The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-12-19
The Danger Trail.
Continued from Page One.

waiting, Of half comprehension. He
leaned over the table again. controlling
himself by a mighty effort.
1T was at that time when most o.!
us were out among the trappers. just
before our big spring carbon 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 cabii
with the little Meleese. and when WI
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.
1.-The man and the boy escaped nu 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 rife. and one
of his bullets went straight through
the heart OF the pursuing factor. ST.
that in the space of ore '''tE 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 eveI
known in this north. All. m'seur. you
turn white! Does it bring vision tt
you now? Do you hear the crack OF
that rife? Can you see
"My God" gasped Rowland. Ever
now he understood nothing of wha
this tragedy might mean to him-for
got everything but that he was listen
ing to the terrible tragedy that ha'
come to the woman who was the mot
er of the girl he loved.
"They escaped. m'seur."
With a deep breath Rowland sank
back. In a moment he leaned again
toward Jean as he saw come into the
Frenchman's eyes slumbering fire
that a few seconds later blazed into
vengeful malignity when he drew slow
ly from an inside pocket of his coat a
small parcel wrapped and tied in soft
buckskin,
They have sent you this, m'seur.'
he 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.
"First you must understand what
this meant to us in the north m'seur.
said Jean. his hands covering the par
eel after he had finished with the cord
eve are different who live up here
different from those who live in Mont
real and beyond With us Il lifetime
is not too long to spend in avenging q
cruel wrong. 1t is our honor of the
north l was fifteen then and hat
been fostered by the factor and his
wife since the day my mother died o1
the smallpox and | dragged myself
into the post. almost dead of starva
ton. So it happened that | was lik.
q brother to Meleese and the Othe
three. The years passed. and the de
sire for vengeance grew in us as WI
became older until it was the one
thing that we most desired in life
even filing the gentle heart of Me
leese. whom we sent. to school IL
Montreal when she was eleven
mseur. 1t was three years later
while she was still in Montreal. tina
II went on one of my wauderin,
searches to post at the head Of tn
Great Slave. and there. m'seur-
there
Croisset had risen. His long arm
were stretched high. his head throw
back. his upturned face aflame with
passion that was almost that o
prayer.
"M'seur. l thank the great God o
heaven that it was given to lean Crois
set to meet one of those whom we hat
pledged our lives to find. and | slew
him. 1t was the father. and | kille,
. him. m'seur-killed him slowly. tell
J ing him of what he had done as chok
! ed the life from him-and then. littl
at time. let the life back into him
J forcing him to tell me where | woul
find hfs son. the slayer of Meleese's ia
! ther And after that closed on hi
! throat until he was dead. and my dog
/ dragged his body through 300 miles Q
snow that the others might look o
him and know that he was dead. Tha
was six years ago. m'seur
Rowland was scarcely breathing.
, And the other. the son" he whis
pered tensely"you found him. Crois
set: You killed him."
What would you have done. m seur?
Howiand's hands gripIed those tina
guarded the little parcel.
: II would have killed him. JEAN"
He spoke slowly. deliberately.
II would have killed him." he repea
/! ed
! II am glad of that. m'seur."
! Jean was unwrapping the buckskil
fold after fold of 1t. until at last thel
I was revealed roll of paper. soiled an
yellow along the edges
! "rhese pages are taken from tn
daybook at the post where the woma
lived" he explained softly. smoothin
them under his hands. Each day til
I factor OF a post keeps reckoning {
incidents DIS they pass. as have hear
that sea captains do on shipboard.
has been company law for hundred
;. Of years. We have kept these pages
X ourselves. m'seur. They tell Of VIII
happened at our post sixteen years az
this winter
l As he spoke the half breed came