The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1903-10-10

volatile and genial French tempera-
ment.
Lieutenant Beverley found much to
interest him In the quaint town, but
the piece dc resistance was Oncle
Jazon, who proved TO be both fasclnat-
i ing and unmanageable-a hard nut 10
crack, yet possessing a kernel abso-
lutely original In flavor. Beverley Wis
tied him one evening in his hut-it
might better be called a den-a curl
] ously built thing, with walls of vertical
! poles set I'm quadrangular trench dug
! In the ground. and rooted with grass.
4 Inside and out IL was plastered with
clay, and the floor OF dried mud was as
smooth and hard as concrete paving.
In one end there was wide fireplace
grimy with SCOT. in the other a mere
peephole for n window; n wooden
bench, n bed OF skins and two or three
stools were barely visible In the gloom.
In the doorway Oncle Jazon sat whit
Ting a slender billet OF hickory into a
ramrod for his long fiintlock American
rifle.
Maybe We know Simon Kenton,"
said the old man. after he and Beverley
had conversed for awhile seeing that
you are from Kentucky
"Yes, | do know him well; he's a
warm personal friend of mine" said
Beverley with quick interest for il
surprised him that Oncle JaGon should
know anything about Kent0n "Do you
know him. NJ Jazonf'
ltF ~
sighted along his documentary ramrod
to see II 1t was straight then. quicker
ing his lips as II on the point OF whis-
Ting. made an Affirmative noise quite
impossible 10 spell.
"Well, I'm glad YOU are acquainted
with Kenton," said Beverley. "Where
did you and hc come together?'
Oncle Jazon chuckled remlniscently
and scratched the skinless, cicatrized
spot where his scalp had once -four
ished
"Oh, several places" he answered.
"Ye see thet hair a-hangin' there on
the WALTZ" He pointed ut n dry wisp
dangling under a peg in a log barely
visible by the bad light "Well, thets
my scalp. He, he, he!' He snickered
as If the fact were a most enjoyable
Joke. "Simon Kenton can tell We about
thet little affair The Indians thought
| was dead, and they took my hair; but
wasn't dead | was just a-giyin' EN-
possum act When they was gone |
got up from where | was a-layin' and
trotted Off My head was sore, and,
ventrebleu. but / was mad! lie, he,
her'
All this time he spoke In French,
and the English but poorly paraphras-
es his odd turns OF expression. His
grImaces and grunts cannot even be
limited
1t was long story, as Beverley re-
ceived 1t, told scrappily, but with GER
tain rude art. In the end Oncle Jazon
said with unctuous self satisfaction:
Accidents will happen. | got my
chance at thet Indian who skinned my
head, and jcs took bead on i'm with
my old rifle. | can't shoot much, never
could, but | happened to hit i'm square
in the lef eye, what ! shot at, and IT
was hundred yards. Down he tum.
bles, and / runs TO I'm and finds my
Same old scalp a-hangln' 70 his belt.
Wen lifted of his hair with my
knife and united mine from the belt,
and then | had both scalps he, he, he!
Ye ask Simon Kenton when ye see
I'm. He was along az the same time
and they made lin run the gauntlet and
pretty nigh beat the life out Of i'm
Nentrebleu.'
Twilight and moonlight were blend
Ing softly when Beverley, on his way
back TO the fort, departing from di.
rect course. went along the rivers side
southwark TO have few moments of
reflective strolling within reach of the
waters pleasant murmur and the
towns indefinite evening stir. Rich
sweetness, the gift of early autumn,
was on the air blowing softly out of n
lilac west and singing in the willow
| fringe that hung here and there over
the bank.
on the farther side OF the rivers wide
flow. swollen by recent heavy rains,
Beverley saw n plrogne. in one end OF
which n dark figure swayed 70 the
strokes OF paddle The slender and
shallow little craft was bobbing on the
choppy waves and taking zigzag
course among floating logs and masses
uf lighter driftwood while making slow
but certain Roadway toward the hither
bank
Beverley took bit Of punk and a
nlnt 0n1 steel from his pocket, relit his
lpipe AMI stood watching the skillful
boatnian conduct his somewhat dan
gcrous voyage diagonnlly against the
rolling current. II was a shifting hide
and seek scene, It's features appearing
and disappearing with the action Of the
waves and the doubtful light reflected
from fading clouds and sky. Now and
again the man stood UP In his skittish
pirogue, balancing himself with care, TO
use short pole In showing drlftwood
out OF his way, and more than once he
looked 10 Beverley as II he had plunged