Feb. 23, 1907.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
289 
The Elimination of Matteou. of logs had been turned adrift, and they came “Viddler piloted him up to the house, opened 
^down stream and played Old Harry with the the door and set him down in a chair. He called 
{Concluded from page 952 .) *nets. There was no proving this on Matteou, the bulldog and pointed to Matteou. ‘On 
“Viddler reloaded the rifle, but he never told but everybody blamed it on him. Six or seven guard,’ says he. That was all. There’d be 
his wife the close call she’d had. That after- lawfully set nets were clean spoilt, and several either a dead Indian or a dead bulldog or both 
noon the men on the head of the drive came others were so badly damaged that the owners before he got halfway across the room. Viddler 
along and fixed the boom, then the logs com- would get no use out of them for the next week. was bleeding like a pig from his wounds. He 
menced to run past and kept running until the Viddler and Ranald watched closer than ever. tied them up as best he could; and got into some 
second week in May. Matteou was working on They slept all day and watched all night. They dry clothes. All this while the Indian sat in the 
the rear of the drive—he was a good stream- knew that sooner or later Matteou would come chair, the bulldog watching him like a cat 
driver when he chose to work, and he always down to this pool, and torch it, or sweep it. watches a mouse. Says Viddler, ‘Your trouble’s 
seemed friendly with Viddler. The drivers It’s the best spearing pool in the whole river. only begun, Matteou. You’ve a deal to answer 
camped close to where we’re sitting the last “One afternoon, toward sundown Viddler put for between this and morning, and if you want a 
Sunday the drive was on the river. Matteou his canoe on the express wagon and asked his drink to take the chill out of you, you can have 
went up to Viddler’s to get the lend of a few wife to drive up to the Forks and get Teddy it.’ Matteou didn’t say anything; he took the 
potatoes for the boys. While he was talking to Archibald to put it in his barn, then to drive drink all the same. Presently they heard a 
Viddler the hens set up a squawking and com- home slowly, so as to get back about midnight. hooting and a yelling on the road. Then three 
menced to run for the barn. Right overhead He fastened up the barn and shut Pickwick up or four teamloads of the boys drove into the 
there was a big henhawk circling. ‘If that chap in the house. Just as soon as she’d gone, he yard. They brought a tar pot and brush, an 
will only take a seat, I’ll draw a bead on him, crawled into the bushes, taking his revolver old feather bed, and one of them had a new coil 
Sabbath or not,’ says Viddler, and he reached with him, and lay watching the house. The trick of rope. There was Ranald McCullum, the men 
for the rifle and capped her. There was a small worked all right. In less than an hour Matteou who’d lost their houses the time his house and 
mirror in the room, and as he went out he saw came to the house with a basket in his hand. barn went, the men whose nets had been fouled, 
Matteou’s face in it. If ever the devil himself First he tried the barn and found it locked up; and two or three men who’d lost some hay by 
looked out of a man’s eyes, he looked out of then he started for the back door of the house, the fires Matteou had set. They brought Peter 
Matteou’s as he watched Old Man Viddler go but before he got there he saw the bulldog look- Harris from the mines with them. He happened 
to the door. The hawk swung round and round ing at him out of the window. That was to be in town when Ranald heard Viddler’s 
and finally settled on the top of the dead ram- enough; he didn’t want to see any glass broken, shots and started in to gather the crowd, 
pike. ‘Bang!’ went the gun, a spurt of feathers and about four steps more and the dog would “Harris had been a lawyer before he went to 
went out of the hawk, and down he came, catch- have been through the sash. He went the mines, so they made him judge. There 
ing at the branches with his claws as he fell. home and just at dark Viddler slid through were four charges against Matteou: Burning 
Viddler came in rubbing his shoulder. ‘Darn the woods and hid himself between those buildings, burning hay-stacks, shooting cattle, 
that rifle, I never felt her kick so before,’ says two granite rocks over there. He laid and fouling nets. There were other charges, 
he. Matteou looked scared. ‘Did you get him? there until close on midnight, and then he saw such as shooting with intent to kill, stabbing a 
he asked. ‘Get him? Yes, but my shoulder’s a light on the water. It came nearer and fish warden, and spearing; but Judge Harris 
near out of joint,’ says Viddler. Matteou said nearer. He saw two or three fish picked up as said that they came under the common law, and 
nothing, but he picked up his basket and put quick as the spear could strike them, and then he wouldn’t have anything to do with them, 
for the camp. the torch burnt out. The fish all lie at the very ‘We got all we want to handle here to-night,’ 
“The drive got in, and Matteou was paid off. head and the very foot of this pool. The head says he, when he’d read the charges over to 
He sent for his squaw and kids and they camped was speared out when the torch was used up. Matteou. If there’s anything left of you when 
at the foot of Stillwater. The day they came Matteou drifted down with the current, headed we’re through with you, it’ll be handed over to 
there, Viddler went over to the camp and told his canoe into the eddy by the rocks, dropped the sheriff.’ They sent a boy to stop Mrs. 
