166 A TRAGEDY ON THE NORTH SHORE 



would give them a short rest and warm them up 

 as the night was cold. Near ing the shore they 



landed in the small cove where P had buried 



his victim. While his companion was collecting 

 wood and getting things ready for their meal, 

 Gagnon had gone into the wood for birch bark to 

 light the fire. While fumbling around in the 

 dark he happened to tread on Ouellet's body, 

 which omitted a whistling sound, owing to the 

 escape of air and gas from the lung cavity. He 

 gave a start, but did not stop to examine the 

 cause, putting it down to having trodden on a 

 woodchuck or ground hog, which fact he related 

 to his companion. After the meal the latter pro- 

 posed to go and try to kill the animal, whose 

 flesh is hignly esteemd by the trappers. Gagnon 

 did not care much about returning, but as his 

 friend insisted so much, he finally went with him, 

 and to their horror they discovered the body of 

 the murdered man. They saw the knife thrusts 

 in the body and through the shirt, which was the 

 only garment on it. The corpse was re-buried in 

 the same position, and on arriving at Pentecost 

 Gagnon told his story. Then it was repeated 

 elsewhere, and finally reached the ears of the 

 Coroner of Murray Bay, who went down and 

 held an inquest on the body. A description was 

 published, but for some time no one identified the 

 remains. Gradually, however, the meshes of the 

 net that were to close in upon P , were 



