Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-04-15

great breadth or shoulder ana uncOm-
mon strength, he was Of iron endur-
ance at 60. He was a man of singu-
larly placid and even temper, yet of
most adventurous spirit cool, de-
termined, alert, seeming never to be
taken by surprise.
He was my captain in q wagon
march from the Northern Pacific read
to the Black Hills when every mile
of our route from Old Fort Fetterman
was beset by hostile Sioux. Three
times they attacked, only to Iind
Michaud ready to receive them. The
close order of our march and the un-
remit5ing vigilance exacted by our
leader undoubtedly saved the band of
35 adventures.
When Felix Michaud went to Fort
Bridger from the Missouri country in
1S40 or thereabouts, he was a young
man, untried among the trapper COM
panies. Some weeks after his arrival,
and in the time of revels at summer
rendezvous, he had the misfortune,
unwittingly, to provoke one of Bridg
er's fire-eaters, a hot-headed trapper
W ~ SOulu llOt DlOOh w NC ~ CSSVu
without fighting. Felix was immedi-
ately challenged to fight, the challenger
naming his own weapons-rifies at 60
PAGES.
The peaceful Canadian, however,
not only refused to fight, but attempt
ed to explain that he had meant no
offense. This breach of frontier eti-
quette could not, of course, be over
looked, so Michaud was branded
"squaw" and promptly cut by most
Of his new associates.
Some days later the offended trap
per, somewhat in liquor, attacked
Michaud with pistol, declaring he
would blow the "squaw Kanuck's
brains out" if he did not immediate
ly get a gun and fight, whereupon
Felix promptly disarmed his opponent,
seized the astonished trapper by the
cit. bore him outside the forts de-
ftnces, and flung him, neck and heels,
into BLACK Fork swimming-hole."
This matter raised such a laugh
against the trapper that he did not re-
new his attack. In fact, when sober,
he laughed as much about the affair
as any one.
Nevertheless, such was the mountain
C Dde that Michaud's reputation was
not fully established. "Kanuck," as
he came to be called, was tolerated
merely as a good man at taking
beaver, and handy about the camps.
Two years later he was trapping
with a small band near, or within.
territory now included in the National
park. Among these little-frequented
mountains he and his companions
gathered so great a harvest of peltries
that when spring came their small
outfit of ponies was found inadequate
to pack all to the fort. Months of hot
weather must elapse before the eXpe-
dition could return, and no cache
would preserve the furs from spelling
so long. 1t thus became necessary to
leave a man behind-one who could be
trusted to care for the furs, and also
to hold the ground against invasion
from rival company.
The choice of man was determined
by lot, but Michaud was left out Of the
drawing. Some thought he would re-
joice at this, but the young Canadian
was much hurt at his comrades lack
of confidence in him. When the un-
lucky member, Haze" Fenton, eX-
pressed a conviction that he should
never see Fort Bridger again and made
some final requests Of a friend,
Michaud promptly volunteered to stay
with him. The trappars were sur
prised, but offered no objection to his
remaining.
Thus Felix and the big, raw-boned
Yankee, Haze, were left in mountain
wilderness to guard some thousands
of dollars worth of furs. AS their
winter dugout was getting damp for
the peltries, they fell to work with
their axes, and built upon the bank
of a small lake pine-log shack with
rough wareroom overhead for stor-
age.
Weeks passed into months. The
trappers fished, hunted, picked ber-
ries, or lounged about in enforced
idleness, Notwithstanding there were
hostile tribes at no great distance,
Iuey saw no Hldu, Ieu OF W0lIe, ICr
four months, and We're looking for
ward to the return Of their friends.
when Haze came in one evening from
a ramble about the lake, wearing a
sober face.
"Kanuck," he said, setting down his
rife, we've got comp'ny on this lake,
and mighty poor sort. Lope Vas
quez and his gang, six of EN-, are
camped down here a way"
Michaud said nothing, but his face
must have shown the concern he felt
at this piece of unwelcome news.
Lope Vasquez, a cousin of Bridger's
Spanish-Mexican partner, had been
employed by the trader, William Sub
lette, but had been whipped out of two
camps for stealing. Subsequently he
had gathered, from the unprincipled
sort band Of free trappers, who were
more than suspected of being free
booters as we'll