Show G bw mam AC M bm JL m T B orrt 0 harold titus wini service L SYNOPSIS rodney shaw independent trader arrives arrive in tn in 1814 1828 determined to cat the trade monopoly established by the john jacob astor company in the northwest territory he Is met by conrad rich an n elderly clerk ramsay crooks astora dominant figure and annette leclerc Lc clere local beauty and inspiration to all the traders trader especially to burke rickman a ruthless trader who Is the instrument of destruction to traders refusing to amalgamate with the astor company roussel the town bully wearing the black feather symbol of invincibility knocks down shaws head oarsman baille and shaw in return throws roussel into the Ws water ter ramsay crooks presents the symbolic black feather eathor to shaw later at t a conference shaw scorns actors proposal virtually to surrender his independence announces his readiness to fight the amalgamation and prepares to depart the tol following lowing day at a hall ball that evening shaw recognizes burke rickman as the astor agent who had previously robbed him of his partner and his trade and as a dangerous rival tor for annette with whom he Is infatuated there Is an exchange of bitter words annette Is chosen queen of the dance and chooses shaw as kin king haw I 1 for arthe the following evening basile arns shaw to astro his bis departure and tells him an old nan awa awaits its him at his tent shaw finds r leslie an ue an n old id free trader who ho proposes that shaw jo join ain him and go to the rich pillager co country u n try where here astor Is planning to send ri c k man lie he shows him a map and an indi indian a n ceremonial stone given him by standing cloud pillager chief shaw accepts lesliea Le offer the spying rickman acids cads annette alone and artfully belittles bishaw aggravating annette into boasting of Ps hla plans until rickman learns of the partnership tier ship and the departure for rich unclaimed ground he follows shaw to les lies camp and hides bides within earshot shaw finds leslie very ill attended by his clerk giles with giles as a witness leslie gives elves shaw the map and the indian stone after shaw departs leslie dies rickman ascertains cert ains the old mans death and plunges a knife into his heart shaw reaching his camp finds soldiers with a warrant tor for his arrest on a charge of murdering leslie babue reports to shaw in prison that rickman embarks the following day and that giles Is intimidated from telling the truth shaw impatient at the delay orders basile to hold all in readiness tor for the moment he can escape annette makes love to rickman hoping to delay him CHAPTER IV continued 5 but basile did not see all heard nothing whatever he did not observe Rick mans attempt at a final kiss did not see annette twist and squirm from his arms could not hear bear her one honest word of the entire passage one word a strained gasped beverl Ne verl it was that word which sent rickman away an unhappy if commanding figure and so burke rickman had a day and a half the advantage even though events might give rodney his bis freedom of movement before another dawn indeed it seemed until lat late afternoon that another quiet northern night would follow but as the sun began to drop a murk appeared in the south and the wind veered and softened and a thunder head rose above the strait and heart picked up its measure basile came on the pretext that the men were demanding the balance of their compensation and rodney told him to trade what remained of the packs ahe the storm will come master and give me cover for my task I 1 when the revelry is at its biet best launch the canoe wait for me on the northern side of the island IU ill cry as a great owl the storm broke at midnight a furious lashing of wind and playing of lightning and cannonade of thunder tentatively rodney touched file to the bar and drew its edge slowly along the softer metal its rasp was covered by the drum of rain and wind in the trees and then began his battle with his prison savagely he sawed with the short file putting all the strength lie he could bring to bear against the cutting edge sinewy as he was the task was labor the first bar went in twain and by a tentative test he knew his strength was great enough to bend it outward but two more bars remained before he could hope to squeeze broad shoulders through the opening he sawed madly the second bar yielded and the edges of the file were dulling another thunder shower impending and lightning became more frequent the third bar was sundered and lie he dropped the file in every muscle the sentry passed beneath his window moving slowly on toward the clum clump of cedars rodney gripped the first bar with both hands and leaned against it slowly it yielded the bar protruded at an angle outward the guard did not look up the second bar bent before and the his fingers gripped the outside edge of the stone window ledge he leaped wriggling himself outward belly on the sill he breathed free air his head and shoulders were outside the prison he wriggled