Holbrook argus., 1904-10-01
THE BOYHOOD OF RADISSON.
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 became a man, explored the region about the head of Lake Superior, and is believed by some historians to have been the first to discover the Mississip- pi Radisson was but r years old, says Leslie's Monthly, and had been but year in America when, in 1G52, he was captured near Three Rivers by war party of Iroquois Indians. The lad was out hunting ducks along the St. Lawrence with two comrades when they discovered signs of Indiana.
 It was more ignorance and fool hardness than courage which made him refuse to go back to the fort with them, but to the Indians who, hidden in ambush, heard the conversation, it seemed like the type of bravery they most admired. When they shot at him and he returned their fire before iiee- ing, their admiration increased, and they did not kill him, as they did his companions, but took him up Lake Cnamplain and Lake George to their village, where he was adopted. His conduct as a prisoner increased their admiration, for he slept so soundly between his guards that he had to be wakened in the morning, and he was ever one of the most eager on the march.
 To test his prowess, he was sent on hunting trip with an Algonkin cap tive and three young Iroquois. The AL gonkin killed the Iroquois against Ra- disson's protest, and the two fled, but before they could reach Three Rivers they were overtaken. The Algonkin was killed. but Radisson, as traitor to the tribe, was brought back for torture.
 This time his sufferinge were terri ble. There were many other prison CTS, some of whom were tortured in most horrible fashion while the boy was compelled to look on; but he dis played no emotion, although he was trembling inwardly. He was left bound among the rest for the children to amuse themselves with. One gnawed his fingers. Another cut them with a stone. Others burned the soles of his feet and shot darts into his body.
 He bore it all without fiinching, how ever, and made neither protest nor out cry when warrior thrust his thumb into the bowl of lighted pipe and held 1t there The result of this was tremendous admiration among the In dians, and when the chief who had for merly adopted him made plea for his life, his petition was granted.
 For a year Radisson remained q member of the tribe during. the horri- ble war of eXtermination carried on by the Iroquois against the Hurons. With war party he made a long journey up the Mohawk and into the country beyond Lake Ontario, where village of Hurons was eXterminated. Radisson managed to save one wom- an from the village anC lead her back to the Iroquois settlement, where she became his fostermothers slave.
 The boy soon sickened of the horror of the savage life, but the forest had never-ending fascination for him. He learned it as the Indians knew it. He was taught how to make and use bark canoes, how to follow trail, how to read signs by which the presence of enemies or friends might be known, how to tell Indians of the different tribes apart, and how to speak their tongues. Indeed, he learned the very things that, when he finally escaped to the Dutch settlements on the Hudson gave him the best possible equipment for his life work of exploration in the unknown Northwest.