The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-10-12

over the. heavy pillows Of Gitchee Gummee.
and when the tourists Rugged their steamer
chairs or remained indoors at the biz hotel
John would dispOFJ himself with the shining
whitehsh. OF whose glittering backs one
caught glimpses as they darted through the
shadows at a rate exceeding that OF. the
ieaping canoe.
A hug pole about I2 feet long. to the end
Of which was attached 4 stout net. would
be laid carefully IN the bottom OF the boat.
and with Joe TO steady the bark. the pair
would venture out into the whirlpool. where
the old man would stand upright IN the ca
noe and With long, powerful sweeps bring
the net down Into the water. pull II through
the fun length OF the pole. and bring,it up
with. mayhap. a struggling three-Pounder,
all dripping and gasping, in It's mesheS-
Perhaps there were two-BOni II was good
Again there was none Uh! They grow few
er and fewer each and In
Jun. Peste. From where French Joe"
holds the canoe against the tugging waves
But II 4 Of the days Of the long ago. when
there were fights each season between the
OJtawas and the Chippewas, that the old
ones tell. And who was older than John
Boucher. who had lived nearly eighty years
IN the valley " the St Mays?
There was an eVentfui day. when o
himself was but a lad. learning 10 WELD a
net. TO weave a suowshOe and to steer a
canoe. but FOR ali that he could remember
when one General Cas-. the Great Father
OF ALG Two MISUNDERSTANDING Is enc
part and one south part. as different as can
be-w0s mObbed-yss, the Ch~ippewas would
hnve killed him hat day but for the sol
dier-on the field OF old Fort Brady
John Boucher lived 10 see the Little army
post become a city OF 1000 souls. His ears
became accustomed to hearing IN the woods
the smuggling Of the overland fast mails,
speeding through the gOrges where before
there were no sounds but the songs OF birds
or the r~ustling footsteps OF the doe. he Wit
messed with wondering eyes the digging or
the drst canal. ard then he saw a second
come. and nnally he. who had never in his
younger days seen anything larger than 4
sailing skin poke her nose tmidly around
Sugar Island. saw day after day the enor-
nous vessels OF the grain and ore carrying
fleets steam boldly into that triumph OF
engineering. the Poe lock. be locked
cocks and elevators OF the Zenith City"
Every tourist carried from the city soma
souvenir OF his visit there. and in nine IN
stances out OF ten on 1t was stamped. print
81 or burned a likeness Of old John Bou-
cher. standing In his canoe. his paddle
stretching above his head. his muscular arm
displayed 10 advantage and his gray hair
loosely bound with a strip Of gay-coiorsd
ribbon.
To have shot the rapids under John B0r-
cher's guidance-ah, that was something 10
boast Of when one SAT before the fire In
aAAI NAN@
ening on every sidei
Old John has carried his last passenger
over the rapids. The hOarse pounding OF
the rushing waters luIled him to hs
everlasting sleep. as 1t often did TO
temporary rest after a day OF toll upon the
bosom Of the tossing river. With him has
gone one more link connecting the passage
OF the st. Mary's. lie Sanlte de Ia saints
with civilization OF recent years On
one hand and the barbarism OF ages upon
the other.
In the bright summer. with the season for
berries. fishing and rtd1ng at its height. the
period when everything seems 70 have been
for an Indians life. old job
stepped into a strange canoe and intrusted
for once to other guidance than his
own on a voyage across the rapids OF the
unknown. to which the rapids Of ST. Mays
but as the ripples on Little Lake George
TO the snarling wolves OF the current where
Il goes mad for a mile among the rocks and
Stands on the borders Of two great lands.