Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-10-08

with his bales Of furs for Papa Per-
reault, or to bring her little present,
she found that she liked the other men
who sought her company that much
the less.
All promised happiness. But then
came Black Bart out of the great Sitka
spruce, sugar pine and Douglas fir for
ests of British Columbia. Bart whose
last name was the honest Irish cogno-
men Of Shannon, did not look like an
Irishman at all. He was six feet three,
and weighed 225 pounds-bone and
muscle. He was little ponderous on
his feet, but terrific in q brawl. Moth
ing could hurt him. Nothing any or
binary man could do, anyhow.
He had been member of the proud
est forest profession. A timber topper
One Of the daring few who climb to
the very 200-fo0t tops Of spruces and
frs, there to cut away the last few
yards and plumes before the tree tt
self is felled.
And ne had fallen. Not very far, or
there would have been no Black Bart
Shannon. just one sickening lurch as
his safety belt broke. Then by a freak
his foot and climbing spur caught un-
der very small branch, and he hung,
dangled, head down, screaming and
praying, until one of his mates could
come with a rope made secure at the
top, and loop he could clutch fran
tically.
That had broken his nerve for
heights, as it almost invariably did with
timber -toppers Survive or perish, they
were allowed only one accident to a
man. They were either dead or no good
afterward. Black Bart shivered when
he looked at a forest giant. he &C
cepted fate, and never tried to climb
one again.
He drifted east, in the general d.
rection of the Peace river thence to-
ward Hudson Bay. He ended at ST.
Croix, which is base for both the
Kississing and Cranberry districts.
There were fine furs for the trapping, I
and perhaps a copper and gold lode |
Just waiting somewhere for lucky man
to find.
Also, as Black Bart quickly discov-
cred, there was jeanette Perreault. Not I
only did she stir this big, black Irish /
man with her own modest but tarta
iizing person, but she was the only child i
Of Papa Perreault, who not only kept /
q prosperous woods commissary and
supply depot. but was the largest buy
er of all the independents who still
bought furs. He represented an Amer
A~1AA NSAsetf@@AAE "a ASbf Ai4A&cy WAA1l4A
the greatest central fur market of the
Americas.
At first Jeanette was awed by the
hugenesS Of her new adFnirer. Also he
had an assurance and speed of court
ing unknown here in the Manitoba
nuskeg country. With those of French
parentage, going TO church with
Young man Sundays-or any Sunday
1t all--was a good sign that marriage
hnsf7CF Xu% a.
,retly. by both parties
Courtship necessarily was slow. It
sometimes stretched over years, since
when a man went oalt on trapIine In the
autumn he might not reappear at all
Until the SHOWS melted III spring. OF
course, If his blood ran hot, he might
Journey down one time or two, and
teal those precious days for moments
Etienne Ruroq did that all right,
,tIt the prudent girl, who foresaw
Iwtfter and more complete. happiness
her man tended strictly to business
mother year, did not encourage winter
LISTS 4
In the summer Etienns prospected,
making short dashes into the surround
ng country, trying to find another
s1ch lode as the Mandy or the Fin
Ion. But he was not likely to do so. ]
$50 $3.50 - ~ NA*e% A'** hPs<'AA f"SteJ ! Z
arefully cOmheG oVer years before the
ailway was finished frozn lie Pas TO !
he Bay.
Black Bart haa cmpswred the fancy s
the young 1saekS In Sc. Croix, Of j
curse, RE had travelled He had tales q
0 Cell Of country where the trees
rev taller from 6zse ground than the {
DOS even OF th@ low Manitoba hills.
hese little sticks. from which the Z
ree Indians n1ad@ tzaeag zohskacks7 BAIL
ne or these treea entire was smaller o
nan tbs smallest branch lOpped off
reat sugar pine '
And gzehEs9 Bart Shannon had Just
pe in &C. CTuEx, before ne began try G
ID tn wan kzae f@w0x OF kaM, lovely 4
smN@F&@ perxe@1slg I'll Ehm& one brawl, b
ssa@fak oszs @saazzad The navA1lon Freresl IA
scs0xYs Bart Dus ozz@ Camx Peterson, O. 9
lE@N. kuM snnaHHH MmMsaa n condition