Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-12-10

Olu MI. howard ala not stop talk-
Ing when he had told the family
party about his victory over Alec
Prevanche and the other rum-drink-
ing voyageurs whose wood-chopping
on Bois Blanc Island he had been
sent to oversee when he was sixteen
years old. The boy still had to pay
penalty for his previous paltering
with the voyageur who had tempted
him to desert from his enlistment of
five years in the Astor Fur Company's
service, and the old man went on to
tell what that penalty turned out to
be.
When I went to bed after that first
day on Bois Blanc Island I was proud
and happy. I had found that could
command men, and the discovery
changed my views of fur-trader's
life. BIT in the midst of my salts
faction I suddenly rem embered how I
had encouraged Francois Robidaux's S
plan that he and / should slip away
in two days, taking some of the COM
pany's boats with US. Now saw my
conduct in its true light, and in the
darkness of my tent shame came
->over me, and I felt that I was a
sneak. But when I thought of my
sister lying i'll, perhaps dead, and OF
my natural longing to go home and
share the family grief, I could find
. some excuse for myself, although not
enough to justify me in my own
. mind.
1t was on Saturday that I re-
turned to Mackinac. The few days
at Bois Blanc and the change from
sorting furs in the warehouse had
done ne good. / knew I could do
my duty, and I resolved to do it
cheeTfully to the end of my five
years term.
Late on Sunday afternoon I me,
Francois, who had been looking for
NE. lie wanted me to be ready tc
steal away en- Tuesday night with a
party CT dcserters. I told him l was
not going.
En-, not going?" he said.
i promised to stay with the Fur
Company five years. told him
and I'm going to stay
Francois was white with anger
And suppose you're sneak enough
70 tell Mr.. Crooks Or Mr.. Stewart
ne said, cursing me. ''If you do, III
kill you:''
I'm 10 sneakH I told him, fol
Aoe taunt made me angry.
Then you'll promise that yoy
won't tell on the rest of u.s. Fran.
eois said, and without stopping tt
mink, / did promise. He had clev
erly thrown me OF my guard.
Monday evening it happened tha
Mr. Stewart sent me to the ware
mouse to bring him the tally book
and before I left the storeroom
happened to notice that a very valu
able pack of marten, otter and silve
1ox skins was not in the place wher
mad last seen it. I hurried bacI
10 the office and told Mr.. Stewart
Who made nothing of the report, fo
all he said was:
moved it just before they locked III
NO one could possibly have got
and stolen it,
But | was not satisfied. I ha
seen Francois watching that pac
very eagerly as it was being made u
.nat afternoon. If he would steal
.ateau and three weeks provision
ae might not be above stealing
odle CT furs. I left the store an
walked down to the beach, thinkir
tnat the deserters might have decide
=, 70 start twenty-four hours earle
man mad been planned. 1 wished
aad not promised not to report ther
W uut at any rate I would make su,
suat they were not carrying off al
peltries
;, lound no one on the beach b
soiiie Indians in their wigwams.
s,oim @ was rising in the northea.
1s.'ough ,. as yet there was no win
~ was too dark for me to see q