Matteou that he was a fish warden, and if he the rock he had for a killick, and began to light Viddler and tell her to go to our house for the 
found him torching or sweeping he would run his torch. Viddler heard the flint and steel go night, and they sent for father as a witness, 
him in. Matteou didn’t give any back talk. He click-click-click, then the tinder caught, and as By the time the trial was over there must have 
went on making baskets and smoking. The Matteou was blowing it before he touched the been fifty people round the Viddler place. The 
river wasn’t fit for spearing then; it was over match to it, Viddler made one spring into the judge and jury retired 'about 2 o’clock in the 
a fortnight more before the water ran off. water, caught the gunwale of the canoe, and morning. Viddler went with them. In about 
Viddler took his walks abroad, and noticed tilted Matteou out on the other side. The canoe a quarter of an hour they came back into the 
where the birches were being stripped, and righted itself, Viddler dove right under her. and room. ‘Silence in the court,’ says the judge; 
where the spruce-roots were torn up to make as Matteou struck out for the shore he grabbed ‘stand up, Matteou. We find you guilty of all 
binding for torches. He found several piles of him by the hair of the head. the charges, except that of shooting cattle, 
them hidden away under brush, and by that he “Only a master swimmer like Viddler dare That hasn’t been proved against you. I’ll deal 
guessed that Matteou meant to spear, all right, tackle a strong man in the water—the chances with the charges in order, commencing with the 
just as soon as it was good water. He never are that both men will be drowned; but Matteou first and smallest one, that of fouling nets. You 
went in the woods without his rifle and old was like a baby in his hands. He steered him set those logs adrift and turned that trash into 
Pickwick for company, and he always told his to shore and was just about to land him, when the river. The sentence is that you be washed, 
wife the route he was going. When he went on he felt a sting in his hip, and another one.in his and have your hair cut close like a convict. You 
the river at night, he always let her know about arm. Matteou had pulled his knife and stabbed burned those hay-stacks. The sentence is that 
where he’d be, and told her to let the dogs out him. His left hand was free, and he let the you be tarred and feathered, and ridden on a 
if she heard him fire. I guess she didn’t like Indian have it for all he was worth; they were rail. You set that fire in town, and burnt all 
the business much; but she was death on rather more than waist-deep in water. The In- those buildings. I sentence you to be drowned 
Matteou, and she had no more fear than her dian went down and Viddler kept him under. for doing it. The first part of the sentence will 
husband had. Ranald and Viddler watched that I guess he lost his knife, for he didn’t try to be executed right now. The tarring and feather- 
upper water so close that the boys in town stab Viddler again. When Viddler thought he’d ing will take place to-morrow at noon, and the 
managed to burn a little bark on the quiet and had enough, he let him up, but there was no drowning will come off at day-break on Satur- 
get enough salmon for their own eating; but life in the man. He hauled him on to the bank day; and may the Lord have mercy on your 
they had none to ship. They made no business and worked with him for some time and finally soul.’ 
of it, however. It was just one or two torches he commenced to come too. As soon as he “Well, they took Matteou, and put him into a 
burnt at the head of the tide, and then away for could walk, Viddler picked his revolver off the bath tub and scrubbed him with floor brushes 
home with the fish they’d got. bank where he’d left it before he made his dive. and soft soap until he was the cleanest Indian 
“Along about the first of July a big run of fired two shots in the air, and says he, ‘There’s in America. Then they took the horse-clippers 
the small ten and twelve-pound salmon came up four shots more in that revolver, Matteou. You and shingled his two feet of black hair off and left 
the river. The net-men did well; some of them try to run or turn your head backward and the nothing but bristles. It was just gray daylight 
cleared twenty dollars a night. The third night whole four ’ll be in your back as quick as hell when they got through with him, and when they 
of the run they found their nets all foul with 'll scorch a feather.’ Matteou had mighty little turned him out of doors, he put for the woods 
grass, branches and other trash. A whole lot run in him. like a squirrel let out of a trap. He didn’t wait 
