New Britain herald., 1922-01-05
THE SNOWSHOE RAH
EDISON MARSHALL
d.ttle, Brown X Co, and N. E. A. seryice)

men that were sauatted in the lean-to mouth was the stranger who had passed his camp six years before.
 Bill had old acquaintance with the | type ot man that confronted him now. l One of them was Joe Rqhinson-an Indian who had wintcred in Bradley burg a few years before,
 His companion, Pete the Breed, q half-hrecd With a mlyture Of French, was a man unknown to 1ill.
 There are certain Jaws, among the northern men, as to trapping rights, Mostly they are unwritten; but their influence is felt clear beyond the Are tic Circle. They state quite clearly that when a man lays down a line of traps, for q certain distance on each side of him the district is his, and no one shall poach on his pre- serves. And these Indians had lately been partners in an undertaking to clear the whole region of its furs
 They had no idea but that Bill had discovered their trap lines and had come to make trouble
 So they were considerably amazed at Bills first question. Did one of you make those tracks out there?" he asked.
 No" Joe grunted. Our pardner made it. Follow it down-pretty soon | find another cabin"
 TX.
 Bill only had to turn to see the snowy roof of the cabin, two hundred yards away down the glade.
 It was a new cabin, just erected, and smoke 'drifted faintly from it's chimney. Bill rapped on the door.
 Come along in,' someone an- swered gruffly. Bill did not have to glance twice at the bearded face to know in whose presence he stood, | Changed as he was, there was no chance for a mistake. This was Har- old Lounsbury. the same man who had passed his camp years before, the same lost lover that Virginia had come to find.
 Bill saw that the man was fright ened. His lips were loose, his eyes nervous and bright. Tere was one hold quite steady. Here was one that the wilderness had crushed in its brutal grasp.
 This did not mean that his health was wasted. His body was strong and trim; except for suspicious network of red lines in his cheeks and yell low tinge to the whites of his eyes, he would have seemed in superb phys lical condition.
 The evidence lay rather in the eX- pression of his face, and most of all in the surroundings in which he lived.
 He was utterly unkempt and slo- venly. His coarse beard covered his lips, his matted hair was dull with dirt, his skin was scarcely less dark than that of the Indians themselves The nails on his hands were foul; the floor of the house was cluttered with rubbish and filth.
 Yet leering through his degeneracy his identity could not be mistaken Here was the man Virginia had pierced the North to seek.
 What do you want?" he asked.
 You're Lounsbury, of course" Bill answered
 Sure I ask you again-what you want?" .... l You've been living on the Yuga. You came up here to trap my terri tory" .... ...- Lounsbury remembered his stanch allies-Pete and Joe. And what If did?"
 You knew I trapped here. You brought up Joe Robinson and breed with you. You meant to clean up this winter-all the furs in the country v Harold's face drew in a scowl. And what are you goin' to do about it?' "The queer thing is" and Bill i spoke quietly, slowly, I'm not going to do anything about it-now. l didn't come to see you about trapping. l came-about Virginia Fremont "Virginia." he cried. My God, what do you know about her?" All at once he looked, with an an- noyance and anxiety that at first Bill could not understand, toward the door of the cabin.
 An Indian squaw-for all her filth and untidiness a fair representative Of her breed-pushed through the door and came stolidly inside.
 Bills face was stern as the gray cliffs of the Selkirks when he turned again to Harold. 'Is that your wom- an?" he asked simply.
 Harold shrugged. "One doesn marry squaws," he replied.
 "I came to find Harold Lounsbury, a gentleman" Bill went on in the same strange, flat voice, "and l find "a squaw man.