Strong High School - Mussul Unsquit Yearbook (Strong, ME)

Page 31 text:

THE MUSSUL UNSQUIT 27 Marge waiting for him. For three months they worked on the farm. ,lean got the winter's wood and during his spare time he trapped along the river and in the hills around the cabin. Marge had him tell her of the Northland and its dangers. She spoke often of ,I im and of what they would do when he returned. He had promised her that he would never go into the north again if she would let him go this once, and then she and .lim would live on the little farm and enjoy themselves. XVhcn Jim reached his cabin in the woods. the first thing he did was to cut enough wood to last him through the trap- ping season so that he would not have to leave his traps to cut wood. During the iirst months of winter he tended his trap line and was very successful, and had no trouble with anyone bothering his trap line. One day while he was wandering in the woods hunting for game, he stumbled upon a little valley which was overrun with game, where he immediately set some traps and for two weeks he was kept busy skin- ning the animals he caught. At the end of this time he had nearly doubled his catch of mink, otter, beaver, lynx, muskrat, and fox. He took in the traps that were furthest from the cabin, because just as soon as the river broke up he would start for home. One morning when jean returned from his trap line Marge came to meet him, something which she had never done be- fore. lean, you know where Jim is, or you have some idea so that you could Gnd him, don't you? H Yes, replied Jean, UI do, but I hope that you do not need Jimg are you ill? jean, I want you to take this to Jim as quickly as possible. It will take you a week to go and come, but you must do it. Do you want hi1n on account of --? Yes, Ieang I can stand it no longerg he must know. The next day the rising sun found Jean well on his way to find Jim. He encoun- H 73 tered many difficulties but he was used to the north so he got through all right. One day while Jim was busily cleaning some pelts, he was halted by a loud Hallo, and looking up, he saw jean com- ing toward him. Several questions rushed to his lips, Had she become tired of the north? Was she ill and needing him? VVhile he was thinking thus, he had run to meet jean, and jean handed him a letter. Dear jim:- I can stand it no longer. You must know. Come home at once. K' Lovingly, HMarge. He asked no questions but went to take up the rest of his traps. XVhile he was gone ,lean packed the furs, and as it was late when Jim returned, they decided to wait until morning before starting for home. There was no sleep for Jim night. that In the morning he roused .lean out of a perfectly good slumber and they were well on their way at sun up. NVould they ever reach home? They had been traveling two days and well on into the nights. The Indian told Jim that there was no need to worry because he would find his wife all right and waiting for his arrival. The next moment Jim turned to the In- dian and said, I 'm going to hurry ahead for the cabin is over the next hill. At the top of the hill he could see the cabin and behind him he could see jean coming along leisurely. Did the Indian know? If he did, why didn't he tell him, but never mind, he would know in a little while, and he broke into a run. He could not go very fast on his snow- shoes and it seemed to him that he would never get to the cabin. He was there at last. He opened the door and went in. He heard a wailing sound. VVhat could it be? Marge,'i he cried, where are you? His wife came through the door with a small bundle in her arms. Look, Jim, and I've named him after you.

Page 30 text:

