The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-10-15

ion" winters night away, in lively jigs
-. m,,rrv reels Of -four, to the inspir-
inr melody of his tdllc, who had not
listened spell-bound as he sang, in hall
p, citutivc, some old-timc legend OF La
Bale France, or laughed, TIL tney
cried, at his droll stories rccled on
over tho camp fire, on the Darch, or IN
some snug winter post.
Louis was II good-for-nothing, as cvon
those who loved him had to acknow-
ledge. Ilc was wandcrer OF wal
Qercrs here to-day, away tomorrow
ever on the move: tripping, traulnE'
driving dogs, fishing, hunting, lrcight-
ing, trapping, Il handy man III camp, IN
tho woods, IN boat or canoe, or on thc
niairs. at pomc-evcryw where. lear
irss r!,;cr, D skilful doE-drivcr,h truSty
pujGe, an expert gambler, an lnlmlta-
bic r;.contcur. n rare good fiddler.
timber on Cccasiuu. and wl:hai JoVial
POOR soul whose abundant good quail
lies outpum Ocreu the bad IN Ills Oduiy
equipped personality. The mon pre-
lcodcu to ucspsc him when removed
from the intlucncc Of his Irresistible
good humUr. the women scO!dru anu
UctlCd him by turns, the girls admired
him in secret and the chliurcn wor'
shipped him. The hero OF many "u
nncnviablc exploit of duties neglected
or promises forgotten, but never guilty
of the meunncss OF theft or criminal
urtruth-thrrc came x day when Louis
lcurd himself in SAD disgrace.
IIc had joined the autum brigade OF
buln!o hunters that started westward
irom the Red River every miu'$um-
mer aud just as their h"n" ~! sccnr-
ing y winters supply OF h'At ana /.
riun booty Of robes was On the phl I ot
i:uiti0n--had committed an act "uleH
in ltS very hOugNticssucsS. tranSrcnGtu
all his past sins ANA caiIru iOr cUndlEh
punishment.
The laws OF the ha!f-bi'"rj hunters
nf thc plains were COnla."Hn ~ 81 an
written co,ir. whose " Sh; /; az ",tr
few and easy nt rumpi. a"i>.";. ndt
their observance was J,-.'''@.'t eli
forced, and punSt.n.ri. -. = .nl!'a|-
tion was immediate and ,crcrr, TDc
penalty varied With thH IIrt:"C" =;
guilt, and ranged from the luse OF The
Offenders saddle, bride, "r coa', 10
logging, and, in extreme case, hAnish-
mcnt from the brigade. Louis crime
fell within the last category.
One evening the scouts rcpur,- q d
great herd Of buffalo three nou"s
ahead Of the advancing brigade. Camp
made at once, sentrics posted, and
strict silence cnjoincd upon all. Then,
after long hours OF nervous alcrtnCss,
,hc hunters sped swiftly and silently
away, before dawn, TO the mighty deuu
Of slaughter, which was to mark the
birth Of the new day. The riders
spread out in q long line TO right and
left rs they advanced, and AT length
crested the summit OF a range OF low
lying hills that bounded one side Of
the valley, in which the unsuspccting
prey were grazing peacefully. From
the height they overlooked a broad
depression whose further limit Of en-
circliIg hills Was already made glorious
by the opalescent tints OF the rising
sun: beneath them hoated a cloud Of
Quivcring, undulating, snowy mist
that hid the valleys bottom aud shut
from their view the thousands OF wild
castle, whose presence was, neverthe-
less, made certain by the municd
snortS ana low believing that reached
their ears through the evanescent cur
tain.
~ sign from Pierre Delorme, the
captain, brought the line to a halt;
for the grand charge-lOOscninE their
powder horns, iiiling their mouths
with bullets, and adjusting cinchcs
and saddles-all eyes wero fixed on
Pierre, whose signal Ho :" should set
them charging madly on the herd. at
the supreme moment an eagle came
soaring over the valley, Louis's gun
rang out, and the bird tumbled, dis
heVelled bulk, through the startled
ali. IN an instant the distant hill
tops were black with fleeing butfalocs.
Up from the mist they rose like sea
monsters from the waves, and were OIL
over the divide, the earth vibrating
beneath the shock Of the myriad hoofs.
The hunters charged, but too late all
that was left for their bullets and
knives were the poor ontcasts and
s,r"ys-tEc sick, d disabled, or weaklings
--distanccd or injured in tho blind mad
rush for life.
Con3Ciencc-s stricken and heavy
hearted, Louis picked up the dead
cage and returned to camp. he made
iu!I confession Of his fault, but eX-
pressed 10 nope of pardon and offered
no excuse. iAc women aCd Old men
heapcd rcprU"chcs upon him exhaust
ing q voca oulary rich in that depart
ment, in varicgated abuse OF himself
and his ancestry. The unfortunate bird,
burnt Offering TO their outraged feel
lngs-and Louis might have shared its
tate II some OF the iicrccst could have
had their will OF him.
On the accurscd good.for-noth-
ing. yelled O.d Baptiste Charettc
the oiacSt man in the camp. Figure
TO yourself, we others with our women
and Children, rendered destitute by
tn!s pig OF "a Louis, who, to feed his
vanity, makes to run the whole herd
that We had SO much pain to arrive at
Aw, it's a little too much It's in
famous . infamous :"
My poor boy" said Pere Lachaisc
how did it come that thou cOulds
make Il stupidity like that ~
know not, my father perhaps !
was the Devil who tempted me-" Then
after q pause, "Marie Ducharme aske
me TO get her some eagles feathers
and what would you, twas fire
eagle that met"
" Aha 1t was that little dirt Of
Marie, with her beads, and her quill
and her feathers, and all her shol
ful of nonsense; twas she who hu
turned the boys head and made him
good-f nothlng, tiddliDg rascal ill
herself. Aha, the little cat !"
The storm OF feminine wrath w
diverted 10 moor Marie who sOobt