Show BLACK FEATHER By B y H HAROLD A R 0 L D TIT TITUS U 5 m 4 arold s Service SYNOPSIS Rodney y Independent trader ce Ar determined determined rives In 1 l 1818 de- de de- de to fight the trade monopoly es by the John Jacob Astor com com- pony pany Ismet company In the Northwest territory He Is met by Conrad nIch an elderly clerk Ramsay Crooks Astor's dominant figure and Annette Leclere local beauty and inspiration to aU all the traders especially to Burke Rickman a ruthless trader who Is the Instrument of destruction to trad trad- trad ers era refusing to amalgamate the Astor Roussel the town bully wearing the he black black feather feather symbol of In knocks down Shaws Shaw's head oarsman Basile and Shaw In return throws Roussel Into the water Ramsay Crooks presents the symbolic black feather to Shaw Later at a conference Shaw scorns Astor's proposal virtually to surrender his Independence announces his readiness to tight fight the amalgamation and prepares to depart the following day At a ball baU that evening Shaw recognizes Burke Rickman as the Astor agent who had previously robbed him of his partner end his trade and IS as a dangerous rival for Annette with whom hom he Is There Is an exchange of bitter words Annette Is chosen queen of the dance and after aUer flirting with Ith both Rick nick man and Shaw chooses Shaw as king for the following evening Basile warns Shaw to hasten his departure and tells him an old man a awaits him at his tent Shaw finds Leslie an old trader CHAPTER Continued II-Continued 3 Ay Who's not heard of them Far up the Mississippi good hunt hunt- hunters hunters ers and in rich country But others are there Others was Gone now Nor Nor- re gone by law Th lone Independent who opposed ems em s 's gone Sioux driven him out Rich country Wailin to be took By me With you I got trade goods You got ot th feet nd wind Look Zook he said Astor figures to step in lies lie's Rickman Well We'll fix a for ml He fumbled in the buckskin pouch which hung from irom his g I r dIe d I e Here Herel he said and drew out a map crudely etched on parchment parch parch- parchment ment and poInted to the winding course oi of the Mississippi and to a alake alake lake Indicated well towards its head head- headwaters headwaters waters Yon I he said Rich countr country to be Again he fumbled in the pouch and this time produced an Indian ceremonial stone oi of green shaped like a butterfly polished to satiny smoothness More powerful nor Astor More valuable nor a ton o 0 trade goods a lock Key to Pillager lo lock kl Give to me by Cloud Pillager chief Saved his hide three year back Brothers Me nd Cloud brothers He passed th stone nd tells me to send it if H ever I need a brother I No use then Two forts aready amongst em Trade wont won't stand another split But now its it's different lIe He choked and gasped then and after a struggle gave up and once more reverted to signs Rodney had strength and agility he Indicated Rodney could direct the march and pass the credits and see that they were collected Just two of us old free free- traders left leU he whispered Just two as wont won't crawl belly to Astor Do we deal Rodney stirred though he was at atthe atthe the prospect demurred It was not fair he declared Ga Gabble I the other cut In I got goods Goods re no use lessen strong legs nd hearts go with em You got legs nd heart beart Do we deal Dont Don't we he asked again and in hi his eyes was pleading which warmed Shaw with something else than the prospect of being able to make good his boast and satisfy his Impulse to stand against the great company They talked then until dawn sll- sll silvered vered ered the east Then Rodney halt hall led half carried the old trader to the camp he had made at the east east- eastern eastern ern end of the and left him with word that he would return and give his answer watch yel ye Leslie slie mutt mut- muttered as Rodney lowered him to his couch of buffalo robes watch ye like a lynx lym watches prey Come late I dont don't sleep nights Rodney slept until the sun was full tull an hour high He had gone to sleep with his heart still fast at thought of the opportunity to establish establish lish himself again And he awakened with his heart going fit to choke him gasping to himself a name Over and ov over r rhe he repeated it silting there In his robes blinking at the new day A Annette nette he said Annette Annette Annette Leclere BasIle cooked breakfast for him and Shaw ate alone before his tent the old man eyeing him with Ill III con con- concealed curiosity Finally he be could no longer restrain himself and put the question In French Do we put out with the old one Shaw smiled Does one pass by rare opportunity Does Docs one BasIle But not too Of course we put out hastily Leslie Is a sick man Bas Bas- soberly ile-soberly Perhaps even with witha a heavier sickness than one compre- compre comprehends comprehends He Is unfit for tor a march To- To Today To at oc- oc occupying make gestures day we must ourselves Tonight d during rIn the dance at which Im I'm t to be king with a reminiscent I grin slip away and go to him In in the mean mean- meantime meantime time The sound of shod wheels rolling on gravel checked him and he looked up to see