The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-08-31
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The Snow
Madness
BY AuTIN =

lear. a snarl-Jean P0usset's
hands were round Pierre Lots throat.
and Pierre's eyes were bulging as ne
stroye vainfy 10 free himself from the
grasp Of his unsupported enemy.
All first Jean throttlad him as IL his
only desire was to kin; but, as Pierre
fell insensibIe upon the bunk, he re-
leased him and stood looking d him
uncertainty. ST
Il Was the climax OF the season.that
they had spent together. Both were
trappers, and they had amassed ia
rich store 0f furs, including two De the
silver for, which meant comparative
affluence for them. But Jean enyied
Pierre. y s$sg &s "
He envied him his own share 81 the
furs, and he envied him Marie Batiste;
who had Enthusiastically Indicated her
preference for Pierre. SO they were
TO be married that spring at Fort
IAuguste, when Pierre returned.
There should be no returning for
Pierre. Jean had resolved to kill his
erstWhile friend, and return with a
t~rumped-up story of some kind or
!, other. No one would ever know.
OF late Pierre had seemed to sus-
poet Jean, and he. had always slept
with his revolver handy. But that
morning Jean had outmaneuyered him.
Jean watched Pierre. uncertainty. It
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, iii
the. end, he secured a length OF rope
and tied Pierre securely to his bunk.
lie there and starve,"' he sneered.
None will pass this way, and I'll
be back. next year and set you free"
IL Pierre heard. he only groaned In
answer. Jean looked at him al little
longer, hurled a curse at him, and
loaded his pack with all the furs, In
Guiding Pierre's. Then, with q wave
OF the hand, he was off and snow
shooting across thte wastes In the d..
rect1on OF Fort Augustel e
/ At first he stepped lightly enough,
but gradually the recollection of his
deed began to barn 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.
It was Marie, rather than the ,furs,
that drove him on again. But he
walked more and more slowly ; and
at last he stopped. ! e.
He stopped under a dwarf willow,
where his line Of traps began He
could not 60 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 60 a
step further. It was odd howsthat In
visible something seemed to cling to
his legs when he tried to walk. It
was as II some n were physically
impeding him. "
At last, with a groan, he yielded.
He would 60 back to. Pierre and set
him 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! u
He was fast.
At first, just for an instant, he did
% know what 1t was that had pulled
him to his knees. Then, with an aw-
tul fear, he realized that he was fast
In one of his own traps. And he
ltugged in vain; he could not bulge
The strong steel implement beneath
the frozen snow. =.
It was a wolverine trap, one of the
heaviest made, and designed to hold
the captive motionless. @s@$
1t was impossible to get at it, be-
cause he was in such a position that
It was difficult even to kneel. The
muscles of his back seemed bursting
as he vainly endeavored to get himself
into a position from which he might
pry away the frozen % and tug at
the steel beneath.
And, ais he realized his doom, L.
hoarse cry OF despair broke from his
ups-another, and another. a~
The sun rose high. Still Jean
fought like Id 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
sation In his leg, and the teeth OF the
trap no longer bit, though a little pool
of blood had frozen on the snow.
Suddenly Jean perceived d figure
coming toward him. tremendously, lie
recognized Pierre. 1t 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 ta his feet and looked,
up ait Pierre In amazerlent.
Take all the furs and 90 he mum-
Sbled.
Pierre clapped him on the shoulder.
Eh, mon ami, It Is nothing ne said.
sIttS "a the snow-madness that comes to
us Ia the wilderness. DOT 50? know.
tor i myself had. covered vollr furs,
and had been sfenlpted. Only he
laughed, SIT was fortunate that You
forgot II had u knife beside my bunk
Preyiops Training.
Pretty good rubber YOU have N. ]
said the fat patron OF q Turkish bath
said the proprietor.
thought the fellow would make good