Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-08-19
At Big Loon Post
Copyrighted

his head was turned toward the
open door of the long room where
the cooking-sto was; but the old
couple were at the other door at the
far end, doubtless discussing the
dreadful news. Old Anne was hold
ing the corner of a dirty apron to
her wrinkled face, wiping away the
tears, for Lorimer had been very
good to these people.
1t took but short time for Mash
kaugan to finish his meal. He had
bolted the food in great pieces, like
a dog who fears that others may rob
him. After he had arisen Curran
handed him a plug, and the man
merry ously shaved off some tobacco
and stuffed it into his pipe.
Give me a drink" he ordered
roughly, as if he had been master at
the post. Curran obeyed quickly.
Then the two went out and walked
far off in the stiffness of the deep
woods, as if they could not have
w-s-ed t}e d---o'''~g With such things
we're to &c told.
The hunchoack. in brief, chop
py sentences, related what had hap
pened.
"And are you absolutely sure th@t
ne is dead?" asked Curran.
Il saw him one noment-th2H
gone Looked for the body a little
while. Nothing! The White Rapids
don't give up anything. Try never
d., What was ever seen Of II, shta-
nipi who went over, rad with tie
drink that was in him ?"
With the heck cf his h"~d the man
wiped his " eating foTo ,lec.d, al
though a chill wind wcs blowing
from the north.
Curran did not answer him. In
deed, what prospect was there that
a man, even if left alive in that Will
derness, could ever make his way
back without a canoe, especially one
whose previous life was not Injured
to terrible hardship?
Mashkaugan had seen him rolling
in the rapids. Then his body disap-
peared. This was surely .en>uCh.
Curran was anxious to speak to
Mashkaugan about Lorimer's child,
and was about to mention it when he
thought better of it.
The man, whether owing to hun
ger or suffering, or for some other
unknown reason that ha affected
his mind, now spoke impatiently IN
a curt fashion, and was looking at
him like some maddened dog ready
to leap at his masters throat, yet
to mach cowed to try.
Tor tn reason Curran said no
more to m just then, thinking II
probable that some days of good
feeding and rest would induce the
man to enter heartily into any evil
scheme that might be proposed.
Slowly they made their way back
to the post where the Indians were,
impatiently waiting until they could
obtain from Mashkaugan all the de-
tails of the tragedy.
Indeed, starving and upsettlng IN
Lcep water constituted, with The
news of hunting, the only matters OF
interest in their precarious lives.
they were now eager to know
what manner the wilderness ma
once more taken its toll
They surrounded Mashkaugan ss
soon as Curran left him, but to their
opportunities he replied impatient
"You are men," he said hurriedlv,
''Gnd travellers of the woods and nv
ers. A white man not long anong
you, bearing d HtdVy pdCh, "t~i . "a
shelf of rocks above waters where
in evil spirits live-and stumbles.
"The load upon him overbalanc9+
him--2nd that is the end. Then what
can the other man do? I am weary
with your talking.
"Let .hcse of you who know the
White Rapids tell the others what
manner of place it is, and let ne
alone"
The hunters about him nodded.
They could understand. Of course
they would have liked to hear over
and over again with much detail, all
about this awful happening; but they
knew that a man who has been hun
cry for some days and returns alone
obsessed by the thoughts of sudden
death in his presence may be short in
temper and ret ig.ellisss5; 20 talk.