frantically the whitewashed wall of the building spread below him in another second he would be silhouetted against it for any eye to see and the last lightning flare of th the e spent storm revealed him hanging hangin 9 there swinging like a pendulum ready to dropco the turf below haiti the sent rys shout went through rodney like a knife stab he let go his hold he dropped rolling in the wet grass he was on his feet crouching gauging the approach of the soldier whose feet thudded on the path shaw backed a step gripped the corner of the building swung around it and began to run halt or I 1 firel the guard cried fire and be the crash of the musket cut off cry of defiance he felt the breath of the bullet on his cheek and a savage elation swept him the musket was empty the sound of the shot would rouse the g garrison r r son and the roused garrison would uld rouse the village but he was free plunging into drenched shrubbery free in cover with a plan before him and all he asked was this meager chance at freedom I 1 he ran with all the strength in his chest and legs he gained the shingle of the islands northern beach standing there alone in the darkness he fought to still his breath and gave the hollow falsetto cry of a great owl he listened and from somewhere across the water it was answered and he heard the thud of an oar against canoe rail and ran that way crying out again rodney was wading out to his knees ees to his hips he was being lifted into his canoe by loyal hands as streaming water he gained his p place I 1 a c e Br bravo avol 1 he breathed bravo my brave children childre nl to oars bowl marchl sixteen days men had said from point iroquois to the st louis shaw laughed as his canoe nosed into the bay which is the mouth of the river they had silently passed Rick mans brigade encamped on the shore three nights ago sixteen days he taunted eight 1 eight days from the point of the iroquois your names shall live forever green in the of the north I 1 one passes the lair of opposition t ion disdainfully and shaw did not even glance at the walls of the company fort they breasted at sundown sundo wn with v aith its flag limp and men staring they 41 1 4 1 I 1 halt or I 1 fire the guard cried I 1 would see they would tell but it would be days yet before rickman arrived with intent ears to hear their telling on above was the first portage and there camped the canoe maker of whom leslie had told the great canoe was abandoned a at t the natives camp and two smaller craft procured because the other would be unwieldy in the narrow rivers and difficult to transport oh the long carries these arrangements made the portage awaited nine miles it W was as 19 pauses a winding twisting trail up tortuous clay banks over unyielding rocks with the forest brushing the faces ot of men who toiled with great diligence av over er it up good childrens childre nl shaw cried n flinging portage collars at them up jacques with your back of an ox you will lead jacques grinning twisted thong thon 9 ends about a package shouldered dere d the he t straps and nestled his forehead against leather another package was set on the arst first and hunched into position a third and the man grinned two hundred and seventy pounds he bore but as he swayed forward for the first slow step he was halted by cry 9 un autre mon enfant en fantl the S smile mile died and a hurt look came into the fellows eyes no shaws shaw s question was mock incredulity 1 my good jacques says say s no he stood st a moment shaking his head dolefully too great the burden yes but ook look observe the trader theal re ke gard a back untried by the collar he dropped to his knees and adjusted ju sled the thongs to a package he slung it as he rose and gestured them to burden him another a third Qu atrel he was bidding the them in do to him what had made the great jacques dorni dar ir Arn jazaL oiled his bur den higher alors adgy they murmured and bux burst t into to I 1 r and sobered quickly and did his b bidding I 1 d four h hundred un five packages and fifty pounds All allesi ezi he cried and led the way with a grunt of command for them to follow ile he moved bent far forward right hand on the topmost piece which towered above his shoulders left arm at a stiff angle for balance he swayed from side to side the muscles of his legs bulged and corded against buckskin upward on and on reeling as he gained the crest and then upon level ground moving steadily stifling moans and now he reached the first pause his packages thud ded to the ground he straightened painfully and turned to watch the approach of his brave but humbled jacques who came on with many a gasped macrel and rodney calling a good natured taunt that one should puff so under halt half a load they snored that night beside a tiny stream threading abrupt hills heavily clothed with pine and hemlock shaw frittered fritt ered no precious moments of the hours wasted no pound of his mens strength but assurance now rode high in his heart he would have been less assured had he been back yonder at the company