The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-08-10

years Ola ana the OiQeSI OF the three
sous was fourteen. a man and his boy
came up from Churchill He had let
ters from the factor at the bay. and
our factor and his wife opened their
doors to him and to his son and gave
them all hat it was in their power 10
give.
Mon Dipu. this man was from that
glorious civilization of yours. m'seur--
from that land to the south where
they say thai ChriStS temples stand
on every. four corners, but he could not
understand the strange God anG the
+, strange laws of our people. For mon rs
he had been away from the cunII,an
wilderness the factors wife came into
his life as the flower blossoms in the
desert. All. m'seur. | can see now how
his wicked heart strove to accomplish
the things and how he failed because
the glory of our wOmanhOOd up here
has come straight down from heaven.
And in failing he went mad-mad with
that passion of the race l have seen in
Montreal. and then-ah. the great God.
mseur. do you not understand what
happened next?
Croisset lifted his head. his face
twisted in Il torture that was half
grief. half madness. and stared at
Rowland. with quivering nostrils and
heaving chest. In his companions face
he saw only a dead white pallor of
waiting, of half comprehension. He
leaned over the table again. controlling
himself by mighty effort.
1T was at that time when most of
us were out among the trappers. just
before our big spring caribou roast.
when the forest people came in with
their furs. m'seur. The post was al
most deserted. Do you understand?
The woman was alone in her cabin
with the little Meleese. and when we
came back at night she was dead.
Yes. m'seur. she killed herself. leav-
ing few written words to the factor
telling him what had happened.
"The man and the boy escaped on a
sledge after the crime. Mon Dieu.
how the forest people leaped in pur-
suit. 1t was the factor himself and
his youngest boy who found them far
out on the Churchill trail. And what
happened then. m'seur? Just this:
While the man fiend urged on his dogs
the son fired back with rifle. and one
of his bullets went straight through
the heart of the pursuing factor. SO
that in the space of one day and one
night the little Meleese was made both
motherless and fatherless by these two
whom the devil had sent to destroy the
most beautiful thing we have ever
known in this north. All. m'seur. you
turn white. Does it bring a vision to
you now? Do you hear the crack of
that rifle? Can you see"-
my God" gasped Rowland. Even
now he understood nothing Of what
this tragedy might mean to him-for.
got everything but that he was listen
ing to the terrible tragedy that had
come to the woman who was the moth.
er Of the girl he loved
'They escaped. m'seur."
With q deep breath Rowland sank
back. In a moment he leaned agai,
toward Jean as he saw come into the
Frenchman's eyes a slumbering fire
that few seconds later blazed into
vengeful malignity when he drew slow.
~ from an inside pocket Of his coat
small parcel wrapped and tied in soft
buckskin.
"They have sent you this. m'seur."
be said. "'At the very last they told
me. let him read this"
With his eyes on the parcel. scarce
" breathing. Rowland waited while
with exasperating siowness Croisset's
brown fingers united the cord that Sc
cured it.
this meant to us in the north. m'seur."
said Jean. his hands covering the par
eel after he had finished with the cord
1--WE are different who live up here
different from those who live in Mont
real and beyond. With us a lifetime
is not too long to spend in avenging
cruel wrong. 1t is our honor of the
north. was fifteen then and had
been fostered by the factor and his
wife since the day my mother died of
the smallpox and dragged myself
into the post. almost dead Of starva-
ton. So it happened that l was like
brother to Meleese and the other
three. The years passed. and the de-
sire for vengeance grew in us as we
became Older until it was the one
thing that we most desired in life.
even filling the gentle heart of Me-
leese, whom we sent to school in
Montreal when she was eleven.
m'seur. 1t was three years later.
while she was still in Montreal. that
went on one of my wandering
searches TO a post at the head of the
Great Slave. and there. m'seur-
there
Croisset had risen. His long arms
were stretched high. his head thrown
back. his upturned face afiame with
passion that was almost that Of
prayer
"M'seur | thank the great God of
heaven that it was given to Jean Crois-
set TO meet one of those whom we had