Show THE WIFE wa SHIP WOMAN F JOE LABRADOR LABRAD OR SYNOPSIS traveling by canoe on thi the mississippi on his way to biloxi in the early days day of the sati settlement ement of Louisiana william brampton english spy known to indians and sett settlers lerm as an the whito white indian sees BC OL indian post it a declaration of war the tha french for his own purposes ho he hastens to biloxi ta to carry the tha news new to anville french governor brampton meets meats an old friend joe labrador in dlan who warns warna him bienville has hag threatened to hang han him as aa a spy apy refuse to turn back lie falls falla in with jules and basile mattor matter on ther their way to biloxi to secure wives from a ship the malre maire women from france at biloxi brampton protects a woman from a sergeants bru brutality she tells h him im she ehe la Is claire picked up in n a raid n parts parla evidently well bred and educated she he to IB a mystery to brampton ampton Dr ile he intervenes to prevent a man english known as old six fin kern following her bar to NOW new orleans A 41 Fren frenchman chinin francois narbonne slightly denon demented ted by stories lories he has heard of the riches of the new world introduces himself blin mouses accuse Il brampton rampton of treachery out but the latter secures a respite from death by revealing the declaration of war he 14 1 to await the arrival 0 of t a cormer companion damean the fox who will exonerate or condom condemn n him damean has documents proving brampton art an english spy py brampton receives a to message aa from claire begging him to holp help her bar reach tile the english settlements brampton trusts narbonne with a note to claire loina to meet her at new orleans lie plans piano his him escape after a struggle brampton wrests the a ruminating nc papers from damohn and escapes itom from biloxi CHAPTER V continued 7 I 1 flipped dipped into it and found tha parched corn excellent excel lont and the bears ft fresh after my hard bard travel it waa acost palatable I 1 sat down donin and b begun began eating the choctaw squatted on his heels before me an expression al almost indicating amusement lighting hla his eyes what I 1 your mark I 1 asked meaning inclining his clan ile he stared over my head at the green branches for fully a minute then answered I 1 long cl claw nw comes from the panthers you are the white Indi indian alft from biloxi this startled me and put me on my guard although I 1 gave no sign as 1 I nodded a careless affirmative it would appear that the news of my flight lind kept up with me you also come from 1311 I 1 asked ile he shook his head bead saying from a henters camp north ot of 1311 two of my brothers live here with the bread eaters lie he pointed in the direction of the goulas village did you see the they call the fox pass your village pik on his bis way io to biloxi there was an almost imperceptible nicker flicker in ills his small eyes and without waiting tor for tile he proper pause he be tm lm med mediately lately shook hla his head 1 I have enton eaten nearly oil all your corn and no I 1 roust must pay for it I 1 insisted there will be a big feast tonight and I 1 shall have much to eat he answered teetering back and forth on his heels lie be was a clumsy liar it Is a characteristic act of ninny red men 1 bave met to be us as obvious as aa children when they try to deceive why should he carry n pouch full of corn it tits his journey from biloxi was to end with a n feast at bay when he filled his pouch with corn and bears beara fat he llad had e expected to follow a trail which firlit take aliu to pensacola I 1 abruptly sald bald my aly wed medicine leine tells bolls we roe you stand in the shadow of death Is there any one to ninke make A i last cry for you jils his eyes nearly closed and the powerful chest roso anti and fell quickly when lie he froke hoxmer his voice waa composed nud lie quietly said 1 I nin of the panther clan I 1 am a hunter when I 1 ile die my spirit will be very terr liappa my aly people plan corn and melons anelons I 1 live ly by hunting hunt ing and tile the white nian man Is spoiling alic huh huchting ting my ghost will be happy even if I 1 le have no wife to make the last cry does the white indians medicine tell him blin any more it tells that thai the path to pensacola Is very bod bad for you I 1 must cross the bay and take the path to the spaniards I 1 said rising to my feet flis lips tightened my Pe departure was wag hurrying his plans and he did not like it suddenly he raised a hand band for silence it was a squirrel scampering through the foliage overhead I 1 the white indian shall take a little meat with him he whispered staring blaring up into the green branches be plucked his bow from hla his chou abou laer and strung it without removing hla him gue gaze from the leafy canopy he drew a reed arrow by hugh r author of may of the he missouri pay geover virginia scoott etc A Cosi Maht by bt nodi hugh 1028 from the quiver and placed won iton the string then he commenced circling the tree his hl head tilted fir far back I 1 could brace the movements of the squirrel ili by the slight plight stirring odthe of the lea leaves it began descending the trunk and as it did so BO the indians head slowly reverted to a more normal position and hla his