Annette In her ber gIg care careening down the narrow street But she could not help givIng Ing him notice as he leaped out out- outWard outward Ward flinging up an arm to make the leading black shy wide grasp grasp- lag Ing graspIng the fillys filly's rein Impudence I she cried feigning pique You will have me upset Rodney Shaw Stay back I stay here I defy youl-as youl you you-as he vaulted the wheel to the seat be- be beside beside side her But you were to be gone from Mackinac All have heard the brave things you said to Mr Astor Did you not mean them That you'd be gone In defiance to him Not until those ripe lips hunger as mine hunger Nonsense sire So he drove with her tha that t morn morn- morning Ing and strolled with her that after after- afternoon afternoon noon lIe wooed roughly madly un- un until until til late in the afternoon Annette led fled his avId arms and hungry lips and sought sanctuary from irom his de- de determination determination termination in the house of the old aunt which was her home He went back to his tent walking lightly lightb head high Men turned to watch him because between sun and sun he had become famous He had defied Astor and he had flaunted his trespassing In romance upon grounds which that spring at least had been admittedly Burke Rick Rick- ri rd rv r r i d v Well Sting Astor and Claw Back ack at Rickman mans man's Others wondered what manifestation man man- Rickman's resentment might take But Burke Rickman was not to manifest his resentment Not openly Donald MacIver the shrewd Scot and loyal servant had bad seen to that He and Rickman were together when Annette drove past that bright forenoon with the pugnacious young Shaw on the gig seat beside her and MacIver had seen the chill of threat show In the others other's eye and the heat of jealousy creep into his cheek Dont lad MacIver muttered while his eyes twinkled a passing thing No challenge to ye Is yon upstart Let him go on Let him spend mayhap hours wi th lass Hell He'll gi us what we need quicker so thun by any ither means Hes He's not Astor's mono mon Nd he must be so If we discharge our He made his boasts last hed he'd trade again nd in th territory Its It's our obligation to de- de where to follow to crush th juice o 0 resistance from irom his very bones U If need be Would he gi us usa usa a hint u as to where hell he'll trade No But will a lad tell th innermost set se- secrets crets of his heart to a lass Ay From her well we'll learn Rodney gestured as king at the dance In n the company headquarters that night md and told himself that he was only waiting for the hour to grow late before slipping away vay to join Leslie t But when the hour grew late he put it off Multiple joy md and achieve achieve- achievement achievement ment were there Annette first of all was there challenging and tan tan- him And Rickman was there his resentment badly under control But depart at last he hc did and found Leslie waiting Well Do ye take my offer the theold theold old trader asked I do pardner Good Well We'll sting im th two on us Well We'll sting Astor and claw back at Rickman for tor what he done to ye Look pardner lie He led Shaw to the stores of trade goods snug under their oilcloths and by the light ot of a blazing torch Rodney beheld the valuables piled neatly there Ought to be spry Leslie whis- whis whispered whispered My men tell on hearin Rickman puts out afore long Wed We'd best be weeks ahead on him Can you travel Shaw asked bluntly Few days das fix me So for a week while he waited for tor Leslie to gain strength Rodney Shaw reveled In the pretense that feminine charms held him at Mack Mack- Mackinac inac Despite the truth that court court- courtship courtship ship served as n a blind to confound the watch he knew must be kept on him he was enmeshed as many another had been caught in this lall halt decade since Annette Leclere done with Montreal schooling had come comeback comeback back to live wIth her old aunt A forbidding woman thIs aunt a agrim agrim grim forbidding woman sprung from irom motif stock a fixture in the place and speak speak- speakIng leg Ing a jargon ot of Ojibway and patios and seemed to take pride that so few understood her well Shaw disturbed the old lady and she stormed at Annette for tor having him about but It did no good The girl laughed at her Then from irom pan to tIre fire Rickman was w a s banished tossed a sid s I d e snubbed It would seem and now It was Shaw who came hammering on doors before d dew w was dry III Rodney Shaw changed his ap- ap approach op to Annette scarce knowing that he changed The light of amused combat left his eyes for minutes his voice pleaded softly He lost poise lost years he would boast to her of what he had done ot of what he could do hp he would strut before her And he would plead almost seriously as others had pleaded Almost seriously not quite and not for long And at those times the girl was not so ready ot of tongue She listened denying his reverent hall pleas by her silence but still she listened Today he was vas in n such a mood stupefied by her intoxicating beau beau- beauty beauty ty pleading with her to go Inland with him And she put him off and when he wheedled for reasons she listed his shortcomings