Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-10-07


HIS wife and the two older chill
dren went with him. Her baby and
little Yellow Hair were left to sleen
under a blanket.
Now tell me what is t.. meaning
of all this" said Lorimer kindly.
There is nothing the matter with
thy head but some queer fancies that
have no sense or reason. Speak I'D,
man"
For time Mashkaugan glared at
him, not realizing how strangely he
was looking. In his mind a strug
gle was being fought. By this time
all supernatural fears had left him
and there remained but the knowl-
edge that he stood confronting the
man nc had sought to kill.
Lorlmer was defenseless before
MIN yet stronger. His mere presence
caused the voyageur to cover.
The instinct of self-preservation
was strong. A few lies were enough
TO protect him, or the mere with
holding of the truth. Yet also there
was the pressure of q conscience that
mad given no rest, that made him
feel pitifully weak and small as he
realized that Lorimer had en-
dangered his life to save him. There
was also fear that those dreadful
oosessions might return.
Wait" he implored. "Wait but
an instant. My head is still dazed,
although | am not crazy"
The prospect of prison walls re-
turned to him-ghastly to a man of
the wilderness. To one Injured to the
crowds of cities jail is bad enough,
put to one whose life has been spent
In the freedom of the painless north;
on the great, wide stretches of swift
rivers; on vast lakes; in camps
where the air has never been defiled
and the water is sweet and cool; in
the breezes that have travelled over
thousand miles of glittering ice;
over wide, messy forests, the walls
OF prisons mean inexpressible tor
ture.
81 shall never go back to it," he
swore and glared again.
Il am perhaps also dazed," Lori
M said gently, "for / need not tell
thee what my journey was through
that awful wilderness, with nothing
to eat but handfuls of sodden, mil
dewed -four. Other terrible things
have happened to me, so that now l
am man to whom there is no mean
ing in. life but to care for little
baby"
He stopped, as he was coughing
terribly, and put his ha1d to his side,
Just then the little one began to cry.
Lorimer took it up, wrapped in the
skin of a caribou calf, and held it
against his breast until it ceased to
wall.
"Here is all that 1 have left of the
happiness that was mine," he said.
"Thy face shows much sign of suf-
fering, Mashkaugan; but doubt if
ever such pain as mine has been thy
portion"
"Thou canst still have all the hap
piness of the worldW exclaimed
who is doomed to misery. How ter
rible must have been thy journey in
the woods! There are few men who
could have made it. | see now that
| followed thy track, made yester-
day, that was as the path of g drum
ken man. | would that l knew may
some time reach place of safety, as
thou hast, and the child sought for
yesterday when 1 saw thee and fled,
thinking it was thy ghost!
upon earth mans soul is within
his own keeping, Mashkaugan. The
only way to find happiness for it is
to keep it clean and indebted"
At this moment the hunchback felt
that he was no longer master of his
own words. He could no longer pick
and choose them to tell whatever he
was minded to. Compulsion stronger
than his will swayed him now and
the flood of his words came unre-
strained.
fI am accursedw he cried. II
sought thy death! For days and more
DAYS, for a week and still other
weeks I watched and watched, look
ing for some way to send thee to thy
doom so that no other man might
ever know that l had done it!
"Traveling up the river, studied
the White Rapids, that had already
been the death of one man, and when
we returned followed thee, ready
to Dush thee into that awful place!
"Not another man could have gone
through it and lived, but thou vert
saved to bring me to punishment.
will not go to that prison again.
Rut of that thou knowest nothing
There is Atuk's gun-in that corner
and thou canst shoot me Il it is
tbv will, for / will not hold up
finger to hinder thee. Or an AK may
serve. or this sheath-knife that is
sharp and keen in the point.
"If swift death seems to sood for
me- thou canst drive it slowly, and
thou shalt see that / will not move:
Xiii me, Yellow Hair-kill me! l
have deserved death at thy hands,
and the Manitous bade thee pull me
from the water in order to place ven
geance in thy hands!"
His hands shook as he spoke. HIS
voice was harsh with emotion.
Rut at this moment they heard
stems outside. 1t was Atuk's wife
returning. - a. li++Ia
one" She said. "He is surely hungry
again. Fortunate am | that have
enough for thy son and mine, GIVE
him TO me. The little Yellow Hair is
ill- a sturdy one who will guide
fbv footsteps when thou are become
oiJ Torimer gave her the child: For
come time there was silence in the
font Finally the woman lad the