Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-09-02


ing not the slightest heed to advice
that was coming from all sides.
Out of her tent she brought her
~ack-bag, partly filed. She ran into
the post building and entered the
room she had occupied with her hus-
band, emerging with his rife, which
had been placed there after it was
brought back by Mashkaugan.
The hunchback, in the meanwhile.
had lighted torch Of bark and was
searching the river-hank at the place
where Sc9rface red drawn up his
canoe on his arrival
He examined the ground infinitely
down to the waters edge, and came
to spot where there was a distinct,
broad mark on the sandy gravel
clOse to the very edge.
At once he recognized it. The
most insignificant detail never es-
capped the constant, close observation
of such a woodsman.
He had noted that Scarface used a
rather broad paddle. This mark had
been mace by it. From its direc-
ton it was entirely plain that it had
been made in pushing the canoe off,
downstream, toward the north.
Ameou came down, hurrying to-
ward him, for her canoe was near at
hand. She had no thought of where
she ought to seek, being only moved
by maddening desire to hunt and
search until she fell from exhaustion.
Mashkaugan took her canoe, lift
ing it as if it had been a feather,
and pushed it into the water. Ameou
quickly threw into it the things she
had brought down.
"But you mustn't go off like that"
Curran was protesting. eve are go
ing to begin to look as soon the sun
rises. You may depend on it that
will find your child for you-have no
fear. The man has surely gone up
stream with it, but we will look
everywhere; it cannot be far"
eco, then, aid look" cried the
young woman Find my baby for
me! All | have in the world will
give to the man who finds him, and
will kneel before him to give
thanks!'
"You will give all? Is this true
talk?" asked Curran eagerly, with
the light of victory in his eyes"
"All-all / have in the world" she
shrieked, ''if you will only find him
for me-"
81 shall be the one to win that re-
wardw he cried exc itedly
But she paid no more heed to him.
Selling her paddle, she eared into
the canoe and stood near the bow.
But just as she was going to push
off, Mashkaugan follnwed her arno@.l
with paddl,
'Take the cow" = said. "Yoa
shall not go Slone-anG We Is
there who can take you more sw,~.
ly than -"
They pushed downstream to Cur
rams dismay. He began to fear they
might find the child themselves.
Indeed, nc man could be SO thor
oughly depended on to carry out such
a search as the hunchback. What
allied the man, anyway? He was 10
longer thu same, with his constant
superstitious dread of Indian spooks.
How dared he go away with the girl
without first consulting with the
agent?
Curran had expected to go off at
once to Many Beaver Lake, but now
he would be compelled to wait for a
time Later on he would start and
find the child, when the others were
out of re way.
In he. gratitude Ameou would
consent u AIRY him, and that part
of the plan would be settled. Of
course, he had no idea CT getting
rid of the child by letting it die of
hunger in the woods.
That would have been altogether
too dangerous. Scarface would talk
eventually, and Ameou would hear
of Curran's share in the plot.
Curran had no mind to have a
sheath-knife planted between his
shoulders some day by revengeful
woman. When the time came to get
rid of the infant a few drops of a
drug in the medicine-box would suf
flee. That was too easy to worry
| about.
After all, it was most unlikely
that Ameou and Mashkaugan would
find the L.a They would probably
continue on the Tshemuak River in
stead of turning to the right into the
! Nukumeshu.
Even if they chose the latter, there
was no likelihood that, once N Many
Beaver Lake, they would find the
place where the infant was con-
cealed.
Curran got his canoe ready in leis-
urelv fashion after ne had sent some
! parties on wlIa-goose chaSeS OF ms
contriving, so that all should know
how dill emily he had conducted the
| search.
He would haic his breakfast first,
| after wmcG 49, you'd quietly travel
| down-n - y zen ne hao made GER
tain thae was not observed he
| wouu. ~ 4ght TO the place OF
conceal. !, and bring the child
| back, :..iu IKE a conquerlng hero,
claim the fulflment OF the girls
/ promise.
She had proffered all she had in
the world. he would clam herself,
and incidentally, all that money IN
| England.
Inc mans eyes narrowed down
| and his teeth showed between his
| thln lips. he was thinking of that
| drug. The baby would not awaken
| and-and then back to civilization as
! quickly as he could travel, where that
| saort viii of Lormer's would permit
/ nm to have a very fine time. Ameou,
| after she had signed few papers,
| y-oula ..ot be very much In his way
in til. mean time the lightly l2Qen
cahce wAs making great speed ao1P