The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-04-09

BareeS S. Here was something TOO DIG
to kill, and with an angry squeak the
ermine was gone. Napanao's wings
relaxed, and the throb went out of her
body. She was dead Baree hung on
until he was sure. Then he began his
feast.
With murder in his heart, Sekoosew
lowered near, whisking here and there
but never coming nearer than half q
dozen feet from BARGE. His eyes were
redder than ever. Now and then he
emitted sharp little squeak of rage.
Never had he been so angry in all his
life! To have fat partridge stolen
from him like this was an impOsi-
ton he had never suffered before. He
wanted to dart in and fasten his teeth
in Baree's jugular. But he was toe
good general to make the attempt,
too good Napoleon to jump, deliber.
ately to his Waterloo An owl he
would have fought. He might even
have given battle to his big brother
and his deadliest enemy-the mink.
But in Baree he recognized the wolf
breed, and he vented his spite Mt o
distance. After time his good sense
returned, and he went off on another
hunt.
Baree ate third of the partridge
and the remaining two thirds he
cached very carefully at the foot of
the big spruce. Then he hurried down
to the creek for a drink. The world
looked very different to him now.
After all, ones capacity for happi'
ness depends largely on how deeply
one has suffered Ones hard luck and
misfortune form the measuring-stick
for future good luck and fortune. Sc
it was with Baree. Forty-eight hours
ago full stomach would not have
made him tenth part as happy as he
was. now. Then his greatest longing
was for his mother. Since then still
greater yearning had come into his
life-for food. In way it was for
tunate for him that he had almost died
Of exhaustion and starvation, for his
experience had helped to make a man
of him--or wolf-dog, just as you are
Of mind to put 1t. He would miss
his mother for long time. But he
would never miss her again as he had
missed her yesterday, and the day
before.
For another day and night Baree re-
manned in the vicinity of his cache.
When the last bone was picked, he
moved on. He now Nentered cOun-
try where subsistence was no longer
a perilous problem for him 1t was
lynx country, and where there are
lynx, there are also great many rab.
bits. When the rabbits thin out, the
lynx emigrate to better hunting
grounds. AS the snOwshoe rabbit
breeds all the summer through, BARGE
found himself in land of plenty. II
was not difficult for him to catch and
kill the young rabbits. For week
he prospered and grew bigger and
stronger each day. But all the time,
stirred by that seeking, Wanderlust
spirit-still hoping to find the old
home and his mother-he travelled into
the north and east.
And this was straight into the trap.
ping country of Pierrot, the halfbreed.
Pierrot. until two years ago, had
believed himself to be one of the most
fortunate men in the big wilderness
That was before La Mort Rouge-the
Red Death-came. He was half
French, and he had married Cree
chiefs daughter, and in their log cabin
on the Gray Loon they had lived for
many years in great prosperity and
happiness. Pierrot was proud OF
three things in this wild world of his .
he was immensely proud of Wyola, his
royal-blooded wife; he was proud OF
his daughter; and he was proud OF
his reputation as hunter. Until the
Red Death came, life was quite com.
plete for him. It was then-two years
ago-that the smallpox killed his
princess wife. He still lived in the
little cabin on the Gray Loon, but he
was different Pierrot. The heart
was sick in him. 1t would have died,
had it not been for Nepeese, his daugh
ter. His wife had named her Ne.
peese, which means the Willow.
Nepeese had grown up like the willow,
slender as a reed, with all her moth
er's wild beauty, and with little of
the French thrown in. She was six.
teen, with great, dark, wonderful eyes,
and hair so beautiful that an agent
from Montreal passing that way had
once tried to buy it. 1t fell in two
shining braids, each as big as mans
wrist, almost to her knees. mon,
M'sieu," Pierrot had said, cold glitter
in his eyes as he saw what was in the
agents face. at is not for barter"
Two days after Baree had entered
his trapping ground, Pierrot came in
from the forests with troubled look
in his face.
iii 4