Arizona republican., 1899-04-22
FREED BY WOLVES By Martin Hunter.


:l COZ UIOu ShClCll lO llN
 Season. However. q word about De
 Hertle. There was quite romance
 about his being among the Indians,
 and at some future time I may be
 tempted to write it up, for it shows
 how a man can sacrifice position and
 family itself for sublime love.
 When 1 first went to Mingan to as
 s1mc charge of that post. l found De
 Hertle. rlidtllc-agcd man. with an In dian woman for wife, and q 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 ob-
 servant man. and having read every
 thing he could lay his hands on. was
 q most amusing and instructive com
 panion.
 R. NJ. Ballantyne mentions him in his
 book, 'Hudson's Bay" but under an- other name.
 I think it was the first or second day after my arrival that l noticed a man of about 20, who was hobbling about in the most odd gait l ever saw, and his
 moccasins were of abnormal shortness.
 I said to De Hertle, who happened to be chatting with me at 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 ct the time, but showed wonderful brewery and endur- ance. However. if you would like to hear the story. I will come over after tea and tell you the facts as they hap pened."
 l 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 1 turned my steps toward the. cooper shop, to sec how the work there was progressing. thanking the fates as poor Ballantyne had done in the years gone by for having such an agreeable person about the post as De Hertle. for this is the great drawback that pre- sents itself to an unmarried officer in the company's service on outpost duty the want of genial and suitable com panionship.
 According to this promise, De Hertle turned up in the early part of the even ing, and after we had replenished the fire in the old-f;9hioned chimney and filled our pipes, we drew up our chairs to the hearthstone and De IIertle be gan:
 That poor, unfortunate young man, whom you questioned me to- day, is nephew of my wife, and the way he became crippled, as you noticed, years ago, when he was quite q 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 . 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.
 We built ourselves a small log cabin to house our families in common. and by the time all was finished snug to our satisfaction it was time to set our traps.
 ''FoX-trapping. when they are plenu- ful, is a very pare,g 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 IS the fish had left the shore to deep water, aud 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 innunerable focls of and thus we were assured . )f plenty until the warm weather of early April drove them back from whence they came.
 'In very severe winters, such as he one l mention, the cold drives ,verything sOuth-wOlves from the bar en grounds among the other animals. ; 'OId Jerome Nalois had four children two sons and two daughters. The )oys were the youngest at the time m speaking of, being respectively nine md seven years of age. The one you jaw to-day, William. was the elder.
 ''William had had a gun for over ear, and was quite a good shot and uccessfuI hunter, young as he was.
 Nearly every day he and his little brother, Mark (the latter to carry the oag and pick up the gane), used to ally forth, and at night return both oaded with ptarmigan.
 Along the sea coast, on the west side f the Moisic, there is only narrow ringe Of green wood, and back of this barren grounds, studded with clumps if willows. stretched as far as the eye ould reach, here and there few stunt d poplar and pitchpine trees relieving he monotony of the dreary waste of ountry.
 ''The boys in hunting were led far field by the 1ocks of ptarmigans, and ften they only reached home an hour r two after dark. but no anxiety was very felt for their prolonged absence.
 "One night-it was the 9th of Jan ary, and intensely cold - the boys ailed to come, even at the latest Eour hey had ever been absent before. heir parents now became thoroughly larmed. and waited and watched the ong night through, firing guns at in- rvals, thinking to guide their foot teps homeward.
 An hour before dawn Jerome and