Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-07-04

eralW ordered Curran sharply.
The hunchback started the song
the loudness of his voice making VI
for lack of quality:
En- roulant, ma bouie roulant!
The chorus was taken up and z
semblance of cheerfulness finally
seemed to be attending the start. Ii
continued until the canoes rounded
a long point, keeping well ashore
near the line alders, where the cur
rent lost some of it's swiftness.
Pm glad they're off," said Teddy
Fisk to his wife, as they returned tC
the post.
Something's going to happen to
that Curran some day." answered
the goot. woman. Hes too hard on
his men,"
well, he's hustler and gets re-
SUITS" replied her husband. That's
what counts in the long run"
perhaps it does" said the wife,
unconvinced, ant the agent went
into the store to begin long bag
Cling with Michaux ana Passigan
over the value of their bales of fur.
Meanwhile the brigade kept on
going up the river, the strong cur
rent maxim travel very slow. The
day was warm and the sweat was
pouring from the men, faces, sting
ing their eyes, which they wiped
with a quick move of the wrist.
Paddles were lifted with blades
high in the air and the water trick
ling down the loom ran into thirsty
mouths. After goin., three miles
they stopped at the side of a little
brook running down from a side-hill.
The ice-cold water refreshed the
men amazingly. They lit their pipes
and started up long dead water
where the current was easier, and
presently the songs were heard
again.
An hour before nlghtfall, having
covered only nine miles, the brigaae
went ashore at the foot of the first
portage, where the big river tumbled
in a mighty fall.
Fires were lighted, tents put up,
and the canoes were unloaded
swiftly by the hungry crew, who
piled the goods under tarpaulins.
"The whisky's pretty well sweated
out of 'em by this time" said Cur
ran to Mashkaugan. See them
hustle. They want their grub and
a long sleep"
"Ail right now" answered the
hunchback "We'l start early over
the portage"
After this there followed many
long days, with the constant passing
of well-remembered landmarks
Point of Birches, Black Rocks, Dead
Pine, Drowned Mans Pool and scores
of others that marked many long
steps in the journey.
When they reached the height OF
land there were many hard portages,
some of which had to be tackled in
pelting rains when moccasins sank
deep in swampy ooZe and the strain
of the tump-lines became torture.
Then they came to little streams
where the deep-laden canoes would
hardly float and the whole brigade
would be stopped until fallen trees
were hacked asunder
In other places the men had to
walk il the water and drag the
canoes over shoals by main force.
But they knew that soon they would
journey with the currents that ran
toward Hudson Bay and that there
would be no more hard lining from
the shore, as had happened so often
farther south, wheI a dozen men had
t. walk along the bank and tug at a
long tow-rope while two canoe men
with poles kept the ship in mid
stream and watched for rocks.
Mashkaugan and Curran created a
carefully nurtured rivalry among
the men. In hearing of one or two
they discussed the mems abilities.
believing this, doubling that. Like
big children, the voyageurs fell into
the old trap and sweated under the
huge loads, going fast in order to
show what they could do.
Some of the carries took an entire
day, for the portages had to be gone
over and Yer again until the whole
freight was brought up and loaded
for another start.
Many of the nights were hot and
uncomfortable, the black fles and
midges that had stung all day made
room for the mosquitoes that buzzed
and bit all night. Tent-flaps had to
be closed tightly and the men slept
with their heads covered, for neither
white man nor Indian can withstand
lHC NOllSldIll dIIdCh VI VI
cry insects blowing in like clouds
from the swamps, and at times
seeming not even to mind the pun
gent acrid smoke of smudges with
which the travellers seek to repel
them.
At such times. they grumbled
fiercely and gesticulated wildly, but
they were getting accustomed to
Curran's driving and paid little at
tention to him. Better than any one
else they knew when they had ac-
complished a fair days work, and
the leader was compelled to keep his
temper in check, knowing how swift
ly sheat-knives and short axes could
be handled by angry voyageurs.
At night Curran, whose dignity
required a private tent, would call
Mashkaugan and engage in long
conversations with him, always end
ing about .Lorimer, at the mention
of whose name Mashkaugan would
spit disdainfully on the ground.
Il amt no friend of his" he said
81 know you're not; but then | also
know that it was on account of a
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