The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1898-12-01
TREED BY WOLVES
BY Martin Hunter.
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I COT the outlines Of the following
story from DE llyrtlr, md send It az
q companion sketch 70 the "Ruttiiug
Season" However. word about De
Hrrtle There WINS quite romance
about his being among the Indians,
and Ht some future time may be
tempted TO write It up for It shows
how II man can sacrifice position aud
family Itself for sublime love.
When ! FIRST went TO MinEan 10 rs.
sumo charge Of that post, ! found DE
liertlr middle-aged man, with an In
dian woman for wife, and q growing
up family Of French hali-brceds, most
beautiful and intelligent children.
lie was ~ home and fluent IN French,
English and Latin, and, being an Oh
servant man, aud having read every.
thing he could lay his hands on, was
q most amusing and instructive com.
panioa.
H. N Ballantync mentions him In his
book, ILLUSIONS Bay" but under an.
other name.
think IL was the first or second day
after my arrival that noticed man o!
about 20, VINO was noDuiing about in
the most odd gait ever saw, and his
mocrasins were Of abnormal shortuess.
said TO De lIcrtlc, vino happened to
be chatting with me az the time;
WHATS the trouble with that fcl.
low? Look how he walks"
THAT poor man, be replied follow.
ing the Indian with his eyes. has had
all his toes mud fingers frozen on lie
was only youth at the time, but
showed wonderful bravery aud rudur.
nncc. However, n you would like Ia
hear the story. will come over after
tea aud tell you the facts rs they hap.
pcuod"
assured him It would give me great
pleasure not only to see him but Ia
hear the story. With this he took his
way aud | turned my Etepa toward the
cooper shop. 10 see how the work there
was progresslngr thanking the fntes rs
poor Bal!hntyne had done In the years
+
person about the post AZ dc Ilcrtlc. for
this IL the great drawback that pre-
SCENTS itself TO an unmarried officer IN
the company's service ON outpost duty
- the vuut Of genial and suitable com
paniUuship.
According to this promise, De llcrile
turned up Ia the early part Of the even
Ing, and after we had replcnishcd the
fire In the old-fashioned chimney and
filled our pipes, We drew up our chairs
TO the hearthstone and DE llcrtie be.
gan:
That poor, unfortunate young man,
regarding whom you questioned me TO.
day. IL nephew Of my wife. and the
way be became crippled, as you noticed.
happened years ago, when he was quite
boy.
THE winter when this took place his
father Tiny wife's bTother) aud myself
Wen from here TO the Moisic, as il was
likely Ia he year OF foxes on the coast,
aud there Is no better place 10 hunt
them than oR the sands on each side Of
that great rive.
We built ourselves a small log cabin
60 house our families In common. and
by the time all was finished snug TO
our satisfaction IL WIS time to Sct our
traps.
"FoN-irapping, when they are plenti.
full. Is n very paying business, rs the
silver or black onea, aS you know, are
very valuable. The intense cold Of DE.
cembrr began TO make Itself felt. aud
Rs 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 wnye
from the fnr north had brought down
20 the coast iunumerable fochs Of
ptarmigan, and thus We were assured
OF plenty until the warm weather OF
early April drove them back from
whence they came.
'ln very severe winters, such as
the one ! mention, the cold drives
everything south--wolyes from the bar
rem grounds among the other Rnimala.
sOld Jerome ValoiH had four children
two sons and two daughters. The
boys were the youngest AZ the time
am speaking of, being respectively nine
and seven years of age. The one you
Jaw to-day. William, was the elder.
william lind had gun for over u
year, aud was quite good shot aud
successful hunter, young nS he was.
Nearly every day he and his little
brother Mark 1.-THE latter to carry the
bag aud pick up the game). used to
sally forth. and at night return both
loaded with ptarmignn.
Along the sea coast, on the west ode
81 the Moisic, there II only narrow
fringe OF green wood, and back OF this
barren grounds, studded with clumps
of willows, stretched ms far aE the eye
could reach, here aud there few stunt
ed poplar aud pitchpine trees relieving
the monotony Of the dreary waste of
country.
The boys In hunting were ted fnr
asield by the fockE Of ptarmlnans. and
often they only reached home an hGur
or two after dark, but no anxiety was
every felt for their prolonged absence.
''ons n!Rht--it WIS the 9th OF Jan
Iasy. and intensely cold the boys
failed 10 come. even at the latest ssour
they had ever been am-ni before.
their parents now became thoroughly
alarmed. and waited aud watched the
long night through. firing guns al In
ttrvals thinking 10 guide their ioot-
-.=ssz hcsnewsrd.
-An hour before dawn Jerome and
ssd made our preparations to gn In
ssasrh a. seen as daylight woald allow
u u picking w thsir trssks. u WAS