Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-10-14

who was pacing up and down the lit
tic cleared space before the tent,
reading his breviary. He came to-
ward the agent, who approached
him truculently.
81 am glad you have come" said
the missionary pleasantly. owe are
all rejoicing over many blessings.
| The man we had thought dead is now
becoming well again. He has been
very i'll. 1t seems to me that you
look angry over something, but you
will dismiss all resentment when you
discover what happiness lies before
/ you and join US in the giving of
| thanks. This is a Sunday marked
with felicity for all. Our hearts
must hold only gratitude"
| whats all this rigmsrole ?" in
| terrupted Curran brutally. What l
want to know is, what you've done
| with that girl 2"
! "Ameou has met with great hap
/ piness," answered the priest quietly,
"and she is duly grateful"
But Curran no longer headed him.
! In Ills evaporation he roughly
| pushed the old man aside and
dashed up to the tent, throwing the
flap open.
! He was faced by Mashkaugan,
Who placed one of his long, gnarled
hands on the agents breast and held
him back.
"Thy place is not in here" said
| the hunchback.
Curran grasped him and would
! have flung him aside, but he could
hardly bulge the half-breed. Father
! Gregoire who quickly followed, laid
powerful hand on the agents
shoulder.
81 will not have any brawling on
this day." he said gravely. Loosen
| your hold, men! | order peace
| among you. Mashkaugan, stand thou
back! Curran has surely the right
| to be with us and join in our rejoic-
| ing. Enter quietly now"
The agent walked in, glancing fu-
| riously at Mashkaugan, and the old
| missionary.
| But when he was inside the tent
| he remained like e. man transfiXed by
! an arrow, or as one lost in a biz
| zard who has leaned against tree
| and there been frozen stiff and stark.
Lorimer had been lying down, but
now he had raised himself on one
| elbow.
The thin, drawn features looked to
| Curran like those of a corpse that
| has been taken from tomb, not
withstanding the smile that was
| upon them.
Casting a bewildered glance about
| him, he saw Ameou, with the child
| living upon her breast. The gentle
| smile of happy greeting with which
she met his look he translated in his
| excitement as a grin of triumph over
| MIN.
"You have all bee' plotting
against me-" he ragged. GAIL have
sought to make a fool Of me! |
suppose you'll be telling lies to the
company about me, won't you? You
can't prove anything. You take me
| for one that may be gulled and
spunled and laughed at, do you Z"
! Where's that devil Of a half-breed z"
| The man dashed furiously out of
the tent.
you!' shouted Father Gregoire.
But Curran paid no heed and ran
| toward Mashkaugan, who stood at a
| short distance with folded arms.
"I'll have no fightingw cried the
priest again. run away, Mashkau-
gan. till we quiet this mailman.
| Help! You men by the canoes!'
The Indian canoemen came run
| ming up as Mashkaugan turned
away. Mashkaugan ran few steps
like a deer, paying little heed to his
| direction. The Infatuated man fol-
! lowed close.
In a few seconds he was on the
ledge of rock which overhung the
lake, and vas compelled to turn at
Curran flung himself upon him,
and they grappled as wild beast,
| painting ike bull moose in deadly
| fight. For a moment the agent tore
a hand free from the grasp of the
| hunchback's long arms, and an ex-
plosion was heard.
For another brief instant, Mash
! kaugan loosened his hold, but one of
| his great fists came crashing against
Curran's lower jaw.
The agent fell like an animal that
| has been poleaxed and slipped inert
| " from the shelving rock into the
| deep-blue water, which closed over
hin-rippling at first and then
smoothing over as if to cast a veil
| over the gruesome evidence of his
| blind, wild fury.
The Indians leaped into their ca
noes and padded swiftly to the spot.
/ For a time they searched with long,
setting poles, but the water was
deep and they could find nothing. In
:. short time they ceased, fearing the
spirits that gather about the pr
i L,
Mashkaugan was lying on tt
to the tent, where the old mission
airy knelt by him, weeping.
"I should have permitted thee to
defend myself" he said sadly.
But Mashkaugal smiled at him.
at is for the BEST" he said in a
low, hating voice. "I would speak
to thee, father, and be shriven by
thee if my sins may ever be for
given. Put thy ear near my mouth,
for can speak but low"
The old man listened. For some
minutes slow words that hurt con-
tinued to come. Then Father Gro
| going made sign and Maku came to
| him.
Bring Lorimer" he ordered.
The sick man was brought, sup
ported on both sides, and knelt by
! the reclining man.
"Mashkaugan begs thy forgive
! ness" said the priest.
| Indeed, I forgive thee all, NASH
kaugan," said Lorimer. II would
give much to know that we two soon
might travel again as friends to-
gether in the greatness of the
| woodsw
The hunchback smiled at him
gratefully and spoke in a stronger