Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-03-21

MN from the lodge, compelled hin, -
We quiet. There was nothing for II
put TO return to Prairie din Chen a,,n
ty-handed, and the sensible Norweoian
wished to make prudent retreat from
SO dangerous nest of freebooters
A wind, which had risen that morn
ing, had increased to gale and was
DioW1ng directly in their faces as tho
trappers put on their skates at the
lower extremity of the island. Ole
Sandvig cast several furtive glancas
oenlnd him, and cooked his gun. When
he had securely fastened his skates
the Norseman rose to peer over the
top OF the waving grass.
AT the same moment st. Xayier's
rifle cracked, and Sandvig turned to
see that the angry Frenchman had
hred into a thick tuft of grass. In
stantly Ole darted forward to smother
the first tiny shoot of flame, but the
willy Denis tripped him, and both men
sprawled on the ice.
Before Sandvig could regain his feet.
names, blown upon by the high wind
leaped higher than his head.
Now GOMEZ" he shouted angrily at
his mate. I've sail boto be killed, oder
We skate mighty fast already"
But ST. Xavier could not skate at
all. In the collision with Sandvig he
had broken both runners. He was al
ready unbuckling the useless skates.
He looked up, grinning ruefully.
Ia of h0 coi6
"Ole, you geet out of dis
The big Norwegian glared at his au-
dacious partner for an instant while
the flames cracked and roared inland.
de onliest time" st. Xavier used to
say afterward, "dat ever / see Ole
Sandvig mad"
Ole wasted no words in his wrath.
He flung off his greasy leather coat, cut
off the sleeves and ripped them into
string. Then he seized the little
Frenchman, bundled him into the
armless garment, and made the live
package fast to his belt behind. Then,
leaving both their guns upon the ice,
wind
Thus helplessly dragged, st. Xavier
looked back to see the Indian town al
ready ablaze, and the helpless Mus
quakies, men, women and children,
running out upon the ice. Now that
he had time to reflect, he doubted if,
with his short legs and heavy body, he
could even have skated away from
those Indians. Some of them would
of course cross the V-shaped PENN
sula between the rivers to throw
themselves across Ole's path, and 9TH
ers would follow directly upon his
trail.
Ole was a magnificent skater, but
ST. Xavier knew that he was heavy
drag. He wished he had chung to his
gun, and made Ole save himself.
The big Norseman bent against the
fierce wind, and piled his skates with
might and main. If only he might
make the turn, some three or four
miles distant, and get started with the
wind before those Indians should cross
the neck That was Oles sole hope of
escape.
Not once did the swift skater look
behind. Bent almost double, he turned
curve after curve of the river, and
the helpless St. Xavier slipped and
slowed and sometimes rolled over and
over at his heels. A half-hour's strug-
! gle against the fierce gale left Ole
pretty we'll blown when the turn came;
| and even then he dared not abate his
| tremendous exertion. He skated al
/ most at the speed of the gale for two
/ miles or more.
Then, in emerging from an island
channel, the skater saw that his long
and exhausting burst of speed had
been without avail.
| The f1eet-footed Musquakie runners
were ahead of him. Ranged across
the ice-channel, a score of Indians
stood ready to converge their line up
| on any point at which he might aim.
| And owing to the great drought, the
channel was less than a quarter OF a
mile in width.
| At first Ole was inclined to turn
back and race against the wind again
| Then his shrewd eyes, running along
/ the row of clearly outlined HgufeS
noted that the Indians were armed, II
armed at all, with their knives only
Seeing that he and st. Xavier had dis
carded their guns, they had themselves
raced across the neck in lightest run
ming gear; and SO Sandvig, gathering
his energies for mighty burst OF
speed. bore down upon the left wing
of the enemy. Their center and right
swung about in a sliding, scrambllng
semicircle to close IN upon him.
Instead of attempting to dodge the
gathering knot IN his front, SandV1g
dove straight at the group. ne
knocked two Indians out of his pain
and tore through the crowd OF saVages
like a cannon-ball. Nevertheless, ne
felt an extra tug at his rope, ana