Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1922-09-30
The Snow
Madness
By AUTIN FLEET


A leap, a snarl-Jean Pousset's
hands were round Pierre Lots throat,
and Pierre's eyes were bulging as he
strove yainly to free himself from the
grasp Of his unsupported enemy.
AT first Jean throttled him as If his
only desire was to kill; but as Pierre
fell insensible upon the bunk, he re-
leased him and stood looking at him
uncertainty.
1t was the climax Of the season that
they had spent together. Both were
trappers, and they had amassed a
ricii store of furs. including two of the
silver fox, which meant comparative
affiuence for them. But Jean envied
Pierre
lie envied him his own share of the
furs, and he enyied him Marie Batiste,
who had Enthusiastically indicated her
preference for Pierre SO they were
TO be married that spring at Fort
Auguste, when Pierre returned.
There should be no returning for
Pierre. Jean had resolved to kill his
erstwhle friend. and return with a
trumped-up story Of some kind or
other No one would ever know.
OF late Pierre had seemed to sus-
pect Jean, and he had always slept
with his revolver handy. But that
morning Jean had Outmaneuvered him.
Jean watched Pierre uncertainty. 1t
would be an easy thing to shoot him
while he was unconscious. But some
thing in him rebelled against this muir
der of an unconscious man. And, in
the end he secured length Of rope
and tied Pierre securely TO his bunk.
Lie there and starye," he sneered.
None will pass this way, and I'll
be back next year and set you free"
If Pierre heard, he only groaned in
answer. Jean looked at him little
longer hurled a curse at him, and
loaded his pack with all the furs, in
Guiding Pierre's. Then, with wave
of the hand, he was off and snow
shoeing across thte wastes in the di-
rection Of Fort Auguste.
At first he stepped lightly enough,
but gradually the recollection of his
deed began to burn in him. 1t had
been largely spontaneous, though he
had had some such idea in mind for
weeks as, in the solitude, the memory
Of Marie Batiste's face grew stronger.
1t was Marie, rather than the furs,
that drove him on again. But he
walked more and more slowly; and
at last he stopped.
lie stopped under a dwarf willow.
where his line Of traps began. He
could not go on. He was glad that
he had not killed Pierre And he
would have returned, only he did not
know what to say to Pierre.
But he must return. Something
within him would not let him go a
step further. 1t was odd how that in
visible something seemed to cling to
his legs when he tried to walk 1t
was as If some one were physically
impeding him.
AT last, with a groap. he yielded.
He would go back to Pierre and set
Kim free, fling him his half of the
furs. and take himself away forever.
He turned toward the cabin. He
pushed his foot forward. Something
under the snow caught the shoe. Snap
He was fast
At first, just for an instant, he did
not know what 1t was that had pulled
him to his knees. Then, with an aw-
ful fear, he realized that he was fast
in one of his own traps. And he
tugged in vain; he could not bulge
the strong steel implement beneath
the frozen snow.
1t was a wolverine trap, one of the
heaviest made and designed to hold
the captive motionleSs.
1t was impossible to get at it, be-
cause he was In such position that
il was difficult even to kneel The
muscles of his back seemed bursting
as he yainly endeavured to get himself
into a position from which he might
pry away the frozen snow and tug at
the steel beneath
And. as he realized his doom, a
hoarse cry of despair broke from his
/ lips-another, and another.
/ The sun rose high. Still Jean
/ fought like mailman, always in vain.
/ And at last he abandoned the strug-
gle and lay face downward in the
snow.
The hours went by. The sun was
/ going down. The bitter cold was numb
ing him He had no longer any sen
( sarion in his leg and the teeth Of the
! trap no longer bit, though little pool
OF blood had frozen on the snow.
/ Suddenly Jean perceived a figure
coming toward him. Incredulously he
recognized Pierre. II was Pierre him
self, at his side, looking down on him.
He heard his exclamation. In a few
minutes Pierre had dug up the trap
and set his enemy free
Jean struggled to his feet and look ed
up nj Pierre in amaZement.
Take all the furs and 60" he mum.
BLEED.
Pierre clapped him on the shoulder.
Eth. mon ami it is nothing" he said.
1T is the snow dness that comes 70