Cañon City record., 1899-02-23
TREED BY WOLVES
~ Martin Hunter.


r GOT the outlines of the following
story from DE Hertle, and send it ms
4 companion sketch 10 the .Ruttling
Season" However, word about De
Hertle. There was quite a romance
about his being among the Indiana.
and at some future time / may be
tempted TO write it up. for IL shows
how a man can sacrifice position and
family itself for sublime love.
When ! first went to Mingan to as
sumo charge Of that post. found De
Hertle. n middle-aged man. with nm In
dian woman for a wife, and u 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-
X. NJ. Baliantyne mentions him in his
book. "Hudson's Bay" but under an
other name.
think IL WINS the first or second day
after my arrival that noticed a tc.n of
about 20. who was bobbling about in
the most odd gait ever saw. and his
moccasins were Of abnormal shorfnesa.
said to De Hertle. who happened TO
be chatting with me AT the time:
whats the trouble with that fel-
low9 Look how he waiks.-
THAT poor man." he replied. follow
fnx the Indian with his eyes. has had
ali his toes and fingers frozen OF. He
was only . youth At the time. but
showed wonderful bravery and endur-
anee. However. II you would like to
hear the story. will come over after
t~a and tell you the facts ~ they hap
pened.-
I assured him Il would give me great
pleasure not only to sec him but to
hear the story. With this, he took his
why and l turned my steps toward the
cooper shop. 10 see how the work there
was progressing. thanking the fates as
poor Baliantync had done in the years
gone by for having such an agreeable
person about the post as De Hertle. for
this Ia the great drawback that pre-
-snts 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
firc in the old-fa.hioned chimney and
filed our pipes. VIC drew up our chairs
TO the hcArthstone and De Hertlc BE-
gan:
..-r-x .. x-ourr man
regarding whom you questioned me to-
day. Is . nephew of my wife, and the
why he became crippled. a. you noticed.
happened years ago. when he was quite
n hoy.
"The winter when this took place his
father (my wife's brother) and myself
went from here TO the Moisic. as IL 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 small log cabin
to house our families in common. and
by the time all waa hnished snug to
our satisfaction Il was time TO set our
traps.
"Fox-trapping. when they are plenti-
full. Is a very pay.s,g business. a. 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. aud partridge. rabbits and other
small game were becoming scarce. VIC
were glad 10 see that the cold wave
from the far north had brought down
20 the coast innumerablc hocks of
ptarmiVnn, 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 AZ
the one l mention, the cold drives
everything south--wolves from the bar
rem grounds among the other animals
.'Old Jerome valois had four children
1.-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 elder.
.william had had n gun for over n
year. and was quite q good shot and
succesxful hunter. young rs he was.
NEARLY every day he and his little
brother. Mark (the latter to carry the
bag and pick up the camel. used TO
sally forth. and at night return both
loaded with ptarmigan.
.Aloug the ses coast, on the west aide
cf the Nolsic. there Il only narrow
fringe Of green wood. and back Of this
barren grounds. studded with clumps
Of willows. stretched ~ far ~ the eye
could reach. here and there few stunt
ed poplar and pitohpine trees relieving
the monotony Of he dreary waste Of
country.
'.Ths boys In hunting wsss led ~
afeld By the hocks Of ptArmiganA and
often they oAly rsaohed hone N honr
az two aftet dAras bat - auxiety waa
svsey fs,A Ter tAsir reelensed shssnee.
% ..EAs==!s xs. u ~ e !e..