The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1919-02-27


the younger of the Frenchmen, to the
fugitive's apprehensive eye, clutched
it with a good deal of eagerness, and
shortly afterwards signified to him
that he must precede them in the
path. Chase's suspicious were now
,, fully aroused that they meant to re-
capture him, and he bitterly blamed
himself that he had not seized the gun
according to his first inclination and
made his escape with it, rather than
trusted himself to the generosity of
a race, whom in the first gush of dis
: appointment. his heart charged with
being destitute of the quality. Bue
regrets were useless, and his only
hope lay in being able to give them
the slip before they reached the set
Element; for he felt confident that they
intended to recapture him and deliver
him into the hands OF the English.
Proceeding with as unsuspicious a
demeanor as one in his circumstances
could assume, he continued to con-
verse with them unconcernedly. until
d
his path, where raising his foot upon
the trunk, he stopped over pretending
to be very intent in adjusting the
leather thong which confined the short
moccasn to his ankle. The son
stopped by his side moment but
deluded by the unsusptcious appear
ance Of Chase, in moment. moved
onward a few steps to where small
brook crossed the path, and stopped
for the purpose of obtaining a drink.
The prisoner was on his watch. and
making a desperate spring into the fir
thicket by which they were surround
ed, flew like a startled deer. Too
late the Canadians discovered the ruse
which had been practised upon them,
and raising shout as II to intimidate
the fugitive, commenced pursuit. But
in such a case pursuit was useless;
for Roger Chase was at this time in
the prime of his manhood-lithe as a
deer with the sinews Of a bear, dis
commoded by no redundancy of flesh,
as he ran away from them with the
greatest ease.
that the adventure would be bruited
abroad, he became more cautious than
ever in his movements. At length,
after many difficulties, which want of
space compels me to pass over, he
reached St Francis, the extreme out
post OF French settlements in this
quarter. He lay here in hiding near
a week, coming out at night and pur-
Joining whatever eatables he could lay
his hands on. which consisted chiefly
of poultry and such bread as the habi-
tans were indiscreet enough to leave
In their outdoor ovens over night.
When he had collected what he con-
veniently could-by the way. not
large stock-he struck off for Lake
Megantic, on his route homeward.
The nights were now cold in the ele
waited region which he was traversing.
Ice made during the night, and snow
storms were of frequent occurrence;
and thinly clothed as he was, he would
probably have persisted, had not his
hunter-craft enabled him to kindle a
fire-igniting 'spunk' by friction be-
tween bit of quartz rock and the
blade Of his knife. Before reaching
Dead river, he had consumed the last
mouthful which he brought from st.
Francis. As he crossed the meadows
on this river he occasionally knocked
over a partridge with a stone-for
which purpose he carried a store OF
selected ones in his shirt bosom-and
sometimes obtained a small fish from
the stream.
When he reached the eastern pond
on the Great Carrying Place, he found
four bateaux. which from some cause
or other Arnolds command had left
there. Toll worn, leg weary, feet
sore and famished as he was, he look
ed upon this discovery as a perfect
god-send; and cutting one of them in
two at the centre with a Ratchet Dor
rowed at door in St Francis, he car
ried and dragged one half over the
intervening rough ground to the Ken
nebec near the present dwelling of
George Briggs where placing 1t In the
river and ballasting the sharp end
with stone sufficient to elevate the
bow or open end OF his dearly bought
and highly priced skiff above the
water, he got in himself and padded
down the stream. Once more upon
the river with whose waters he was
so familiar, he felt himself compare
lively at home. When near the head
of the Great Island just below Bing-
ham village he saw a moose wade into
the water from the main land and
stop in a little cove under the western
side OF the island, among the willow
bushes which skirted the shore. Pad
ding up to within easy gun shot, he
leisurely surveyed him, not little
tantalized by the thought of the saw
DRY repast which good rife might
afford him At Carratunk Falls. he
found the feet of bear which Indians
had probably killed, and maggoty and
tainted as they were, he scorched on
the embers and eagerly devoured
them. At the end Of the twenty-frst
day from Point Levi he reached Wa
terville. but so squalid and emaciated
that even his wife did not at first rec
ognize him. A few years afterwards
he removed to what is now the town
Of Concord, and took up the John
Dinsmore farm, where he died In
1920. He was a noted hunter and
spent a large portion OF his time In