Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-10-30

Igettfng Aoat. r said mo-. They said the
rain delayed them. We went right
back to our canoe and" struck down
river. leaving. them to follow, which
they did Immediately, following us
right along We pulled by the falls to-
gether. We saw no indications they
had any fur.
About two miles below the fans,
Just at dusk, / walked back and saw
they h"d gone ashore. They stald
there half an hour or 50. We waited
for them and then they came along IN
the darkness. Two Brooks Rapids are
dangerous rapids. / had q canvass ca
roe ana they tried to run me down.
They Intended to swamp ne, thought.
We grabbed our paddles and sailed
right along, rocks on no rocks. l be-
gan to lie suspicious they had some
thing, the way they acted. We kept
along about two miles, then they said
1T is too dark to run and We camp
We kept on about a mile, pulled our
canoe on shore, left it and walked four
miles TO the wagon road along the
beach over rocks and wading in water.
thought they would see my canoe
and think me on shore asleep.
I'VE gol to the wagon road at 10 p.
NJ Mr. Theriaut went to supper and
watched the river. In about 80 min
utcs | heard them coming. We got
down on the beach of the river and
made q rush for them as they came
along They saw us coming-thc moon
had risen and it was light as day. l
rushed for one boat and Mr.. TEeriauit
for the other. My men jumped for the
river with their rifles and got into the
woods. MI Theriault's men did the
same. They We're quite close to the
&hore, they had run as close to the
shore as POSSIBLE, the water was but
about inches deep. We did the best
we could to catch them but they got
into the woods and we could not find
them. Then we got the boats, took
them to the shore looked them over
and found in a large box which we
had not seen before siXty-four beaver
skins and tWenty-One muSkrat skins,
over two hundred steel traps. their
coats. provisions and tobacco.
I'VE had lost our men. | felt like
crying, after all we had gone through,
to have them get away. But get away
they did and that's all there is to it,
They were seen the next morning at
Connors, a station on the railroad on
the Province side, - miles from where
they got away from us, by A. J. Ne
dau, ESD, of Fort Kent who bought
them a breakfast. They presented, he
said, 4 very sorry appearance. They
were cCatless, their clothes in shrcds
and thoroughly wet. Two OF them
were crying, saying they We're ruined,
that they had run in debt for their
outfit several hundred dollars and We're
ruined as the ID Yankee, moose
wardens had taken all their stuff.
Now where did they take on their
fur? It was not in their boats when we
came by the Falls at Mckeen's brook.
where they landed and said they were
going to camp for the night. Well, a
tote road from this place LEADS up
toward the head-waters of Five Finger
brook, to within about a mile of the
Five Finger tote road. The fact is that
as fast as they captured the beaver
they carried the skins over to Nc
keen'S brook and put them in this box
which was six feet long. two feet wide
and two feet high, the top being coy
cred with oilcloth. This box was 40
doubt concealed with great care, ana
when they landed that night they took
in into one of their boats From tiiat
point they could in three hours any
night make the run and get into Can
ada.
"AT we could DO was to take The
Loats, furs, traps, provisions, one gun
which they left in one of the boats and
their provisions and go home to Fort
Kent, which We did the next day. 1t
should he bA'He in mind that We We're
two against four in the great woods,
many miles away. They were extre-
mely cunning and resourceful Luck
favored us some. Had we not been
equally cunning and resourcCtui. how
ever they would have got away with
the goods. AS it is they are severely
punished and it will be q long day be
fore a like expedition from Canada in
vadeS the State of Maine to make a
raid on the beaver. They fooled me
some and we fooled them some, but on
the whole [ hope Chairman Carleton
will think we did We'll. at any rate we