The L'Anse sentinel., 1922-11-24
The Big Muskeg
By
VICTOR ROUSSEAU
MT4EsS sSAr~x
VICTOR ROUSSEAU


crept up behind the rocks till was
hundred PAGES AVA. Joe Bostock's
back was turned. I drew bead on
his heart and fred. They bath fell
down. ran back to the store and
went to bed. Jules didna see me. and
Molly hadn't come hame."
He groaned and hung his head upon
his breast. The voice of Payne cut the
silence like a knife.
"You are telling this of your own
free will, McDonald?" he asked.
"As God Is my witness I'm tellin'
this because my times come now, and
wouldna have VIII Carruthers swing
for that red fox yonder."
"What was the nature of Mr.. Bow
yer's hold on you, McDonald?"
The crown attorney stood up with q
wry smile.
II object to that question:" he said
quietly.
"Tll put 1t in this way, then: Why
did you hate Joe Bostock?"
AYE, I'll tell that, too," answered
Mcdonald. "Joe was married when
he was young man, long ago. A
good girl. A sweet lass from my ane
town In Scotland. They were both
young. They quarreled. She wanted
to vex him. She made up story that
showed her to be a bad woman. She
went too far. Joe believed her. She
went to him and told him that she'd
lied. He wouldna believe her word.
Because the foolish girl had manufac-
tured proofs-false proofs; and the ly-
ing scoundrel whom she trusted
claimed they were true.
HE blackmailed her after Joe had
left her. She was at her wits end. She
went to his office to beg him to tell
the truth. happened to 60 there.
overheard. She became frenzied and
drew q revolver on him. He struck
her. He got her by the throat. He had
paper-weight on the table, a sharp
edged metal thing like cleaver.
struck him once with 1t. 1t split his
skull from side TO side He died. Fen
while / watched him he died.
"The girl was mad WI fear. / took
her ava. I married her, for Joe had
divorced her in the States. But that
fox, Bowyer. knew. In my folly I'd
told him all. He said he'd be my
friend. He got me my position at the
portage. I've lived there ever since
first with my wife, then with my fears,
and always with Molly-with Molly.
her child and-Joe'si"
The girls cry rang wildly through
the courtroom. She reeled and ran
toward him. Wilton, unhindered,
stopped down from the dock and sup
ported her. She clung to him, Wild
eyed and helpless. Nobody intervened.
Even when Bowyer sprang forward,
though the Judge raped his gavel
smartly, 1t seemed only an automatic
or perfunctory act, for he made no ef-
fort to prevent his speaking.
"Let me finish 1t !" he. yelled fercely.
HE didn't die, you fool-you old
fool; Lord, you've been laughing
stock these twenty years He's here
In court, and he's been blackmailing
me as he blackmailed you. Clark,
| the master-forger and safe-breaker-
though we didn't need you for that
step forward Look at his head, Nc
Donald, and then see II you remember
him
Hes spoken truei The old fools
spoken true! I've handled many man
and woman In my time, but God Him.
self, they say can't handle fool"
He swung around on his accomplices.
Keep your wits, Phayrel" he howled
in wild derision. "You didn't know how
Joe died. You're only the thief-the
common thief hired to work for me.
You won't swing for this. Neither win
/. I took my chances-but, by God,
/ couldn't handle foolw
They rushed toward him, but Bow
yer was quicker than they. And. al
the single shot echoed through the
courtroom Wilton saw that Molly was
already mercifully unconscious.
But he knew that all the past would
become dimmed with her awakening.
(THE ENDJ