The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1901-07-04
Continuation
CHAPTER II.
THE APPRENTICESHIP

nope, Oh comfort or OF 81 InpdUny,
and Angus, whose health was
wonderfully maintained, grew to
be a strapping, handsome lad OF
twelve, always Industrious and
attentive to his duties, but wear
ing an air of sadness that gave
his features q curiously attract
i've old and sober character. He
was so accustomed to his daily
need of abuse and hard labor
that 1t n5 longer wofs upori him
IS at first and his secret grief
was unsupported, like the life
long silent mourning OF mother
for the loss of a darling child.
He grew in intelligence, also. and
be managed to get hold OF a
book occasionally and thus in a
measure supplied the lack OF
schooling. The merchant con-
graduated himself on having
made a profitable investment
when he secured the blue-eyed,
sandy haired little Scot Angus
had come to understand that his
period of service was but seven
years and that at the end OF that
term he would be free, SO he was
counting the time as it sluggish
ly crept along, watching daily
for any means of sending a let
ter to his home.
Being older, now and strong
err, the duties of the apprentice
were changed and he was put in
that part of the establishment
where the furs and skins were
received from the traders, the
season having arrived for such
merchandise to come IN from the
wilderness. TIE work of open
ing, counting, cleaning and pack
ing away the foul and sinking
SKINS was disagreeaole and, at
first, nauseating, but there was
a recompense in the fact that it
brought the lad in contact with
many hardy pioneers and forest
rangers whose free manners and
marvellous adventures excited
his imagination and gave him a
new field for thought. AS they
departed one after another, hav-
ing transacted their business, and
were swallowed up in that vast
and mysterious solitude to the
west his longing to go also be-
came intense and he sought their
company at every opportunity
One day there came a big,
bluff, hearty, good natured fell
low, a trader and trapper of
much renown. who took a great
fancy to the bright and eager
scotch boy as they opened and
inspected the packs together.
This red faced, grizzly-bearded
and leaJner clad Sammy John,
for so he Was known, talked
much with Angus and SO friend
ly was he ID word and manner
that the boy was led, half-uncon-
sciously, to give some account OF
his own life, whereat the big
man slapped his thigh and swore
rOundly, angrily declaring that
he would himself carry the boy
away and give him deliverance.
But 10 this the honest Angus
objected, saying that though
Mr.. Floyd was cruel he had paid
his money and was entitled to
tue apprenticeship he had
bought and that 1t would be
wrong to steal away from him.
Sammy John, being honest MIN
self, thought there was some
thing in that view ard his admir-.
alton for the boy increased; tell
ing Angus to be quiet and give
no cause for suspicion he said
he would consider the matter
over night and see him the fol
k,wing day. but he swore again
that justice should be done at all
costs and that without delay.
Here now was a happy boy
again. Blithely did he go about
his work, submissively did he
accept the harsh corrections OF
his master, humbly did he en-
dure the persecution Of John
Floyd and joyously he retired to
his lonely attic to dream 0of his
release from hourly torture
The morning came. a sweet
spring day, sunny as his own
freshening heart; noon came and
in strobe Sammy John and
marched direct TO the merchants
private Office.
"Master Floyd, l have made
my settlement with you and an
now ready to buy goods to take
into the west. But l have come
to ask if you know where l Cal