Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-17
iIAPTiIH XII.


Pierres father, Croteau. Sr.. was
shutting up the house for the night
when he heart the whine of Jules tnc
tame bear. outside tn" cottage door
This WAS od!. as the boar was sun
posed TO BE- away III the hills. with
Pierre ana BESSIE. TO Crotcau. HIM
self an honest and Christian man. it
did not seem strange sthat EttIc Res-
sic Dopelield should s%strust herself in
the woods at night or any other time
with his son. Was not Pierre the soul
of honor and mantood? In his youth
the senior Croteau had never wrongetl
girl, and he had brought up his son
with the same honest principles.
Had Hold Dopetieid known that his
daughter was trusting herself to the
guardianship OF the Young French
American he would have feared for
her safety, for he had been Il Wild lad
himself. But Eessie. with woman s
wisdom and intuition had understood
the pure nature of the boy as soon as
ever she had looked IN his great brown
eyes. And as she came to know him
better she trusted him more To the
credit of his good bringing up and his
inherited hcalthfulness of mind, be it
said that in all their rambles and
tramps together never thought had
occurred to the boy that was unbecom-
ming his robust manhood and his hon
esty of heart.
Croteau knew that the girl was OFF
somewhere in the mountain with
Pierre. He supposed that Jules was
with them. ana knew he was as good
as an army when i came u protective
power. But here was Jules whining 1T
the door for admittance. and never 4
sign Of the return Of the young folks
Where is Pierre" asked the father
as he threw open the door III alarm.
Jules ambed. his great carcass
tremble With excitement, to the kit
chen and looking up at the old Spring
field rife on the wall, whined ana
Whistled pitifully and said as plainly
as though he spoke in the dialect OF
the Croteaus. Pierre is in trouble
Take the gun and come with me-.
Croteau was sure there had been ar
accident But in his fear for his sor
he did not forget his wife. Lest h,
should alarm her he went to the
stairway and called.
Marie: l will to the woods 60
for there be wolf He come grow
in the barn. | shoot her
"Oui, called Marie sleepily turneG
in her bed and nodded off tn dream of
her childhood among the little farms
up on the St. Lawrence river
The man took down the rusty old
arm he had carried for many year:
and drawing the charge loaded il
again with q bail. Then he quickly
followed Jules through the damn
woods. I'll" ehldows chased him as h,
went Now and then Il fox turned il
his path and sped away like Il shadow
A wild wolf that had been Watchinl
the Sheepfold Of farmer on tn,
mountainEide came ont to meet julie,
with 2 snarl, but led prccipitltel.
when he saw the sil"nt Frcuchmal
with the riff" On his arm stalking af-
ter Biuin.
Up ana NJ they went. jules turnin;
neither to the right or the left. Whcl
they reached the rock ~ The Brook
side where in the afternoon FIatfoo
. Brien had captured Pi"rrc ANA Bes
s'e' Julrs stopped suddenly an,
S'itied az an object on the ground
.ro'eau went w to il ana found thai
u WAS me pretty straw sailor hat
BESSIE mad Worn away in the morning
re lnNoluntarily cooked the old rifl
as he recognized it. Nov hc vas SI,.
that theic was something wrong n,
far h.
gle, but found only the cntr,r,.,. ia III.
cave. into this he forced Jules. anC
when tie bear cam" out. lit = torch
and went in himself II" found wbere
F1atfoot O'Siien had lain. AMI clos,
beside 1t an empty bottle with the Iabe
of a Kentucky Whjsic"y distillery on il
lie WAS no; thoroughly frightened.
jules MAS running Up and down tn,
path leading t0Wa"iN the hilltor,
When 'rot".tI. sg'1rirG French cana
dian o1ths in his hrlr9 ana ppking tn,
long riilr ahead of him. followed VI
the hill III" bear swung his great body
steadily up and up with his nose clos,
To the ground lilt" a hound
The man pattnd his oil cum lovingly
He knew what he could do with it
Ii nag been his comp Hiun on many
lonely - ket along the southern noun
tainsides. and had Spot swift death t,
the hearts of m"ny of the suppose
enemies Of his adopted country
When they emerged into the clelrn.
on the mrGn:Hintnr crutcau stoppe,
with SJrarS" fear tugging at hi
heart strings. lie remembered tina
BESSIE was y,nne w"mau. ana tina
there were rough m,n I'll TIE country
side. Perhaps after All it had been
wrong 70 III TIE Young folks "a out in
10 the Wilderness toy .thrr. ~ iid no
doubt that 4 Bessie hal been attack
cd Peirre had done his best to iefen,
her. But he was Unarmcd and
mat was just what he feared II
capturing the Gi"l some yaeabon,
pand might have killed his son. An.
IN the quick agony Of this thought tn
heroic in the rough mans natur