Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-10-29


kicked the melting snow under his
moccasined feet.
1T will thaw very soon." he said to
himself, looking again at the dead man,
land then he will go into the lake."
He headed his malemutes back to the
forest. Then be ran out and cut the
traces of the exhausted huskies, and
with his whip scattered them in free
dom over the ice.
Go to the wolvesr' he shouted in
Cree. Hide yourselves from the post,
or Jean de Gravois will cut out your
tongues and take your skins off alivew
When be came back to the top Of the
mountain Jean found Iowaka making
hot coffee, while Jan was bundled up
in furs near the fire.
ut is as | said" she called HE is
alive!
Thus it happened that the return of
Jean de Gravois to the post was even
more dramatic than he had schemed it
to be, for he brought back with him
not only beautiful wife from Church
i'll, but also the half dead Jan Thoreau
from the scene of battle on the noun
tain. And in the mystery of it all he
reveled for two days, for Jean de Ora
vols said not word about the dead
man on the lake beyond the forest, nor
did the huskies come back into their
bondage to give hint of the missing
missionary.
Prom fho do1 f+or @toc M -;t,o,, woos+
the fur gatherers began scattering.
The Eskimos left the next morning.
On the second day Mukee's people
from the west set off along the edge
Of the Barrens. Most of the others left
by ones and twos into the wilderness
to the south and east.
Less than a dozen still put off their
return to the late spring trapping, and
among these were Jean de Gravois
and his wife. Jean waited until the
third day. Then he went to see Jan.
The boy was bolstered up in his cot,
with Cummins balancing the little
Melissa on the edge of the bed when
he came in.
For time Jean sat and watched
to Cummins, who joined him at the
door.
II am going the Athabasca way TO-
day." be said. II wish to talk with
the boy before l go. have a word
to say to him which no ears should
hear but his own. Will it be rightT
Talk to him as long as you like"
TI1T0o inc Ghr,f hi
about the missionary. You'll not get
a word from him."
JAMS eyes spoke with devotion
greater than words as Jean de Ora
vols came and sat close beside him.
He knew that it was Jean who had
brought him alive into the post.
"Ah, it was wan be-e-a -u-tifuI fght,"
be said softly. ''You are brave boy
Jan Thoreauv'
''You did not see itY asked Jan.
Unconsciously the words came from
him in French Jean caught one of
his thin hands and laughed ioyfully,
for the spirit Of him was French to
the bottom of his soul.
81 see it? No, neither l nor Iowaka.
but there it was in the snow. as plain
as the eyes in your face. And did
not follow the trail that staggered
down the mountain. while Iowaka
brought yon back to life? And when
l came to the lake did | not see some
thing black out upon it. like charred
log? And when | came to 1t was it
not the dead body of the missioner
from Churchill? Ell. Jan Thoreau"
Jan sat up in his bed. with a sharp
cry.
1.-THE thaW will open up the lake in
few days. Then he will go down in
the first slush." And Jean looked about
him cautiously again and whispered
low-"if you see anything about the
dead missioner that you do not under
stand think of Jean de Gravois."
He rose to his feet and bent over
JAMS white face.
Il am going the Athabasca way to-
day." he finished. perhaps, Jan Thor
eau, you will hear after a time that it
would be best for Jean de GravOis
never to return again to this Post Lac
Balm. If so you will find him be-
LWSSn Ou AACtS anu IAV APCoFO ca
river" He passed out
When Cummins returned he found
JAMS cheeks flushed and the boy in
fever.
Devil take that Gravoisv' he growl-
ed.
HE has been a brother to me-" said
Jan simply. Il love him."
On the second day after the French
mans departure Jan rose free of the
fever which had threatened him for
time and in the afternoon he har-
messed Cummins' dogs. The last of the
trappers had started from the post that
morning, their sledges and dogs sink
ing heavily in the deepening slush, and
Jan set off over the smooth toboggan
trail made by the company's agent in
his return to Fort Churchill.
This trail followed close along the
base of the ridge upon which he had
fought the missionary, joining that of