Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-08-05

far and wide, continued his atten-
tions, which gradually turned to
wooing.
He followed the girl into the
woods and met her as if by acct
dent. Little by little his words, at
first subdued and tentative, became
stronger and ardent. The young
woman uplifted eyes that seemed to
search his soul-and she would
smile before looking down again at
her little moccasins.
One day, in the deep woods, when
the glow of the setting sun fired the
tops of the trees with lambert flames
of yellow and red and purple, Lori
arm about the girl. Her forehead
nestled on his shoulder, and he heard
the softly spoken words:
"Tshe shatshiitin." 1t means, 81
love thee"
Lorimer took her in his arms,
crushing her to him for a brief in
slant. When he released her she
fed like deer to the tents of her
people.
For many days Lorimer had to
possess his soul in patience while he
bargained with the young woman's
family. For three years he had
spent practically none of his salary,
and he would have consented at once
to all demands had Ameou not
shrewdly counseled him, for his in
terests were now her own.
Things were nearly settled when
one day Father Gregoire, the travel
ing missionary, landed at the post
with his two Indian acolytes.
"Now the time has come" said
Anishku to the old man. "The an
Gent bearded one is the Manitou
limo, the Medicine Man of the white
people. The weddings he makes can
never be broken, and therefore thy
daughter Ameou will be very safe.
Thou hast heard him say in our
tents that his medicine is such that
the people joined together by his
words are bound to one another for
life Seek thou young Yellow Hair
and say thou hast decided to give
in about that red blanket, but that he
must cause the Manitou limo of the
whites to say those words ovel
them"
The old Nascaup~e fastened tc
follow such excellent advice, and or
the following morning Father Gre
goire pronounced his benedictlon
boarded his canoe, and padded away
were many tents to visit.
The summer was delightful one
and when the cold weather finally
came all the Indians scattered tc
their hunting grounds, leaving the
two alone, except for the presence
of Cyprien, a lame old Montagnais
who did odd jobs around the post
and his wife Anne, who could cook
and wash.
A couple of dogs represented the
remainder of the population. Their
company, Lorimer once thought, was
all that stood between him and in
sanity during the previous long win
ter.
He anticipated the coming winter,
however, with perfect eqaunimity.
His wife had transformed the place
by her mere presence. He never
tired of looking on her beauty or
watching her at her household work.
He had hardly dared to hope for
anything more than a quiet, submits
sive woman, who would do his bid
ding pleasantly while showing some
appreciation for the comfort Of a
life far easier than that spent in the
trapping camps.
But now he often marveled that
Ameou's had become deep, genuine
love- 1t was delight when he left
the house for a few hours to see the
frightening of her eyes on his re-
turn.
The long evenings were no longer
stupid and irksome. Ameou was
teaching him the Mantagnais Ian
guage, and he made rapid progress
She knew a little French, but ne
taught her English. She was learn
A. oV,A Xryfifn and he
wondered at her intelligence and
memory.
1t seemed as if her shapely head
had been full of little spaces, hith-
erto untitled, in which she now
stored new things.
Lorimer often went hunting with
the dogs and killed caribou on the
barrens beyond the valley. The
meat, which was carefully preserved
with the whitefish that had been
Melted and sailed in the fall, was an
invaluable addition to the stock OF
food.
A little trapping near the post
brought in some fur. Ameou would
90 with him often. She showed him
mysteries of which he had never
dreamed.
She had a way of making wet
sets for foxes that was WOHueTI ulIS
effective. The bait was hung from
sapling bent over large. pool OF
water. In the middle of this was g
tiny island, not larger than the palm
of mans hand, most convenient
for the fox to step on; but it con
cealed the trap that was set under
water beyond the animals scent.
The tracks of the trappers left nc
smell. either, for the moccasins hac
been rubbed with an aromatic Oh
that concealed all trace of mankind
Much as he taught the girl during
their long evening lessons, Lcrimel
realized that she was giving him in
valuable knowledge of the ways OF
the wilderness.
The shorter nights returned, anc
the wild geese, far up in the sky
came sailing on their way toward
Hudson Bay, their "a-honk, a-honk!
Changing bell-like down to earth.
Then other waterfowl arrived, and
the lakes cleared of ice, while the
CT fbn melting