Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-07-22

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After their smoke they went down
to the shore, brought up their bales
of fur, and scattered the contents
over the counter.
The others crowded around. Fur
is always of absorbing interest to
men of the north They handled the
them.
There were hides of lynx with
black tufted ears, underlined pelts
of mink, glossy brown offers, white
winter weasels with black-tipped
tails, and brownish-yellow martens.
There were exhibited also the long,
gray-brown skins of fishers and two
chestnut-banded dark wolverines.
The two Indians had moved away
indiferently, and presently the others
began to make inquiries about re-
cent happenings in the up-country.
These two made up the first party
that had come in that spring.
Very deliberately, though pleased
at the attention they attracted, the
recent arrivals gave the news.
eyes, the catch of fur is fair, but
YOU will see none better than ours,
said Passigan, whose Montagnais
name meant The Gull. Acting as
spokesman, he continued: "Otter
was rare up north. They had heard
that the wife of Pete Memepil, the
Tete de Boule Indian, had died of
the coughing sickness, and, Of
course, her baby was dead, too.
Charlie Alakapeshagan's gun haze
burst and he had lost two fingers OF
his left hand. The ducks and geese
would be very plenty, for the rivers
and lakes were already occupied by
many couples beginning to nest.
"Oh, yes! They had also heard
that the assistant agent at Tshem-
uak Post had taken wife. She was
a girl called Ameou, the Bee, VINO
was the daughter of old Niraissuts,
the Nascaupee chief"
"Gone and got married! Has he
really married herr" interrupted
Curran excitedly.
eve met Father Gregoire, the
priest with the white beard. He told
us that he was at Tshemauk and
married them. Therefore, it is So.
put in jim Michaux, who, in spite of
his name, was a dark, pure-bred
Montagnals.
Bovce Curran had frequently cast
his ewes upon that girl, who certain
lv was the best-looking young Wom-
an of her race he had ever seen. He
remembered that she WIS second to
none as a worker and maker of
the finest moccasins.
"The deuce he has" he muttered.
He was no longer listening to the
gossip of the Indians. He hacked
impatiently at plug of tobacco, and
was feeling angry. 90,
"Wonder why he married herr"
he asked himself.
A couple of wolfsh dogs outside
began to bark and he looked out of
an open window. A man in rickety
buggy was arriving. He drove a
spawned horse chiefly clad in rope
mended harness.
"ITere's yer letters" he said.
"Train was late and got stuck in
the Drumleigh swamp. The cordu-
row is all to pieces and the mud that
deep faint fit to travel on. My horse
here he pretty nigh broke his leg"
The grouchy man got out, paying
not the slightest attention to his
steed. as he was aware that it would
never move without a tug at the
reins and an application of the whip.
He carried a worn bag which con-
tanned the scanty mail for the post
and the few adjacent dwellings.
eff they don't fix that road pretty
soon" he continued to grumble,
"vou'll be gettin' glad to have yer
mail once week, lett alone
twict."
Nobody paid any attention to him.
The contents Of the bag were far
more interesting.
There were some rather official
looking envelopes for the post, few
newspapers, and nondescripJ matter
for some of the settlers. 1t was all
seized eagerly, however, as was
everything that came from the out
side world. At Big Rat even pat
e1t-medicine almanac was deeply APP
preciated and passed through a
dozen hands.
"Sav, Boyce! Here's letter for
YOU from Winnipeg. Two for Lori
n1er. which you'll take up to him.
He'll be glad to hear from. folks at
home. was afraid there'd be moth
IN for him. Then here's a paper for
me from across the water. Ny
brother sends it when he thinks of
It. You can look at it while | see
my letters. l got t" write some,
Boyce Curran opened his letter,
Uhich proved Of no Importance, and
nlsced those for Lorimer in his peck
~. Then he sat down on the edge of
fha porch and leaned against one of
the swamp-cedar pillars.
He lit his pipe and tore the wrap
per open to peruse the long columns.
There was a lot about parliament,
which drew from him a long yawn.
News about the Balkans, which to
Kim was some sort of heather coun-
try, interested him as little. He
turned page after page without the
SLIGHTEST show of interest, vainly
looking for the report of some good
priZe-fght or murder. 1t was utter
ly tiresome.
Yet he continued, hoping to find
something worth reading, and his
eyes fell upon a long column of
death notices. Idly he ran down the
list.
Suddenly he sat up straight, his
Indifference entirely gone. He looked
carefully again, scratching his head
vigorously. :.
"Sure enoughw he told himself.
trTbo+,s +bo name all right I'll eat