A TALE OF THE WOODS. 
*tall, an’ I say same ting, but keep look on 
dat black lac. Den Messu he say: 
“*What dat out yender?’ 
“I look an’ look, but doan see notting. 
““T think I see canoe,’ said Messu, an’ 
mon gar! I look gin an’ see someting lak 
canoe, but so dark can’t be sure. 
““Ver’ strange,’ say Messu. ‘Some Injun 
or trappair, mebby.’ 
“T say notting but keep tink mooch. Den 
de moon she’s begin come up an’ dat meck 
me feel bettair, cause dat lac not so black. 
Messu he say hees tired an” we go on de 
bed, so we crawl in dat brush house, an’ 
pull de branch on top ourselve. I do’no for 
sure, but I tink I go sleep, cause me, I’s 
ver tired. Nex’ ting I know somebody 
poke me on de rib an’ when I wake up, 
Messu he set up an’ pint hees fingair an’ 
say: 
“ “Francois, look dare!” 
“T look where he say an’ way over nex’ 
odder side dat lac, I see canoe plain, wit 
someting all white on it. Den de moon 
she’s hit a cloud an’ de light mose go out 
an’ I feel Messu reach for hees rifle. I 
begin say prayer mighty fass, me, for what 
good Vill rifle do on de Devil heemself. 
Den cross dat lac come one loud cry 
jess lak woman she’s meck when she’s 
fear mooch. I tink den Messu, hees begin 
get scare also lak me, cause he say: 
““For God’s sack, Francois, what dat?’ 
“Den de moon she come out gin, an’ I 
see dat canoe come near an’ in it was a 
woman an’ she’s paddle fass, fass, an’ Holy 
Mother! jess behine her come nudder 
canoe wit someting beeg an’ black on it 
an’ dat boat move fass too, an’ gain on de 
firs’ one quick. Dare was pint of lan’ wit 
trees on heem thar, an’ bimeby bote canoe 
he go behine dat pint. Den Messu he say: 
“Mon Dieu. Francois! Did you see what 
was in hine canoe?’ 
“T so much scare I can say notting but 
pray, cause I know what dat ting be. Byme- 
by dat bote come out in de light gin. De 
secon’ canoe she’s mooch near den, an’ dat 
woman she turn her head roun’ an’ shriek 
Father: 
155 
an’ shriek awful, jess lak loon, an’ I see 
Messu cover up bote hees ear. Dat ting 
in de secon’ canoe he stan’ up den an’ I 
see heem plain, plain. Mon Dieu, I been 
try be good mans, me, since that day. Hees 
ver beeg an’ tall an’ hairy lak de black 
bear. I hear Messu cock hees rifle an’ fore 
I can stop heem, bang, go de gun, an’ I 
can’t see for de smoke. Wen I look gin, 
dat woman she’s disappeare—gone up on de 
smoke, an’ de ting in odder canoe was come 
at us fass, an’ he doan have paddle, de boat 
go himself. Den he turn hees face an’ look 
for see us—” 
Here Francois paused and repeatedly 
crossed himself, then continued: 
“Hees face was jess lak de picture of 
de Devil you seen on de book. Beeg black 
horns, nose lak de eagle and long tushes 
lak de wolf hound. ‘Mon Dieu, Messu, 
run quick!’ I yell, but he begin shoot 2, 3 
tam. I see de bullet splash roun’ de boat, 
but she doan stop ‘tall but come rat on. 
Jen I jomp quick and run fass on de 
woods an’ hide me. Bymeby, pretty soon, 
when I doan hear notting, I say to maself, 
‘Francois, you beeg coward, you dam fool. 
De moon she’s high on de sky den an’ 
mooch light, so I begin creep on dat house. 
Messu Georges hees set up straight jess 
lak notting happen, an’ I tink firss hees 
gone sleep, so I crawl up soff, so not wake 
heem up. Den I see hees chin drop way 
down on hees bress; an’ see beeg track on 
de san’ leading down to dat lac from 
where Messu he set. Gre’t, deep footprint 
lak de moose she meck, only, Mon Dieu 
days lak a man’s wid beeg nail prints. I 
look at Messu den gin’ an’ I see hees eyes 
wide open. Hees mout drop down, an’ I 
know hees daid. Den de scare she teck 
hole on me gin’ an’ I run fass from dat 
plass. Next tam I go back de sun hees 
way up on de sky. I took Messu on ma 
back an’ carry heem down dat crick way 
from dat plass. Messu Doctaire, down on 
de village, who look at him say hees die 
by heart disease, but Francois, me, he 
know bettaire. 

“Tt seems to me Freddie, that 
everything I say to you goes in at one ear 
and out at the other.” 
Freddie: “Well, I s’pose that’s what I’ve 
got 2 ears for.’—Exchange. 
