Charlevoix county herald., 1914-07-18


mails. Wild fowl were plentiful, and
But soon Lorimer was compelled
hopeless and they started back.
at has been wild goose chase for
fair" Lorimer told Mashkaugan.
Still, Pm glad enough to have seen
all this country"
AS they retraced their way the go
ing was easier The provisions were
gradually diminishing, and the ca
noe rode lightly on the water, while
the portages could be passed over
more rapidly. They again took what
seemed to be desperate chances in
boiling rapids, but always went
through them in safety.
They crossed the big lake again.
1t was a long journey. The frail
craft could not be trusted far from
land. Big squalls came up very sud-
the shore and cut across from point
to point when the water was calm
enough.
Finally they reached the outlet Of
the big lake. They were obliged to
halt for one day while a gale abated.
Lorimer felt more contented now
than at any time since the beginning
Of the trip. Was he not going back
to the cherished woman he had
learned to love so dearly? The flood
bore them so swiftly that in three
hours they covered a ditance that
had taken long day on the upward
trip.
Lorimer for some time had been
conscious that Mashkaugan was
watching him in strange way.
the halfbreed would hesitate at
times, seeming to have lost some of
his nerve.
One day, in camp, the hunchback
rad taken up Lorimer's gun ostensi-
bly, TO clean it with a greasy rag,
but when the young man changed 10
look at him he had an uncomfortable
feeling that the Indian was staring
at him strangely and that some
queer notion possessed his mind.
Mashkaugan put the gun aside
quite suddenly and busted himself
with the making of batter for flap
jacks.
|, was on the day after this that
they reached the great White Rap
ids again. They shot part of it at
tremendous speed, but stopped in a
bit of dead water abov the place
where the narrowing river seemed to
rest for an instant before it entered
the chasm and took a thirty-foot leap
into the turmoil below.
loaIaI Ant
rock and unloaded. Mashkaugan
found small leak in the canoe and
built a tiny fire to heat some gum.
When everything was ready Mash
kaugan lit his pipe. His hands were
somewhat unsteady. Lorimer made
up his pack, which consisted of his
own war-bag and a partly filled fif
ty-pound bag of flour.
Leave that behind" grunted
Mashkaugan. Il come back for it."
But Lorimer had already swung
the load to his forehead.
Il can easily take that across" he
said. THE going is good enough,
and you have plenty to carry"
He looked about to see that moth
ing was left behind, and noted that
a little -four had been spilled on the
rocks. He put his load down to in
vestigate. There was a small hole in
the bag.
From his own pack he took spare
bag of waterproof canvas and trans
ferred the -four to it, tying up the
neck with strong cord.
Better leave that -four" Mash
kaugan said again.
,.,Lsl1 =.
ing to do far more than his own
share of the work without the slight
est complaint, had never before OBJ
jected to Lorimer's packing all he
wanted to carry. This msistence
seemed strange to the young man;
but the half-breed was queer chap,
anyway.
Without paying further attention
Lorimer started off, closely followed
by Mashkaugan, who was carrying
the canoe.
Their way was oven some loose
rocks and small boulders until they
clambered up to rather narrow
ledge which gave secure footing TO
steady man.
Below them, to the right, the wa
ter was swirling into the chasm, ris-
ing in angry waves that seemed to
explode in the air as If some magic
force blasted them to pieces. The
thunderous roar drowned all other
sounds.
At length they came TO a place
where the path was very narrow and
where a long step had to be taken
across cleft that had split the huge
rock.
The hunchback, with glazing eyes,
watched his chance. He was very
close to Lorimer, who was stepping
cautiously, yet without the slightest
idea of danger.
For second before taking the
long stride, Lorimer stopped to as
sure himself of his balance.
At this moment, just as he began
to move, the point of the canoe that
was born on the great shoulders of
the half-breed touched his left side
very lightly, yet hard enough to push
him slightly to the right.
Lorimer staggered and clutched at
the air helplessly. With a cry that
was unheard he pitched down thirty
feet into the caldron beneath.
Mashkaugan stepped back quickly
and laid the canoe on the rocky