Show wt I e as a i O N M s rr s r s r isa aa ri N s A rr j- j j- j l Wife Ship I y r l i By HUGH PEN DEXTER y I Author of Kings of the Missouri Pay Gravel A V Virginia Scout etc t Co by br Hugh flush P 1111 r o. o 4 MORE MYSTERY Traveling Traveling by canoe on the on ht hi way to Biloxi In the early days day of the settlement of Louisiana William Brampton apy spy known to Indians and settlers It as s the White Indian sees see a Natches Indian post poet a declaration of war against the French For or his hi own purposes he hastens to l to carry the news newe to French governor Brampton meets meet an old friend Joe Labrador In Indian In- In dian halfbreed who warns warn him h. h has threatened to hang hang- him aa as a spy Brampton refuses to turn back He Jle falls fall In with Jules Julu and Mantle Matter Mattor on their way to to secure wives from a ship the Malre Maire bringing women from France At Brampton protects a woman from froma troma a ergeant brutality She tell tells him she Is I. Claire ahl l picked up In a raid In Evidently Evidently evidently evi Evi- dently w well ll bred and educated she ehe Is I. a mystery to in Brampton lie He Intervenes to prevent a man Enl h known as 1 Old Fin Fin- I Fingers ln gen gers following her to New Or Or- Or leans leane A Frenchman Francois Narbonne slight demented by stories he has heard of thi riches of the New World Introduces introduces Intro Intro- duces ducts himself accuses of treachery but the latter secures a respite from death by revealing the Natchez Natches declaration of war lie Ifs Is ie to await the arrival of a former companion the Fox who will exonerate or condemn him has hat documents proving Brampton an English spy py Brampton receives a message JR e efrom from Claire Clair bt begging him to help her hH reach rAach the English settlements settle settle- ments ment Brampton trusts Narbonne Narbonne Nar Nar- bonne bonn with a note to Claire Clair promising to meet her lir at t New Orleans Orlenn lie He plans his hI escape After Arter a struggle Brampton wrests wrest the Incriminating papers from tram and escapes from tram Biloxi He Ite meets the Matters and anti they go to New Nw Orleans In a sailing alling packet At the landing place pIAO Brampton attain again encounters Joe Jo Labrador whom he h. sends ende to 10 bring Claire to him 1 CHAPTER VI Continued VI-Continued Continued 8 The Thi throe three brothers Can Cnn CanI I trust th them Two wo are nrc hero liero now They The are loyal to France tt was ns the discouraging answer rr cr n Then there Is no one I can cnn tip tip- under the seal Rul of ot s secrecy 7 No one on monsieur I must do lIo your jour errand Who Is la the man you wl wish h word ord taken to You Yon II are to find MAll Mademoiselle but Just arrived from HI- HI loxi No one 1 Is fe 1 to know you cometo cometo come to find fin her You will wilt lIa say to her the three words the White Indian Then lead her Il here re I If It t she Is still Inclined to togo togo toitO go itO with me mr A woman from the wife ship 1 I One I of ot those thORO women I I lie he groaned God of ot the white man l I nut Hut you will wilt make faces s 's through n a noose With a n price on your our head head hend- I I 1 see I must do my own errand I broke brokl In When my lilY friend believes evil of ot me he does dOls evil In doing my lilY business tone Re still my trl friend You annoy me met I I will find this woman with the outlandish name I will speak the words It If she Is H fool tool enough to come with mo me I will bring her here to this lend dead village She Slit will conic come the need I of ot secrecy She had b best st wander to tolie the lie edge Ill I'll e of the settlement sl before you OU Join her There are uro those who would follow her I Ihen nn now there Is one there perhaps a mom man with two fingers jon gone gone tin lint I The beast 1 lie Ito has s been to the bayou b And one Francois Neither Net Nei ther hI he nor nn anyone must t know of the girls girl's departure Now good luck lurk and l much lunch I speed o as the morning must see us fur on Oil our ourn n way Holy saints It Is like 1110 the White Indian to break his neck lIck to help a n Trench French wench lie could find no woman wom worn an to help hell In nil his years ears on Oil the river rl until now Very Or Rood good Goal In hI his wisdom sees PIli fit tit t to le let monsieur play piny the fool tool Why h should I try tr to stop you rOil I KO go And he be hud faded Into the tile darkness before I could gl e him a n fitting reply Of course there was something of ot madness madness mad mad- nl ness In m my project front from the Canadians Canadian's Cana Cana- dian's deans unenlightened point of ot view I 1 CC was ns reluctant to admit to myself even this much but after lr m reviewing re lew Ing the happenings of the last latt few days 1111 and remembering how bow fl few v words I had spoken to mademoiselle and how entirely en In Ignorant I was of ot her ant antecedents co- co dents bents unless I retain my first estimate estimate esti sll mate based on her soft hands and obvious on- on lous poverty I poverty I agreed that tint my old ohl friend had cause caus to be he displeased with me Hut what could t do after s she he had hod written that she surely would woUd die unless un tin- leas less Ies's I could