Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-09-09
At Big Loon Post
By Gerge Van Schaick copruntdo
By Gerge Van Schaick

in gusts, and he had a fairly hard
JOB to reach the place. lie noJed tic
bent reeds where the canoes had al
ready passed and followed them to
the shore.
Here, however, he vas greatly
puzzled to account for the num-
Der of tracks o. the bank. He
also realized that two boats had
landed.
Scratching his head in wonder
ment, Curran followed the plain trail
until he reached the place where the
child had been abandoned.
"What Internal mess is this 2" he
exclaimed, thorough unable to
solve the enigma.
1t was clearly evident that some
thing had gone wrong. The place
was all tracked up. ne could see
plainly that three or four people had
been there.
He decided to follow the tracks
and kept on for some tn Jut after
he haQ reached a great nat, rocky
place he lost the trail. 4 good nan
in canoe, he did not compare with
Mashkaugan as a tracker. Besides,
the imprint of feet had shown that
people haa come and returned by the
same way.
81 think I've been fooIing myself"
he decided. Shouldn't wonder if
that ba9y was in the canoe, after all.
It can't be dead, surely, for it
wouldn't starve to death in this
short time. Maybe some wild ami
This thought disturbed him ex
ceedingly. He had not the slightest
objection to the death of the child,
but he did not wish it to occur until
after Ameou had been safely Sc
cured by him in marriage.
He retraced his way and returned
to S canoe. AS he crossed the lake
the wind had strengthened until he
had to pay much attention tc the
waves that were trying to break
over his craft. Once on the river,
the going was perfectly safe and ne
padded hard, much disturbed In
mind
He had so greatly depended on the
effect that would have been produced
by his triumphal return with the
baby that he was bitter with anger.
Early in the afternoon he was at
Tshemauk Post in the chiefs tent.
"Is the child found ?" he asked
eagerly.
Old Nimissuts came out, shaking
his head dolefully.
"The child is utterly lost" he
said. ct may be dead by this time.
Others have returned from up the
river, where they searched long
time to the south-but they found
nothing"
Some Indians had gathered around
them. Curran suddenly thought of a
way to obtain at least some graft
tude from Ameou.
"You must all seek again" he
cried. "The child must be found
One hundred dollars-which is two
hundred skins-I will give to the
I man who brings that baby back to
the poor, suffering mother! See that
you all hunt until Ameou has her
child again.
In Justice to the Indians it must be
said that every one had searched and
hunted already to the best of his
ability. Yet the proffered money
started them again. Some sailed
forth through the woods, while 9th
ers, taking few provisions with
them, paddleQ away TO the HoIIH anu
the south.
Ameou came out of the tent so
broken in body and mind that she
was a pitiful sight.
Curran's offer to the Indians i'm
pressed her as kindness to herself.
She put out her hand weakly, and
the man grasped it. while she thank
ed him in a low, sobbing voice.
Curraa patted her shoulder, as if
she vera q child. She did not resent
it, probably being quite unconscious
| of his action.
"Don despair" he said. cat any
moment some one may return with
| the little uash. There surely IS much
hope yet, for the child cannot be
dead. Scarface had sur no rea-
son to kill it, but only to play trick