Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-04-20
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J TREED BY WOLVES S
BY Martin Hunter. 4
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Season" However, a word about DE
Hertle. There was quite a romance
about his being among the Indians,
and at some future time may be
tempted to write it up, for it showa
how a man can sacrifice position and
family itself for sublime love.
When 1 first went to 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, waA
q most amusing and instructive COM
panion.
r. N. 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 noticed man OF
about 20, who was hobbling about in
the most odd gait ever saw, and his
moccasins were of abnormal shortness.
1 said to De Hertle, who happened to
be chatting with me ut the time:
whats the trouble with that fell
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 youth at the time, but
showed wonderful bravery and endur-
ance. However, If you would like to
hear the story, will come over after
tea and tell you the facts as they hap
pened.'
1 assured him it would give me great
pleasure not only to see him but to
hear the story. With this, ne took his
way and turned my steps toward thS
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
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
partnership.
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-fashioned chimney and
filed 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 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 1t 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.
eve built ourselves q 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.
"In very severe winters, such as
the one I mention, the cold drives
everything south-wolves from the bar
rem grounds among the other animals.
"Old Jerome Valois had four children
two sons and two daughters. The
boys were the youngest at the time
am speaking of, being respectively nine
and seven years of age. The one you
saw to-day, William, was the elder.
"William had had q gun for over o
year, and was quite O 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 ptarmlgan.
"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 flocks of ptarmigans, and
often they only reached home an hour
or two after dark, but no anxiety was
every felt for their prolonged absence.
"One night-it was the 9th Of jan
uary, 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.
can hour before dawn Jerome and I
had made our preparations to 60 in
search as soon as daylight would allow
Of US picking up their tracks. It was
useless to leave before, as we might go
In wrong direction, and, fortunately
for US, the tracks were not drifted over.
We therefore took up the trail from the
very door, 1t was tedious work, how
lvex, following all the windings o! the
boys footsteps of the previous day.
Still, it was likely to prove surest and
speediest in the end.