outstretched hands holding the drawn bow gradually ceased pointing toward thi the zellh and swept forward to follow thi the telltale rustling down the tree trunk triumph lashed flashed in his eye and my medicine warned me I 1 was a fool to stand there and be bitch butchered ered that the squirrel had given sharp claw his bis chance to strike I 1 pe ile gave a quick low cry and shifted his aim and I 1 went down on my face and felt my fur cap snatched from my head by the hissink pa maln g arrow with a scream a panther might have sounded he leaped forward with his bis ax while i I 1 tugged at my pistol had t missed ore fire as it sometimes did my chances would have been practically worthless down he be went with both hands outstretched ind and nearly touching me ine and tor for a bit we two lay there tile the quicksand quick and thedeas the dead my first thought wits was to make the shore of the bay and signal far the he packet jacket to td take me oft off common sense e stepped in and told L me to by hide the dead man as it might be tha ali greater part of the day before th the e matters came inshore I 1 cist cast about and found a hole where the roots of an upturned oak had lifted the soil eoll and therein I 1 placed the man of the panther clan who wil adlea be causo cause of treachery also because he be was a clumsy liar working swiftly I 1 carefully obliterated all signs of the killing fortunately Fortuna lity we ila and not grap pled and disturbed the turf A cunning rearrangement of moss and forest mold hid bid tile dark stains left by tile the claw when lie he fell fel on ilia hla face with the heavy pistol all through his bis heart I 1 making north from the scene of the tight I 1 bent over dver a branch of a to mark direction I 1 repeated this sign several times knowing the pox fox or lili ills indian allies would accept it IL as a token irom from the dead man having done this much to mislead the enemy I 1 stole back to the shore find cone concealed baled myself I 1 dar not make a smoke tor for fear those on 06 my track or soule some of the Pasca goulas would investigate it it now that I 1 had a breathing spell I 1 made myse myself f comfortable in the underbrush at the edge of the timber and opened up the package of papers da mono moan the fox had carried inside his quilting the first one I 1 opened was my canadian report jhb data I 1 had 0 so o foolishly entrusted to damean for delivery putting it in my b pocket bocket I 1 gave my attention to the other papers there were three of them all from men high in the affairs of the colonies and each directing my attention to a different branch of inquiry ry any oneff one of the four papers would have proved my occupation beyond a shadow of doubt and sent me to dangle in a noose how damean had ingrati abed himself into the pod good graces graceie ii of my correspondents to the extent of making them believe he was a firm friend of mine and could be ti trusted lasted to bring me instructions was a mystery had lie he dell delivered vered my my canadian report that lint act alone would have gone far to establish him as a good friend of the colonies but lie he had obtained his evidence without surrendering my report I 1 went over the list hat 0 of f inquiries mentally checking oft off those I 1 already had made and memorized the others then I 1 dug a hole deep under the hole bole of a white oak and buried burled all but my report on the french north of the ohio that document I 1 risked on my person for a while longer and accustomed cus tomed snatching to my rest iest when cherk I 1 could I 1 stretched stretch gd out and went to sleep voices were sounding close baw by when hen I 1 opened my eyes the sun hung low three pirogues pl pi rogues had put in to allow four to land nearly a dozen indians remained in the dug outs up to their knees lh in elsh what tile lie four com coming ing ashore were after tied me until I 1 saw two of hiem carrying a A let and making for a a sand pit p it directly below my position while ahe ahe other two made for the grove if with ith their bows and arrows in iii theair hands handl their companions pushed off the two on the beach emptied a quantity vf of clams on the sand and began gathering dry driftwood the men disappearing in the timber were after squirrels or any other small game roasted clams and broiled squirrels elal I 1 my mouth month watered and I 1 watched them enviously as aa they built their fire gradually a wisp of smoke climbed into the brassy heavens he avena in creasing in volume as ab the clams wrapped in seaweed were thrown on the coals what at first I 1 took look to be a gull caught th in the level sunbeams become became a sail ball the boat drew nearer practically running before thi the wind here was an unforeseen dilemma the Mati lattore ors had bad observed the smoke and had accepted it as my signal and were coming in to td take me off did I 1 fall to show myself they would become frightened aad put back to open sea and go about their business it if I 1 showed myself I 1 would startle the Pasca Pusca goulas who would at once report the incident and biloxi would soon eoon learn the truth while I 1 was willing the whole coast should think me safe in pensacola I 1 did not wish to bring punishment on the matters Mattor fl the boat lost the wind as it