The suburban citizen., 1900-11-17

! ~ Wao thG AIdhAA6 VI me- duu ludl 10
| Just what he meant it to be. He saw
that if there was any good stuff in me,
I should be steaded and attached to
the company's interests by being put
! into a place Of responsibility and COM
mand. Many a time I've saved a young
fellow since then by putting responsi-
bility on his shoulders.
Well, the sun had not risen out Of
Lake Huron the next morning when l
and the two voyageurs who had
brought the sick man home got into
the canoe and started for Bois Blanc
I sat in the middle on my bag of cloth.
! ing, and the others took their places
forward and aft.
Alec Prevanche. who was in the
stern was a tall, broad-shouldered
| Frenchman, strong as a horse and one
of the best canoemen on the upper
/ lakes He was handsome fellow, with
/ curly hair. a heavy black beard and
dark, flashing eyes. AS long as he was
sober, he was one of the jolliest men
on the island; but when he vas drunk
| he was a crazy man.
Alec wore a black feather in his cap
| to signify that he was the bully of a
brigade of voyageurs. They used to say
that he had been in more fights than
any other man in Mackinac, and had
never been whipped. 1t was also said
that he had killed a man in drunken
brawl at Quebec, and that he dared not
go back there for fear Of arrest and
, punishment.
joe Roette, who sat in the bow, was
a wiry, leathery little man between
fifty and sixty years of age. His hair
/ and beard were fast turning gray, but
he was stronger and more active than
most of the younger men among the
voyageurs. Both we're alert paddlers,
and when they put their strength into
the stroke the canoe leaped forward as
if she were alive and something had
stung her.
In about an hour we rea ched Bois
Blanc, and I stepped ashore and in
spected my forces There was little for
me to do except to see that the chop
pers did not shirk, and 1 thought
should have an easy time of it; but
after dinner, as the men sat on the
bench and smoked their pipes, It struck
me that there was more loud talking
and joking than had expected to hear.
The French-Canadian voyageurs and
boatmen Of those days were always
ready for a laugh and a song, and no
other class Of men would have put up
with their hardships and privations so
cheerfuliy; but it seemed to me the
twenty-five were noisy and boisterous
rather than cheerful and jolly.
When the noon hour was over. gave
the word and they went back to their
wood-cutting. but some Of them moved
sulkily, and / fancied they did not work
as industriously as in the morning. !
suspected they had made up their
minds that [ vas only a boy and that
they could DO as they pleased and this
suspicion frightened me- There I was,
alone with twenty-five men, some OF
them three or four times as old as my
self, and if / lost control Of them !
should be disgraced. Somehow the
idea OF deserting had entirely gone out
of my mind, you see. Although ! was
scared, you mustn't think | showed the
white feather. No; all the afternoon
went about among the men, speaking
a quiet word now and then but never
attempting any bullying But things
plainly grew worse rather than better
I could not imagine what was the
matter with the men until late in the
day l happened to pass near Joe Ro-
lette and noticed a strong odor OF
whiskey. In an instant I understood
; Joe and Alec must have brought some
. liquor from MacNnsc. Before morn
? ing the whole crew would De drunk
, Then l remembered noticing thai
Alecs jacket had been carefully spread
: over some large object in the bottom
! Of the canoe. / had paid little atten
ton to it at the time supposlng thai
} IL was merely a bundle Of clothes, bu
now knew it had been jug
Now that I had definite knowledge
! my wits seemed to clear. / passed OF
without stopping, and in little whili
e came back again, this time from diff
, ferent direction Joe and another MAI
had dropped their axes and were talk
e ing together in low tones. I slippa'
b quietly behind a tree and listened To-
o a moment.
How much did you bring from
n Mackinac, Joe?' asked the other chop
d per- speaking in French. which wa
o then almost as familiar to me as Eng
lish
] "A big iugtul said Joe, "and It's tn
d genuine stuff, all right-none of you
It tobacco and water, such as they sci
It to the Indians. Alec got a little in
e bottle in his pocket and he's givel
1, most of the boys a taste, but he's say
y ing the jug for tonight"
G Hasn't he drunk any HIMSELF"
K mot a drop but Just you wait
Q He'll have a high old time before morn
l. ing, and that Howard boy will catcl
e It If he tries 10 interfere"