help liar her slake make the coast Refuse because she had hUll made mistakes mistakes mis takes Then how many of ot us liS would be he licensed to ask for h hety POliS he heby her herby herby r by because became e very she ate Inn been beell trail frail In her virtues virtuE'S while living g In IoD n environment tt heft het virtue would find It t most difficult to thrive Then went want would be he lenient enough 0 t Usten to poor POOl mortals mortals' g pleas Strumpet or virgin she he was Willi en entitled entitled D' D titled to her chance and I would dom do m best bO to for her I r It you monsieur Labradors Labrador's anxious ll voice roused me me from my thoughts noughts It Is 19 I I. I Where Is l th the girl r At your elbow Mr Me came came the answer In excellent English and a soft hand touched mine Those men outside the cabin cobin with lights I 1 Are they looking for tor me No mademoiselle Dut But its it's well we ve were golD going Lend the way Joe But nut you are ore trav traveling lIng away from the river monsieur I she protested dropping back bock Into Fren French h. h Only to swing esting back bock Into It a D few leagues above here It If you are to come with me you must trust to my judgment judgment judg judg- ment absolutely I will say I J think you are ore foolish to come Hut Kut not foolish to trust to you monsieur monsieur mon mon- she murmured I Good heavens no I 1 If It you have the slightest doubt about your perfect safety with me except me-except except we fall victims to o n a common rommon danger go danger go back bock to your cabin at nt once once I have ve no doubts You are saving no toe from destroying myself monsieur she sho whispered and confounded me by beginning to sob betray both of ot us before we weare are arc n a league from this spot I 1 warned arned Do Say your prayers I Make vows something to hush your weeping I Il Faster l Joel Joe I IThe I IThe The good gool fellow quickened his pace and I took the girls girl's hand In mine nUll and we wo fairly ran for It until we came to the hidden canoes Then Labrador said sand I J will go ahead If It you YO hear a n night bird call twice you will wilt know I have m met t danger and then you must hide ildo by the shore until the bird calls but tit once meaning the trail Is open again With this understanding he drew some somo distance ahead and led the way down the bayou boo The girl crouched low ow In the tho pirogue behind mel me l t e A moved slowly along the vv M D water I and between lazy thrusts of the paddle I tried to talk with her Why must you go to the English settlements e have you friends there I have no friends anywhere except pt that you yoube bo be my friend friend she whispered Hut But Buth h why to Virginia or the Caro- Caro Carolinas Inas linas Instead of or Canada This country It Is terrible monsieur monsieur mon mono she RIle e evasively You did dill not tell de lie Ule that yhu 11 were tre picked up In a raidI raid I thought she did dill not Intend to answer answer an nn S lr but hut after a II long pause she slowly slowly slow slow- ly Iy said suld What would bo ho the good And Arid now she was speaking English with only the faintest of accent I began begun be be- gun gan to believe e she was vas bilingual and used either tongue without being conscious conscious con con- of ot shifting shirting nut Hut If It you could prove to his excellency excel l lency ency I cnn can prove nothing the she pa passionately passion passion- otly hissed I have hll told you OU I have no friends Shout the name of ot guarde gaarde from one end of ot France to the other and none nune would be Inter ested Pardon no one olle except your people I am nm alone An orphan Hut your our friends at friends at least those with whom you worked My voice olce became berame conCus confused d I felt felther felther her soft sott hand rest for a n moment on my lilY hand as ns I held the paddle motion motion- less No 1 It Is not the hand of ot a girl Ir who has hos worked I sorrowfully admitted With u n jl Jeering little laugh she sl said Monsieur would 1111 prefer doing good deeds for the good You are In trouble I wish jou you ou well for your o own n sake I wilt will help you It If I can run Hut one cannot help without wishing to know something I could help you OU more Intelligently If It I could understand something of or the nature nature na nn ture of ot your trouble There Is nothing to learn I came come over on the tho Immigrant ship I tint mil Claire as na homeless hOI and friendless ns' ns If It I had hod dropped from another planet Tell 1111 rae me this did you protest when the tile police seized you ou and bundled you aboard the Make re She astounded me by sadly sallly confessing confess contess ing I wanted to come I lied when I ItoM told toM you I was WOI tn taken In a raid I went alone to the ship Just before It II wn was to sail and asked to be taken token along hood hea heavens If Jt you ou only had bad known known- known known- I should do exactly the same If it It II were to be he lived ll through ugh again tomorrow to to- tomorrow morrow monsieur You must either set me ashore to make my own n way or accept me as us you ou thud me name ale name nameless less friendless a waif Why h nameless when she was Claire I asked askell myself But Hut I Idid Idid Idid did not