drew inside the bay and made slow progress toward the smoke while scoring tring my wits for a way to avoid the clan eat cat era and make the packet a 4 shrill cry rang out in the oaks behind me it was a yelp of banishment possibly fear the indians indiana wn h the sand leaped to their feet and started wildly toward the timber the cry was repeated this time dinst in a signal and aad the men below toe me gave an answer answering hig whoop and rushed for the grove this second cry was one of discovery and I 1 believed the hunters li had found the body of sharp claw dismay was quickly replaced by a sense of satisfaction the dead man had drown drawn the Pasca goulas krom from the shore I 1 only asked that damean and ills his red nelles had found my signs and had hurried on toward pensacola while I 1 was n sleep asleep should therbe they be at hand to witness the exhumation of the choctaw they would know my signs were decoys in aad that I 1 was not bound for the spanish settlement the packet was now near enough for me to recognize the two Mat matters tors I 1 had expected to swim for 14 it and if not for or my musket it would have been simple enough but before taking to the water I 1 glanced up and down the shore and discovered a small pirogue pl rogue running the ilsk of being seen I 1 ran to this and pushed it into the water and paddled forthe boat feet of the devil I 1 why did you not wait I 1 groaned mattor matter pere as I 1 climbed aboard and kicked tile the pirogue free to drift ashore with the incoming tide I 1 throw threw myself flat in the boat and basile growled tho the eyes of the world are watching us enough talk I 1 I 1 commanded there Is no one on shore but some indians you must musi work the boat between isle nu au algle and the dauphine lne and sail for pensacola for pensacola Pensacol al 1 exclaimed jules when the sun goes down well change our course for Pont pontchartrain chartrain there you will drop me and I 1 will pick up a canoe I 1 have the I 1 promised you monsieur la is a gentleman it la Is right we MC should help him declared basile ho bol I 1 ho hoi I 1 see how red the sun mattor matter the elder crossed himself abid I 1 heard him muttering there js blood on it ill 1 I 1 wondered if it were an ill omen for me I 1 hoped it was the blood of sharp claw the choctaw CHAPTER VI I 1 keep an appointment without incidents of interest the packet anchored at sundown in the mouth of the little bayou st jean or Tebo uple pic as it still was known to many settlers the matters had completed their bargain but so happy were they over earning their without being brought to book by bleur tie de Bl enville they were loath to leave me in the lie swamps and marshes without canoe and jules mattor frankly said it not only would offend my heart to leave you stranded in this muck monsieur but it would endanger my head without a canoe you will be found then his excellency excelled ex cellen ey would surely ask how you get here you did not swim here ild he would know ours ou rs was the only boat to come this way since you escaped from biloxi enough 13 dalle have the kind heart to find a log canoe for monsieur basile was gone but a short time when he be returned with a small pirogue which he said he had bad borrowed from some of lo le page do prates people entering this with my gun and a bag of smoked meat I 1 paddled into the swamp growth while the mattart lost no time in putting about and working the packet into a light breeze and sailing balling south sough doubt less to hide up in n lake borgne forck tot a while their alibi alft it I 1 were discovered by toy isly enemies would be of a geographical nature keeping dose close to the bank and under shelter of the ovir overhanging banging wll wa low owl I 1 worked along slowly lowly until the splash of ft a paddle ahead bent me into hiding biding it was aut quite dark under der the arching trees ind and I 1 could not have hare told whether it was a white red or black man approaching had bad not the follow fellow started a iong song popular on the st 81 lawrence an aa he drew abreast of my hiding place I 1 softly called joe labrador 1 the good saints I 1 r he be ejaculated swerving his bis canoe with a swirl of his bis paddle and making toward me hal lost loa I 1 who calls to me from the dark in the voice of a white man the white indian I 1 cautiously replied diable I 1 monsieur brampton I 1 what terrible folly I 1 with the whole gulf pensacola the upper alver to travel you yon come here bere lie he growled and monsieur did me the honor to call me m tete de boesl aro are you indeed mad my friend why I 1 come hero beret I 1 asked its as his bis canoe slid against mine and we grasped hands bands because word has hag been brought to la nouvelle orleans this very morn ing for the people to watch out for you to take you prisoner and return you to biloxi we waste words why are you paddling down the bayou to thi the lake at the edge of night oh I 1 go to the mouth of the bayou each night perhaps I 1 am 9 with a scream a panther might have sounded he leaped forward with his ax curious to know who catera the bayou you have been watching for me to come cornel I 1 such la Is my weakness my friend yes now we have met you must paddle back to the lake and up the iber N ill we e if you lack anything you shall |