26 THE MUSSUL UNSQUIT but say, my boy, sit down here beside Betty, and the General winked at John Calder. There, that 's better and now Tex, let me tell you something. Your father and I have forgotten everything concerning ourselves and have buried the hatchet. We are going to join our ranches and we want you to be the foreman of the Starken-Calder Company's ranch. The house is furnished and I reckon you can pick your own wife. Hurrah! Hurrah! I'll take the job later, and my wife now, he said, taking Betty in his arms and starting for his horse. Star seemed to know where he was going, and with his double load hit the dirt at a rapid pace. I reckon they 'll be happy all right, said the General, and then he and john Calder lighted their pipes of peace and smoked far into the night, telling stories of their younger days. C. B. H., '22. 0'CONNOR'S LAST TRIP TO THE NORTHLAND IM O'CONNOR and his young wife, Marge, moved into the Canadian Northwest onto a little farm one hundred miles from any trading post, other cabins, or farms. This little farm was in a valley among the hills. About a quarter of a mile from the cabin was a river which had its source far in the Northland, and every fall before cold weather there were many canoes with men and their dog teams, going into the Northland to trap. One day while jim was getting his canoe ready for a trip to the trading post, he heard a cry, and looking toward the river, he saw a half-breed in a canoe which was awash. He did not hesitate but jumped into his canoe. When he had the Indian safely ashore he saw that it was Jean Cree, whom he had see11 at the trading post and who had saved him from getting a licking by drunken men several times. The Indian recognized Jim and he said, Monsieur, you have saved my life and I shall never forget it, you have but to command and I will obey. Nonsense,l' replied Jim, it was noth- ing. I did only what any man would have done. It is not so, Monsieur. You are the only person who has shown me any kind- ness since I lost my mother. Monsieur, you cannot leave your wife here while you are in the Northlandg let me stay with her, and I will protect her with my life. O'Connor had not thought much about his wife, who was new to the Northland, stay- ing alone for several months. My God, he muttered, what if I had left her alone? She would have gone crazy with loneli- ness. Jean, said jim, I am going to trust you, and I 'm going to let you stay on the farm with Marge, and if anything happens to her this earth isn't so large but what I will find you and call you to account. I'm going to tell you where I 'm going so that if anything happens you can come to me. For a week jim was busy getting his team and equipment ready. When it came time for him to go, his wife came out to bid him good-bye. She did not want him to go, but she did not say anything which would hold him back because she knew how he loved the Northland. The Indian went up the river fifty miles with Jim. jean, I may never return from this trip as the north is so uncertain. If I don't, I want you to take care of Marge until she finds another man. There is enough money in the bank at Montreal to keep both of you for the rest of your lives. Jean stayed that night with Jim and bright and early the next morning he bade Jim good-bye and good-luck and departed for home. Jim continued upstream until he found a good place to cache his canoe, then he took his team and struck out over- land for his cabin in the woods. When Jean reached home he found

Page 32 text:

28 THE MUSSUL UNSQUIT jim looked lirst at her and then at the bundle in her arms. Well, Marge, I guess Iive made my last trip into the Northland. VVe have him to work for and it will take the both of us. J. P. S., '23, THE UNEXPECTED UD VVAYNE, short-stop of Hillcrest team, took up his favorite bat and stepped up to the plate. This was the last of the ninth and the score was six to six, a tie between Hillcrest and Andover High. Bud waited the first ball out. Strike one, cried the umpire. Bud signalled the man on third that he would bunt the next one. He missed and the man on third was caught half way be- tween third and home. That was the third out. Andover came to the bat with an ex- pectant look of victory in their eyes. Hig- gins, the tirst man up for Andover, was lucky when he connected with a low ball and beat the iielder's throw to third. Spaulding hit an easy grounder to short- stop. Wayne made an easy pickup but held the ball, afraid the man at third would go home. There were two men on and none out. The batter hit an easy grounder to short-stop, also, instead of throwing to home, he tossed to second, an easy force- out, and the second baseman saw it was use- less to catch the runner at the plate, so threw to first. The next batter struck out and the game was won for Andover. Bud Wayne was captain of the team, a position gained through popularity, but the trouble was he didn't care, it was no re- sponsibility to him, he said. Many times in the last baseball season he had achieved the almost impossible, and then of a sudden in the midst of his spectacular playing he began to do the unexpected, forced a man off from a base, or something like that, but by some mysterious power he held his posi- tion at short-stop. But in this last game the team had lost their patience with this happy-go-lucky fel- low and so had the coach. It had been the first game of the season, and besides, Andover was Hillcrest's worst opponent. At practice a new man came out and the coach put him at short-stop. Bud batted grounders out to the in-fielders. The new man was simply a flash. He scooped the grounders and held the ball to first with the speed and accuracy that was a marvel to the team. Day after day this same thing happened. One day the coach said to Wayne, Don't you want to play on the team? No,', replied Bud. I want to see someone there who won't be forever mak- ing errors. But, said the coach, who ever heard of a Captain on the bench watching an- other man in his position? 'I Well, if Mason can play better than I let him have the position. I 'll stay on the bench as an example for others, was the quick answer. As games went by, Mason shone in his school work as well as his work on the diamond. Before, he had been a no account scholar. He was rather a marvel at the bat as well as in the field in the games. No errors had been chalked against him so far. Hillcrest was winning most of her games. Bud had not played a game except the first one, and since then he had been a bench Warmer. When the last game with Andover ar- rived every man was in trim 3 the day dawned clear and bright. Hillcrest needed this game to gain the championship and so did Andover. As Hillcrest team trotted out on the diamond it was greeted with cheers, one after another. After a short practice, Andover took the field. Their cheers were louder, as the practice went on. The men were cheered and this seemed to be Andover's day with the crowd. The coach had tried to coax Bud to play part of this game, The last game of the year, he said, and you are Captain.