The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-01-09

After three r. : or 50. I found
myself becoming tired and | was
drenched with rain from head 10
foot. But | padded on. right into
great luck Ny bow struck some
thing that was leither rock nor sand
nor gravel. My canoe slid along the
thing, and | put out my hand Il
grasped the stern-post of the bateau.
One end was evidently drawn M on
the shore while the other projected
into the water. and if | had been a
loot farther from the beach | might
nave missed it altogether.
stepped ashore and began to ey-
anime the boat very cautiously. Tn
der tarpaulin | found the bale of
iurs' bag OF corn and some other
PROVISIONS. A mast and sail and
three pairs of heavy oars Law across
thwarts. The men were gone
Where? I caught sight of a very
faint CLEAN of freight among the
trees at some distance. Toward this
l started.
Crawling through the bushes. |
saw tarpaulin stretched on poles
so as to form a tent. A, fire was
burning brightly in front of it. and
1 made out four men lying on the
ground under the tent, while a fifth
sat with his back to tree. A gun
lay across his knees and two others
were beside the sleepers. The man
on guard was Alec Prevanche, from
whom l had taken the jug of rum
few days earlier. He had another
jug beside him and seemed to have
drawn freely from it. Probably all
five had been drinking ever since
they left Mackinac.
Two or three times in the next
half-hour l saw Alec give a start and
rub his eyes with his hands, but at
last his head sank down on his
breast, his mouth opened and he
began to snore. l waited a little
longer and then, very cautiously.
carried the guns one by one out of
the circle of freight. Then l took
them down to the beach and placed
them in the canoe. The axe I secured
in the same way. From the bateau
| took the provisions Then I had
all the little canoe could carry. Push
ing we'll out from the land, | threw
them all overheard.
Then l went back. took the mast |
and sail anC all the oars but one, |
towed them out till the wind took |
hold of them and let them drift |
away in the darkness. Next, I trans |
ferred the bale of furs to my own |
craft, moored the canoe to the stern |
Of the bateau with a cord, and sat
Down to wait.
This was the hardest part, but a
July night is short here at Mackinac.
and the dawn came at last, gray and
1reary. A little later the five voy-
lgeurs burst through the bushes and
came running down across the beach.
Hold on" l said. raising my gun.
They all stopped short Francois,
With great volley of French oaths,
lsked what 1 was doing.
Il want you to go back to Mack
nae with me-" I said. Il told you
Francois, that I wouldn't tell Mr..
crooks or Mr.. Stewart that you were
,oing, and 1 haven't told them; but
didn't suppose that you were going
o break into the warehouse and
teal the best of the furs. Now I've
aiken your guns and your provisions
nd oars and thrown them into the
AXE. You can't go on without them.
f you'll go back to Mackinac and
i've yourselves up, I'll try to get Mr.
tewart to be easy on you; but If
GU won't, I'll go back myself and {
I'll him where you are"
'You will, hey?" and Francois .
ashed forward without needing my I
un. Before he could reach the l
ateau l cut the cord, and with a
uick shove sent the canoe well out
ON shore.
But Alec Prevanche caught I'D a
eavy stone and threw it. 1t struck