Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-09-30
CHAPTER XIII.
The Uplifting of Mashkaugan.

After the rescue of the hunchback.
Lorlmer crawled out of the icy wa
ter OF Many Beaver Lake. He shiv-
cred as the blast struck him, for the
weakness of the days that had gone
oy mad returned after his few siren
uous efforts to bring Mashkaugan
ashore.
10 at once to the tent and bid
my woman light fire in the sheet-iron
stove" ordered Atuk, who was busy
with the care Of the half drowned
man. Take off thy clot les at once
and wrap thyself in warm blankets.
This great hulk of a fool is breath
ing and needs thee not. Tell the
woman to come here after she has
lighted the fire"
Lorimer staggered off toward the
tent, while Atuk labored over Mash
kaugan. Atuk's wife raised her
hands in establishment and could not
forbear to scold him snappishly.
Was it not enough to starve and
freeze during cold nights, and to toll
until thou vert but the shadow of a
man, without casting myself in the
water through some foolishness 2"
she reproved him, as she stuffed
blrch-bark in the tiny stove and
built roaring fire. "Thou hast as
great need of a woman to care for
thee as thy baby"
run down now to Atuk," Lorimer
urged her. "Thou art perhaps right,
but it was in pulling out greater
fool than l out of the water that
had to go in. Go quickly and l will
see to the fire and put the kettle on
to boil"
The sturdy woman FASTENED to the
beach. She found her husband Wig
orously rubbing the hunchback, who
sat with his long black hair plas-
tered down the sides of his lanky
face.
The Nascaupee's voice was con-
tending poorly with the roar of the
waves and the shrieking wind.
"a fool thou art, greater than the
red-eyed partridge" he was shouting
to him. "Thou hast the name of the
greatest man in a canoe in all these
parts. 1t must be that the windegos
got possession Of thee to make thee
put off a safe shore in such a wind,
when even muak, the foolish, boot
ing loon, would hardly trust himself
to the waves. A fine canoe man art
thou. I have a mind to get my
youngest lad, who only begins to
stand upon his feet, to teach thee
better"
The Indian was properly indig-
nant, for the lake was not a large
one and the torn had given plenty
oF TTho4 xryhsoL oro1Iol L
most severely was that Lorimer
must now be in bad plight again,
after so much had been done to bring
him back to his former strength.
''He is not here" said Mashkau-
gan, looking about him wildly. ut
must have been a vision of the spirit
of the dead man that came to me.
How did | come to get ashore ?"
"It was 10 grasp of DEATH" shout
ed Atuk, "but the saving hold of a
good man. Truly, in the water he is
as an otter! Get up now and take
the path to the tent, where there is a
ire. One moment. Take hold of
me! Thy legs have the strength of
the items of water-lilies.
Give thanks-there are few here
to hail Mashkaugan, the great canoe
man, who knows not when a canoe
may ride the waves! Shake thyself
and move on. Thy face is blue with
the cold and hot tea may be the saw
ing Of thee"
Atuk's wife was wrestling with the
canoe which had come ashore full of
water. She dragged it up to safety.
A few minutes more pounding on the
single beach would have wrecked it
beyond repair.
She pulled it up after a curling
wave had soaked her to her lips, a
matter of slight Importance to her
and belonging to the days work.
Then she rushed up to the tent where
she found her husband, staring wide
ly at Mashkaugan.
The hunchback was kneeling in
front of Lorimer, who was wrapped
up in a great red company blanket,
and whose face also expressed amaze
ment.
(To. he continued)