fort at the rivers mouth to see burke rickman land and to hear what was told to him youre certain rickman asked A tall man tall as I 1 and broad and with a leathery old devil at the steering oar yes that was certain damal said rickman without passion now but calculatingly as one who knows he must plan well and promptly he looked at conrad rich whose eyes were wide and smiled without mirth fools Fool sl 1 he muttered they let him escape after id arranged matters so hed never annoy us again they he broke off biting his lip and n conrad onra d started slightly as he sensed the fact that rickman had betrayed himself and his part in the arrest of rodney rickman paced the room at knife portage yesterday he queried and did not so much as nod at the confirming reply three days ahead so we will show the jackass what it costs to forge ahead in rivers and now another company of men fe feverishly fought the turbulent st louis A small company this three men a single canoe with only an oilcloth and blankets and meager foods as burden Rick mans brigade was reforming for the river travel but this detachment went out ahead light footed if not lighthearted light hearted and so as embers died in shaws ca camp three pairs of eyes watched ant pahr and three ee pairs of brawny hands clung to alder branches to hold their canoe in its vantage point while shaw slept heavily storing energy for the morrow lie he had taken precautions had posted a boatman to watch but the stream was noisy its rush and tumble drowned small sounds such as a man cautiously wading under the alders so the guard could make no sound as a hand clamped over his mouth from behind and a knife ebu e bu butt t rapped his skull no the guard did not waken rodney shaw but the thing which one cry from the guard could have prevented did he sat up sharply the sound which had roused him came again and yet again a hollow crunch ing crash his men were stirring about the dead fire indistinct moving humps muttering huskily through their sleep once more that sound as shaw leaped to his feet and then came a splashing in the water a grunt a muffled exclamation out there in the stream he was bounding to the waters edge still bewildered by sleep and a prey ot of racing misgivings now came the sound of paddles driven deeply and in answer to his hail a mocking taunting laugh rodney just stood there staring at the gaping holes in the birch skins and the broken ribs of his canoe it was vast irreparable damage done by stoutly wielded axes x his transport lay wrecked with his only source of replenishment more than a hard days march behind 1 he must retrace the way he had come wait until canoes could be built lose all he had gained and more well it was so no other procedure was open CI V they did not sleep again they prepared the goods for a move by land and when the first hint of daylight appeared took up the task upstream and back into the forest rodney led them establishing a camp in a place from which it could not be observed by travelers on the river there under heavy guard he would leave his goods while he made his way down t to 0 the canoe makers and awaited the building of a new transport when the camp was made he led two of his stalwarts stal warts under heavy burdens over the way he had come near the end of the journey which consumed the entire day at forced march he heard the voices of men in the river far below the heights he traveled A canoe had just passed a shallow rapid half light and the boatmen had been removed these goods were largely casks the casks held alcohol he knew each five gallon container potentially 20 of spirits as liquor was diluted in the trade A wealth of property there enough to enslave a mighty band of hunters his heart went down then it fell lower than it had on his arrest lower than the level it had reached when he watched rickman put off from Michili mackinac at dusk he stalked into the canoe makers camp and told briefly of his need the fabrication of one canoe had already been started but it was a small craft a two man canoe with less than half the capacity of the four fathom canoes used by brigades in river travel it however was the thing to which rodney turned with shining eyes when his bargain for other work had been bee a driven how long would its completion require he asked the indians chattered argued declaimed three yes two perhaps rodney gave the man a cautious captious gill of spirits to bind the pact cajoled flattered by rodney the entire family worked master craftsman about the canoe children digging spruce roots holding one end in in their teeth stretching the other to arms length and splitting expertly with knives the grandmother gathered pitch the wife more cedar and birch bark the men had been sent back to basile at dawn and with the next descending sun the old steersman would be there to listen to t the he audacious plan rodney had hatched to meet the emergency confronting him but old basile looked skeptically at the canoe when he arrived so small he questioned for three men at the most TO BE CONTINUED |