She was in pla play but he failed to realize her words were not meant full Pres Presumptuous reckless auda auda- auda audacious cious foolhardy To desire one so lovely To risk further the ill will of the company Ho Hol he laughed Why should 1 fear But they have stripper you of sour our trade I They will crush you if you persist They will try yes But they do donot donot not guess the card hidden in my sleeve Card You possess some secret Or Is this only an Idle boast He had been toying with that same black ostrich plume which had reposed these days In his waistcoat pocket and now he waved the sym sym- symbol symbol bol of superior strength In a dis- dis dismissing dismissing missing gesture Listen he sold said halting in their walk and leaning close They think me a pauper and that Is well But here under their nose Ive I've acquired a share in goods beyond my wild wild- wildest est dream I And with these goods 1 march to the richest ground un- un untended un tended a ground they plan to work They were on a forest trail on the heights ot of the island Dappled fell upon them scents of balsam and cedar were in their nostrIls Ah Annette he breathed tak- tak takIng taking Ing her hands I never dreamed in the years Ive I've lived li that such a desirable person as you pressed foot to earth She was In his arms then yielding gently and he felt her quick and irregular breathing against him Dear Annette I Sweet Annette And Ive I've wasted years thinking of trade when its it's love I want want Ive I've wasted my life holding freedom as asa asa a goal when Its It's enslavement In your heart I need Enslavement Rodney Enslavement He repeated the word aloud and looked away from her and at his manner alarm swept into the girls girl's face tace Of course It ft's what I want he cried laughing hungrily to cover his confusion Youre sweet You set me on firel fire he muttered grasping her so rough ly that that half ball frightened she sought escape They returned to the village Shaws Shaw's tongue losing Its ease He tried to pass oft of that unguarded moment those Impetuous words and conduct himself as he had nt at other times but fright persisted Let lips seduce him from irom that objective which was the breath of his life li e I Ah no Hed He'd gone far enough along I this course At the gate he told her he could not be with her this night He had affairs to attend he said He was brusque and absorbed having been frightened b by the strength of his own emotions He left her Impelled to run in flight llight and she stared after him with the mingled feelings of one who has been rebuffed SO that night the girl sat alone hurt and outraged And Burke Rick Rick- Rickman Rickman man prowling the places of merri- merri merriment merriment ment in fn his role of spy saw neither her ber nor Shaw But Shaw he discovered dis- dis discovered covered was at his tent Annette then then might be alone and the time he he had awaited and the mood which had been so long In shaping might have arrived So he rapped on the aunts aunt's door and found her there with signs of tears on her cheeks and high temper in her eyes Sly this Rickman In playing on tempers lIe questioned adroitly and probed and prodded to no avail And he kept on belittling Rodney scoff scoff- scoffing ing at him predicting his dire iu fu- fu future ture until Annette went white again with provoked loyalty and boasted of Shaws Shaw's strength and courage and possessions and plans her thoughts and Impulses were all hat hat- hating tog ing and loving Rodney in the same moment defending him while she longed to hurt him She achieved both Her boasts were the things Rickman had wait wait- waited ed to hear that was all he needed to know Shaw had a partnership and planned to march to n a rich ground unclaimed by traders So at midnight when Rodney slipped along the trail to Leslie's tent another followed furtively and when Shaw heard from his part part- partner's partner's ners ner's lips the thing he had suspected and feared this other listened listened prone behind a boulder Leslie no longer deceived him him- himself sell self The hand oi of death lay heavily upon him Giles his clerk was holding a cup of water to his lips as Rodney appeared The old mm man smiled weakly Ive held ye back Delayed De- De Delayed ye I might git strength No good he whispered one thing I want Its It's to see th Pillager trade out of yon hands You go he said and weak though he was the order came Imperiously Rodney knelt beside him In the entry to the tent He could not hear the light scruff scruff-scruff of a body worming closer could not know that all alien en ears heard beard those rasping words spoken at the cost of such torture You take th goods I dont don't follow tollow they're yourn he added and his suf- suf suffering fering e eyes es gleamed with stalwart friendliness No strings to em Yourn he said and looked at Giles as if to adjure the man to bear witness to the agreement He fumbled then In his pouch and drew out the map and butterfly ornament Take em he gasped Use em Stand in Cloud U ll treat ye like brother Ill go Rodney sold said Ill give them such opposition they've never dreamed of of Ill I'll be gone before the sun shows he promised TO BE CONTINUED |