ask herI tier her I will not think nil evil of you jou I wrote you oU from when Biloxi when It was waa doubt doubtful till If It I could e even sine save myself tint that I would take e you to the 1 I only hope hopp your our troubles will end when Cohen you jou OU gf get there then That was nicely said she slue murmured mur inured pausing between the wordy words alIt an as anIf If It lighting fighting to cl control herself If It we get It to the I English towns U I will twill find lowe some work I will be a 11 servant any any any- blur V I thought of ot her soft lott hands I al already already already al- al ready appreciated the refinement of her manner No I did not hot believe belle her troubles would be ended when she reached the English towns and she would be forced to make her own way Our Our servants were supplied from the blacks blocks or wells neer shipped to the tha plantations from tram Eng Eng- land As As a servant she must abide abille with her Iler class and her very very softness and her mental qualities would make mak her an object of ot scorn among her mates Between dips of the paddle I wondered wondered won won- dered If It she ehe he would not linee fared better better better bet bet- ter to have remained In the valley and accepted a husband from among the tho women This alternative was abhorrent to me rae almost as soon noon as I had considered It I had told myself on the the the- sands at Biloxi that Sh slue shelves was entitled to her chance chonce and certainly a lonely cabin In tome some miserable la lagoon lagoon la- la goon with a shaggy creature who ho lacked even en the tho stability of an nn Indian hunter for tor a mate constituted no chance Yet for tor the life liCe of ot me I could see only a squalid outlook for tor her did we win across the eastern mountains The whole business discouraged analysis analysis an nn and when Labrador gave love his signal from the darkness ahead and repented repeated It I found my mental reaction reaction re reo action I to be refreshing It meant munt danger danger dan dan- ger but that was more or less tangible tan tan- gible With a thrust of ot the paddle I had the pirogue snugly under the willows wil wll lows and was cautioning my passenger passenger ger to be bo very quiet I nut Hut who are you to treat trent me like this this' loudly demanded Labradors Labrador's voice Tale Take Tal e your dirty hands front froM my 1 face fuce To see ste If It you know v m me r And who the black devil are you you This time I heard the murmur of n a response and Labrador called coiled out no more snore The peril was obvious oh Again I warned warnell the girl to make muke no sound We were kneeling on the tho marshy hy ground and my hands held behl the tile pirogue pirogue pi pi- rogue from rustling against the reeds I If it t the newcomers passed close cloe enough to agitate It with strokes Now they were sending little ripples Into the grass and by ear por alone I told when the first craft passed our position From the number of ot paddles s I Judged It to be a long pirogue Now It was above us and I Ins was ns preparing I Ito to embark when there came carne a n sound Round of other paddles two of ot them When directly opposite me a 8 man spoke and ond had I my musket by my side I should have hn been tempted to shoot hoot at nt him through the darkness for there was no mistaking the tho voice olce of ot the Fox CHAPTER VII Up the River So the chase had turned turnell from east enst to west and ond the Fox was hot on my trail trull I thanked my medicine I had hac lost lost no time line In meeting the girl Until Un Un- til tile the Fo X FI c could reach ren New Orleans nn and make sure I was not hiding there the pursuit would be he Indirect Taking the Ise girl by the arm I assisted assist assist- ed eel her Into the pirogue and pushed oft off We barely burely more than drifted with the sluggish current until I hll heard rrt the soft ort dip of ot n a paddle ahead Then I allowed d my nay own blade to betray me and Labradors Labrador's voice was calling rolling Good evening e Messieurs It Is I I whispered ns os the pirogue grated against his canoe I saw them there and him Sucre I lie held a n pistol to m my I throat while he pawed over o my Iny face with his dirty paw to Rl see If It was you Hut But my talk satisfied him hint I Knew nothing lIe He goes to In la Nouvelle Or Or- leans lenns Ire He thinks I am there Did he say anything to show how sure he Is s Nothing except to tell his pirogue Choctaws s that the trail would be he picked up when they left the ba bayou ou Hell nell find no troll trail I said Hell ne find n a woman Is IA missing And Ani there will be he some signs left leCt left declared declared de ell Joe now using the Choctaw trade Jargon that the girl might no not understand lint Hut I did not fear feor any such results There Thre was nothing known n In New Orleans to connect me with the girls girl's disappearance The settlers would woul testify that the girl was very Iry sail sad that she stepped out of ot a n cabin am and did not return It would be he believed believe that she Rhe had hind wandered away o am and fallen Into the river or become lost As for finding any ony signs of ot on our passing to and front from the flue Indian vii ll lage luge the chances chanels were Irl |