The Fur Bringers | Page 6

John Gaviller."

Poly paragraphed his story with luxurious puffs at the cigar and careful
attention to keep it burning evenly.
"So on Tuesday after Easter they go out toget'er. Colina Gaviller ride
on the sledge and Michel he break trail ahead. Come to the bench, leave
the dogs in a shelter Michel build in a poplar bluff. Michel go to see his
traps, and Colina walk away on her snowshoes wit' her little gun.
"Michel not ver' good lok that day. In his first trap find fool-hen catch
herself. He is mad. Second trap is little cross-fox; third trap nothin' 'tall!
"Come to fourth trap, wa! see somesing black on the snow! Wa! Wa!
Him heart jomp up! Think him got black fox sure! But no! It is too big.
Come close and look. What is he catch you think? It is a black bear!
"Everybody know some tam a bear wake up too soon in winter and
come out of his hole and roll aroun' lak he was drunk. He can't find
somesing to eat nowhere, and don' know what to do!
"This bear him catch his paw in Michel's little fox trap. It was chain to
a little tree. Bear too weak to pull his paw out or break the chain. He lie
down lak dead.
"Michel him ver' mad. Him think got no lok at all after Easter. For
'cause that bear is poor as a bird out of the egg. Michel mak' a noise to
wake him up. But always he lie still lak dead. Michel think all right.
"Bam-by he lean over with his knife. Wa! Bear jomp up lak he was
burn wit' fire! Little chain break and before Michel can tak a breath,
bear fetch him a crack with the steel trap acrost his head!
"Wa! Wa! Michel's forehead is bus' open from here to here lak that!
Michel drop his knife in the snow. Him get ver' sick. Warm blood run
all down his eyes, and he can't see not'ing no more.
"Bear grab Michel round his body and squeeze him pretty near till his
eyes jomp out. Michel say a little prayer then. Him say him awful sorry
he ain't confessed this year.

"But always he fight that bear and fight some more. Always he is try
get his hands aroun' that hairy throat. Bear tear Michel's shoulder with
his teeth. Michel feel the hot blood run down inside his shirt and get
cold.
"Michel, him always thinkin' Colina is not far, but he will not call to
her. She is only a girl him say; she can't do not'ing to a crazy bear. Bear
hurt her too, maybe, and John Gaviller is mad for that.
"So Michel he jus' fight. He is ver' tire' now. And always they stamping
and tumbling and rolling in the snow, and big red spots drop all aroun'.
"Colina, she tell me the end of it. Colina say she is walkin' sof' in the
poplar bush looking sharp and all tam listen for game. All is ver' quiet
in the bush.
"Bam-by she hear a fonny little noise way off. Twigs crackling, and
somesing bumping and tromping in the snow. Colina think it is big
game and go quick. Some tam she stop and listen. Bam-by she hear
fonny snarling and grunting. She know there is a fight and she is a little
scare. But she go more fas'.
"Wa! Wa! What a sight she sec there! Poor Michel he pretty near done.
She can't see his face no more for blood. She think he got no face now.
Michel he see her come, and say to her loud as he can: 'Go way! Go
way! You get hurt and John Gaviller give me hell!'
"Colina say not know what to do. Them two turn around so fas' she
'fraid to shoot. She run aroun' and aroun' them always looking for a
chance. Bam-by she see the handle of Michel's knife in a hole in the
snow. She grab it up. She watch her chance. Woof! She stick that bear
between the neck and the shoulder!
"That is all!" said Poly. "Bear, him grunt and fall down. Stick his snoot
in the snow. Michel crawl away. Colina is fall down too and cry lak a
baby. For a little while all three are dead!
"Then Colina wash his wounds with clean snow, and tear up her

petticoat for to mak' bandage. She put him on his snowshoes and drag
him back where the dogs is. She bring him quick to the fort. In one
week Michel is go to his traps same as ever. That is the story!"
"By God, there's a woman!" cried Peter. Ambrose said nothing.
When Poly Goussard reembarked in his dug-out a heavy constraint