The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-01-09
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r. when ne nau lolu inc laihll.
IN about his victory over Ale'
.,anche and the other rum-drink
yoyageurs whose wood-choppins
Bois Blanc Island he had beer
q 10 oversee when he was siXteer
~ old, The boy still had to pay
aIty for his previous palterins
- the voyageur who had tempted
"a to desert from his enlistment OF
- wears in the Astor Fur Company
brsice. and the old man went on to
n What that penalty turned out to
When went to bed after that first
= ~ on Bots Blanc Island was proud
ID happy. l had found that l could
ammand men, and the discovery
hanged my views of fur-trader's
Me. But in the midst of my salts
B hcdon suddenly remembered how l
"a encouraged Francois Robidaux' S
III that he and l should slip away
two days, taking some Of the COM
mrs boats with US Now | saw my
Unduct In its true light, and in the
4 hskness OF my tent shame came
eger me, and | felt that | was a
1 max. But when l thought of my
d1ter lying ill, perhaps dead, and of
NJ natural longing to go home and
dare the family grief, l could find
some excuse for myself, although not
Mough to justify me in my own
mind.
Il was on Saturday that / re-
turned to Mackinac. The few days
4 Bots Blanc and the change from
pfting furs in the warehouse had
In me good. l knew l could do
n duty. and I resolved to do it
s1eerfully to the end of my five
Jnrs' term.
Late on Sunday afternoon I met
l1ncois. who haG been looking for
e. He wanted me to be ready to
9eal away on Tuesday night with a
afty OF 4eserters. l told him / was
ut goiae.
Eh. not going?" he said.
! promised to stay with the Fur
company five years." l told him,
ana I'm going to stay"
francois was white with anger,
And ] suppose you're sneak enough
9 tell Mr.. Crooks or Mr.. Stewart"
Vi SAID. cursing me. II. you DO, I'll
lill you!"
I'm no sneak" I told him, for
= AUNT made me angry.
Then you'll promise that you
IN tell on the rest of u.s." Fran |
~ said. and without stopping to !
1nk. did promise. He had clev-
~ farown me of my guard.
!. aonday evening it happened that |
u; Stewart sent me to the ware
TO bring him the tally book. |
before l left the storeroom II
pened to notice that a very valu-
PACK OF marten, otter and silver
s.lns was not in the place where
iast seen it. l hurried back
me ONCE and told Mr.. Stewart.
made nothing of the report. for
ne said was:
W. some of the boys must have
veg 1t Just befor, they locked IN
One could possibly have got in
g stolen it,"
.0ut was not satisfied. had
q francois watching that pack
:. eagerly as it was being made I'D
= aiternoon. If he would steal a
'eaa and three weeks provisions
snt not be above stealing a
I, 81 iurs. left the store and
!. oown to the beach, thinking
ne oeserters might have decided
s'art twenty-four hours earlier
= nad been planned. 1 wished 7
W. promised not to report them.
!. - any rate 1 would make sure
tries. 'ins on any
!. ounu no one on the beach but :
Z INDIANS in their wigwams. A
- was rising in the northeast
.ousn as yet there was no wind
as 700 dark for me to see any
9 Instance, but as l stood on the
g ! thought 1 heard the din Of
% the southward-the direc-
at the deserters had planned
,aAe. | ran to the house where
gone. lie
ieit sure that Francois nartv
embarked only a few minutes
re and that they lad stolen a
= the company'ss finest furs
curse. should have at once
Mr. Crooks or Mr. Stewart all
Knew, but my mind was CON
= " my promise to Francois
sadenly I saw a WY. I would
canoe and catch the desert. =
what | should do next | did :
ioresee. but some| plan wou,s I