The Van Buren press., 1898-12-17
. TREED BY WOLVES I
By Martin Hunter. s

Hertie. There was quite a romance
about his being among the Indians,
and at some future time | may be
tempted to write 1t up, for it shows
how man can sacrifice position and
family itself for sublime love.
When I first went 10 Mingan to as
sumo charge of that post. found De
Hertle, middle-aged man, with an In
dian woman for wife. and growing
up family OF French half-breeds. most
beautiful and intelligent children.
He was at home and fluent in French.
English and Latin, and, being an OBJ
servant man, and having read every
thing he could lay his hands on, was
a most amusing and instructive com
panion.
r. NJ Ballantyne mentions him in his
book. "Hudson's Bay but under an
other name.
l think it was the first or second day
after my arrival that I noticed man of
about 20. who was hobbling about in
the most odd gait ! ever saw, and his
moccasins were of abnormal shortness.
! said to De Hertle, who happened to
be chatting with me al the time:
whats the trouble with that fel-
low Look how he walks"
THAT poor man" he replied, follow
ing the Indian with his eyes, has had
all his toes and fingers frozen off. He
was only a youth at the time, but
= -..-.y5 ,.7.rs.,l l,,--.-arr av.1 a-Irr
anee. However. if you would like TO
hear the story, | will come over after
tea and tell yon the facts as they hap
pened."
assured him it would give me great
pleasure not only to see him but TO
hear the story. With this, he took his
way and / turned nv steps toward the
cooper shop. to see how the work there
was progressing. thanking the fates as
poor Ballantyne had done in the years
gone by for having such an agreeable
el4on about the post as De Hertle, for
this is the great drawback that pre-
sents itself to an unmarried officer In
the eompany's service on outpost duty
the want of genial and suitable com
panienship.
According 10 this promise, De Hertle
turned up in the early part OF the even
ing. and after we had replenished the
fire in the old-fashioned chimney and
filled our pipes, we drew up our chairs
TO the hearthstone and De Hertle be-
gan:
THAT poor, unfortunate young man.
regarding whom you questioned me to-
day, is a nephew of my wife, and the
way he became crippled, as you noticed,
happened years ago, when he was quite
boy.
''The winter when this took place his
father (my wife's brother) and myself
went from here to the Moisic, as it was
likely to be a year of foxes on the coast,
and there is no better place to hunt
them than on the sands on each side of
that great river.
1--WE built ourselves a small log cabin
to house our families In common, and
by the time all was finished snug TO
our satisfaction 1t was time to set our
traps.
"Fox-trapping, when they are plenti-
full, is a very paying business, as the
silver or black ones, as you know, are
very valuable. The intense cold of De
cember began TO make itself felt, and
as the fish had left the shore TO deep
water. and partridge, rabbits and other
small game were becoming scarce, we
were glad TO see that the cold wave
from the far north had brought down
TO the coast innumerable focks OF
ptarmigan. and thus we were assured
of plenty until the warm weather OF
early April drove them back from
whence they came.
an very severe winters, such as
the one ! mention, the cold drives
everything south-wolyes from the bar
ren grounds among the other animals.
"Old jerome Valois had four children
two sons and two daughters. The
boys were the youngest at the time l
am speaking Of being respectively nine
and seven years of age. The one you
saw to-day. William, was the older.
civilian had had gun for over a
year, and was quite good shot and
successful hunter, young as he was
Nearly every day he and his little
brother. Mark (the latter TO carry the
bag and pick up the game), used to
sally forth, and at night return both
loaded with ptarmigan.
along the sea coast, on the west SIDE
Of the Moisic, there is only narrow
fringe of green wood, and back OF this
barren grounds, studded with clumps
of willows. stretched as far as the eye
could reach. here and there few stunt
ed poplar and pitchpine trees relieving
the monotony of the dreary waste OF
country.
"The boys in hunting were led far
afeld by the hocks of ptarmigans, and
often they only reached home an hour
CT two after dark, but no anxiety was
every felt for their prolonged absence.
"One night-it was the 9th of jan
Lary. and intensely cold - the boys
failed TO come, even at the latest hour
they had ever been absent before
Their parents now became thoroughly
alarmed, and waited and watched the
long night through, firing guns at in
tervals, thinking TO guide their foot
steps homeward.
AN hour before dawn Jerome and /
lad made our preparations TO 60 in
search as soon as daylight would allow
Of US picking up their tracks 1t was
useless to leave before. as we might 60
in wrong direction, and, fortunately