Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-10-08


that his brain might become 90
BILE. If only the ability to feel could
leave him now, as it had for a time
in the great White Rapids!
"If only my head had remained
under water when / was cast upon
that rock" he told himself. "I had
already met the fear of death, and
life was blotted out. There never
would have been any more pain"
But as he sat there, hunched up
like feeble old man, the thought
gradually came to him that his babv
was only few rods away from him.
lying peacefully in the closed tent
while the others had gone to look
after the fish.
That baby was his legacy from the
woman he had so greatly loved.
Since she must be dead it was his
duty to look after it and give it all
care and love, if any love could pos
sibly remain in breast that now
seemed to be shriveled with suffer-
ing and able to bring forth nothing
but the cruel breath, that prolonged
his agony.
Yet he felt that he must react.
The moment had surely come when
ne must resume the fight he had now
waged so long.
=, He must grit his teeth and stand
the punishment just as he had stood
i during those days of dreadful toll.
Surely, Ameou's last breath must
have been an injunction to him to
cherish the little one.
81 must do n ~ ba toId l,;,,..,f
braveiy. Think of the poor little
mite with it's deep-blue eyes! Yes.
I'm going to get strong and we'll
again and make living for the two
of US. He will never be conscious Of
his loss.
But I'm not going back to Tshe-
muak today. / can't do it yet. I
don't want to look at her fathers
tent or go into our room at the post,
or see any of the things that be-
longed to her. Tomorrow or the next
day l may be able to stand it-and
Atuk will take me down the river"
A greater peace came to him then.
obedience to duty was the first great
law to be upheld by one who calls
himself man. He heard call that
could be neglected only at the cost
OF honor and manhood. He would
answer it as bravely as he could,
with all the energy that must return
to him in the coming days.
He was tranquil now. The path to
be followed was hewn straight before
him. He would only have to carry
his burden as bravely as other men,
all over the world.
Gradually his thought ceased to
harrow him. He leaned forward look
ing toward the camp where his won
derful inheritance of flesh and blood
was lying asleep, and yet calling to
him to meet his obligations.
A moment later he heard some
thing behind him, but paid little
heed. 1t might have been a weasel
on the trail Of hare or some imper-
tinent red squirrel who, as soon as he
discovered that the still form was
human being, would chatter in fool
ish anger.
A hand touched him; but he react
ed duly to the surprise and turned
his head slowly, thinking that Atuk
might have come up behind him.
His only. feeling when he recog-
nized Mashkaugan was one of pleas
ant astonishment, but as he held
forth his hand the hunchback
yelled in fear and fed through the
underbrush like a wounded moose.
Lorimer's amazement was sue
ceeded by laughter-actual hysteri-
cal laughter-a sort that came
against his will, shaking him and
hurting the bruised muscles Of his
chest. For moment the tears came.
Finally he controlled himself, feeling
ashamed at his weakness.
Picking up his stick, he returned
to the tent. He was soon joined by
Atuk and his wife, who carried large
bundles Of dry fish and placed them
in little lean-to well covered with
large slabs of bark.
They looked at him in astonish-
ment, fol there were still traces Of
the mirth that had just shaken him
and which they could not under
stand.
T vas sitting yonder," he told
came up behind me and touched me.
and ran like caribou"
had left him. He looked at the
Nascaupees as if seeking some ex-
PLANTATION.
"He had not thought to see thee,
believing thee dead" said Atuk's
wife. "He surely took thee for a
ghost and turned away from thee in
fear"
Eyes, to him thou hadst become a
windego-a devil of the forests or
the waters that was seeking his life,"
assented Atuk. "He will be much
ashamed when he knows thou art
really living, and will beg US not to
tell the tale against him. Come now;
it is time to eat again and gather
more strength. Thou art very diff
ferent man already from the one
who came here this morning" g
The men sat on the ground while
the woman waited on them. In spite.
of the food he had already taken,l
Lorimer felt hungry again and his
hosts were pleased to see his appe-
t:te-
no