, and adjusting cinche.
and saddles-all eyes were fixed OF
l. ISIIS "iloSc SlS utl III SuOulu &c
them charging madly on the herd. a
the supreme moment an eagle cam
soaring over the valley, Louis's gul
rang out, and the bird tumbied, a dis
hevelled bulk, through the startled
air. In an instant The distant hill
tops were black with fleeing buffaloes
Up from the mist they rose like SCI
monsters from the waves, and were oil
over the divide, the earth vibratin!
beneath the shock of the myriad hGofs
The hunters charged, but too late al
that was left fOr"-their bullets an,
knives were the poor outcasts an,
strays-the sick, disabled, or weakling
Ls-distanced or injured in the blind ma,
rush for life.
Conscience-stricken aud heavy
hearted, Louis picked up the dea'
eagle and returned to camp. He mad
full confession of his fault, but ex
pressed no hope of pardon and offere,
no excuse. The women and old me
heaped reproaches upon him !; exhaust
ing a vocabulary rich in that depart
ment, In v~ariegated abuse of himsel
and his ancestry. The unfortunate bird
the cause of it all, was flung on the fire
q burnt Offering TO their outraged feel
ings-and Louis might have shared it.
fate If some of the ~fiercest could hav,
had their will of him.
"Oh! the accursed good-for-noth
ing" yelled old Baptiste Charette
the Oldest man In the camp. "Figur,
to yourself, we others with our womeI
and children, rendered destitute b,
this pig of a Louis, who, to feed hi
vanity, makes to run the whole here
that WI had so much pain to arrive at
Aw, it's a little too much It's in
famous infamous 20
my poor boy" said Pere Eachaise
"how did 1t come that thou coulds
make q stupidity like that ?"
II know not, my father +; perhaps i
was the Devil who tempted me-" Then
after apause, marie Ducharme asked
me to get her some eagles feathers
and what would you, twas tho frs
sagle that l met"
Aha 1t was that little dirt Of
Marie, with her beads, ard her quills
and her feathers, and all her shop
full OF nonsense; twas she who ha(
turned the boys head and made him 6
good-for-nothing, liddling rascal like
herself. Aha, the little cat :"
The storm of feminine wrath was
diverted to poor Marie, who sobbed
bitterly as 1t broke on her In shriekipg
fury, for 1t vas her fortune to be
pretty, and her sisters held her in
esteem or hate according to the degree
In which her good looks equaled OF
surpassed their own and the majority
OF them were hopelessly plain. Louis
nude o brave attempt to defend his
sweetheart, and his defiant attitude